Advancement Officer

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Advancement Officer will join the major gifts team with a primary focus on building and strengthening the pipeline of future leadership giving donors across annual, major, and planned giving programs. This role is responsible for identifying, qualifying, and engaging new prospects with the capacity and inclination to support Choate at a leadership level. 

The Advancement Officer will manage an active portfolio of prospects and is expected to conduct a high volume of visits and outreach, primarily within the tri-state area. This is a metrics-focused, goal-driven role, with clear expectations around activity, pipeline development, and prospect qualification. The position requires regular travel, as well as occasional evening and weekend responsibilities. 

Requirements

•     Manage and advance a portfolio of 200–300 discovery-stage prospects, with a focus on qualification and pipeline development  
•    Conduct a high volume of in-person visits, virtual meetings, and outreach activities to assess capacity, interest, and readiness for leadership giving engagement  
•     Proactively identify and qualify new prospects through outreach, research, referrals, and event follow-up  
•     Develop and execute engagement strategies to assess, qualify, and advance prospects through the pipeline 
•     Collaborate with the Alumni Engagement team to identify and engage prospective donors, leveraging events, volunteer leadership, and alumni networks to support pipeline development 
•     Partner closely with Major Gift and Annual Fund teams to evaluate, position, and transition prospects, ensuring alignment with the most appropriate giving strategy and point of engagement  
•    Prepare briefing materials, contact reports, and qualification summaries to support prospect strategy and handoff 
•    Track and assess prospect movement through the pipeline, contributing to overall pipeline strategy and development  
•     Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all prospect interactions and activity within the CRM  
•    Travel regularly within the tri-state area for in-person donor visits and small group meetings  
•    Stay informed on Choate’s priorities, programs, and funding opportunities to effectively represent the institution  
•    Work independently while contributing to a highly collaborative team environment  

EDUCATION 

•     Bachelor’s degree required  

PRIOR EXPERIENCE 

•    2–4 years of relevant experience in fundraising, sales, client relationship management, or a related field  
•    Demonstrated ability to work in a goal-oriented or metrics-driven environment  
•    Experience conducting outreach, building relationships, and moving individuals through a defined engagement or sales process  
•    Familiarity with fundraising or nonprofit environments preferred, but not required  
•    Experience with CRM systems preferred  

OTHER KEY COMPETENCIES 

•    Commitment to the mission of an inclusive, highly regarded boarding school, with interest in engaging in a close-knit, student-centered community 
•     Strong interest in a career in fundraising, particularly in major gifts and donor engagement  
•     Proactive and self-motivated, with a willingness to initiate outreach and pursue new opportunities  
•     Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport quickly and effectively  
•     Highly organized and able to manage a high volume of activity, outreach, and follow-up with attention to detail  
•     Strong listening skills and the ability to assess donor interest, readiness, and alignment  
•     Collaborative team player who works effectively with colleagues to support shared goals  
•     Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to navigate frequent travel and a dynamic, externally facing role  
•     Professional presence and sound judgment in all interactions  

Summary

Working at Choate: Choate Rosemary Hall is a coeducational, independent secondary school located in central Connecticut with 850 boarding and day students and over 400 employees. Choate serves intellectually gifted and motivated students of diverse backgrounds from across the globe whose commitment to serious study is enhanced in an academically challenging and personally supportive setting.

Choate provides students with transformative and meaningful experiences that instill lifelong habits of learning, leadership, and service, shaped by innovative and passionate educators. Teaching faculty at Choate are innovative, collaborative, and committed to our students' intellectual, social, emotional, and character development. Our faculty understands that each of our students has the potential for growth and works to encourage students to develop their own ideas and voices in learner-centered environments.

For its students and employees alike, Choate strives to be a diverse and inclusive community where all feel valued and embraced. On our campus, principled individuals from diverse backgrounds are united through common purpose, active engagement, and mutual respect. We celebrate differences and the richness of our varied backgrounds and experiences. Recognizing that working in an inclusive community can also present challenges, we embrace those challenges through ongoing dialogue and interaction, enhancing empathy and appreciation for those whose perspectives differ from our own.

Choate prohibits in all its programs, including hiring and employment practices, discrimination against or harassment of any member or group based upon age, gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other category protected by Connecticut or federal law, except in the case of a bona fide occupational qualification.