California Academy of Sciences: Chief Advancement Officer

The California Academy of Sciences seeks a Chief Advancement Officer to lead its division during a pivotal time of transformation. This hands-on role requires a dynamic builder who can stabilize and energize a talented team while forging strong partnerships with scientists, educators, and Board members in philanthropy. The Chief Advancement Officer will play a crucial role in shaping a comprehensive fundraising campaign that encompasses capital, operating, and endowment goals, working closely with the Executive Director and Board to define the campaign's scope and sequencing. This position is especially important during the transition to new leadership, ensuring continuity and collaboration. The Chief Advancement Officer will oversee a team of 18-20 staff members across various fundraising areas, including leadership giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, donor events, planned giving, and development operations, and will report directly to the Executive Director as part of the Senior Leadership Team.

About California Academy of Sciences:

Founded in 1853, the California Academy of Sciences (the Academy) is a globally renowned, AZA-accredited non-profit scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, research institute, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—the Academy’s mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

The Academy’s living collection reflects Earth’s vast biodiversity, consisting of nearly 60,000 animals representing over 800 species. Its research collections are the largest west of the Mississippi, spanning nearly 46 million plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. Its diverse team includes leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who are passionate about advancing knowledge and catalyzing action through science and storytelling.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Revenue Growth

• Build and lead a culture of philanthropy across the Advancement division and the institution as a whole

• Ensure direct, trusted working relationships with scientists, educators, and Board members and activate them as partners in fundraising

• Identify fundraising needs across existing programs and build attainable near- and long-term strategies spanning annual giving, capital campaigns, planned giving, special events, and endowment

• Explore new revenue streams by evaluating and refining donor solicitation, cultivation, communication, and recognition/affinity programs, as a way to keep donors informed and connected to the Academy's mission, work, and accomplishments

• Regularly evaluate and adjust fundraising strategies, leveraging internal relationships and Board members to increase revenue and participation, and recommend cultivation and solicitation visits to major donors and prospects

• Take a hands-on, active role with major and strategic donors and maintain ongoing communication with executive leadership and the Board to ensure buy-in to fundraising initiatives at the highest level

Portfolio Management & Board Relations

• Work closely with the Board of Directors and Advancement Committee chair and members to identify, cultivate, and shepherd board member solicitations

• Support Board members in every aspect of their philanthropic journey, including their personal commitment to the Academy and their relationships with various public and private funders and philanthropists

• Staff and prepare the Board in a strategy for increased participation and eventual campaigns

• Lead a traditional advancement portfolio, including annual fund, membership, major and principal gifts, and planned giving

• Maintain a personal portfolio of the organization's most sophisticated and generous donors

• Position the division for a comprehensive campaign

• Diversification of Funding Sources

• Evaluate and grow corporate and foundation partnerships alongside individual giving, including sponsorship and IP-partnership opportunities

• Support pursuit of government, agency, and institutional grant funding in partnership with science and program leadership

• Expand planned giving and endowment strategies to diversify the Academy's long-term funding base

Development Operations, Technology, & Data

• Oversee development operations, including the donor database/CRM, gift processing, and prospect research infrastructure

• Use data and reporting to inform fundraising strategy, track progress against goals, and support Board- and Senior Leadership Team-level decision-making

• Evaluate current systems and processes for opportunities to improve efficiency and staff productivity

Team Leadership & Internal Management

• Recruit, coach, nurture, and retain a high-performing team; provide an environment that encourages stability as well as a growth mindset, while holding the team accountable to ambitious goals

• Provide leadership that challenges, inspires, and motivates people across the Academy's local, national, and global community

• Demonstrate a proven ability to recruit, mentor, lead, and develop a diverse staff, with a track record of building high-performing, loyal teams

• Lead with a flexible, inclusive style that adapts to different audiences and sharpens colleagues' focus

• Serve as a positive, unifying figure who leads by influence and example to build an integrated development culture across the Academy

• Demonstrate a commitment to transparency that builds trust and confidence in the advancement operation across the institution

• Manage the division's budget, staffing, and day-to-day operations

• Serve as a steady, credible, and enthusiastic voice on the Senior Leadership Team during a period of institutional change

• Foster a culture of respect, communication, and accountability within the team

• Champion the Academy's culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion, bringing commitment, ideas, and energy to diversity efforts across the workforce, donor base, and broader community

Competencies:

• Mission alignment and a genuine commitment to youth, science, learning, and curiosity

• 15+ years of progressively challenging fundraising experience, including 5 or more years of senior management

• Comprehensive campaign experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degrees, certifications, and/or other advanced education, highly regarded

• Background in museums, conservation, science, or education-adjacent fundraising, preferred

• Proven success soliciting and maintaining a portfolio of six- and seven-figure gifts

• Experience working within the San Francisco Bay Area philanthropic community

• A demonstrated enterprise mindset; comfort working across departments to engage and build an organizational culture of philanthropy

• Experience building trust and partnership with organizational stakeholders including scientists, educators, and governance volunteers

• Experience leading a team through organizational change or culture-rebuilding

• Commitment to and enthusiasm for the mission and growth of the California Academy of Sciences

Leadership & Interpersonal Competencies

• Strategy Setting: Ability to grasp the opportunities and challenges of the Academy and role quickly and develop innovative, data-informed fundraising plans

• Executing for Results: Sets clear, realistic yet challenging goals. Demonstrates tenacity and accountability in driving results and balances financial realities with innovation and calculated risk-taking

• Leading Teams: Demonstrates true leadership - serving as a mentor while developing and nurturing a diverse staff; leads with a flexible, inclusive approach; builds an integrated development culture through influence and example

• Relationships & Influence: Communicates and presents with clarity and inspiration; builds and preserves trust and confidence among diverse constituencies; takes a consensus-seeking but decisive approach

• Interpersonal Acumen & Character: Combines sound judgment and confidence with humility; is a supportive, active listener; embodies the Academy's ethics, integrity, and commitment to diversity and inclusion; brings high energy, charisma, and drive

Compensation

• Salary Range: $325,000 - $350,000

• Benefits include:

  • 5 weeks of vacation, in addition to holidays, sick time, and floating holidays

  • Medical, Vision, Dental Insurance

  • 403b

  • Hybrid work environment (4 days/week onsite)

To Apply

For more information, or to apply for the Chief Advancement Officer position at the California Academy of Sciences, please upload your resume and cover letter here. All applications will be kept confidential, and every applicant will receive a response.