Senior Major Gifts Manager
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
A complete application in a minute
Tailored resume and cover letter, ready to send.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation in Melbourne is seeking a Senior Major Gifts Manager to build and manage relationships with high‑net‑worth donors, securing transformational gifts between $0.5m and $2.5m+. You will lead donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship across an assigned portfolio, working with Foundation and Peter Mac leaders to maximise philanthropic impact.
The role requires strategic fundraising leadership, collaboration with clinical and research partners, and the ability to
Qualifications
- Proven success in major gifts or philanthropic programs.
- Secured gifts of $0.5m or more.
- Experience collaborating with clinical, research or academic partners.
Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of high‑net‑worth donors and secure transformational gifts.
- Cultivate donor relationships with tailored engagement and impact reporting.
- Lead with Foundation and Peter Mac stakeholders to strengthen fundraising strategies.
- Develop donor-centric blended giving opportunities across programs.
- Mentor staff and contribute to budgeting and resource planning for the Major Gifts program.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:
- Melbourne CBD location, with flexible, hybrid working
- $130,000 to $145,000 base + salary packaging + super + 5 weeks annual leave + monthly ADO’s
The Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation supports Peter Mac’s vision to transform cancer care and improve outcomes for everyone affected by cancer. Through philanthropy, fundraising and community support, the Foundation helps advance world‑leading cancer research, deliver exceptional patient care and drive innovation. As an integral part of the Peter Mac community, we are united by a commitment to Excellence, Compassion and Innovation, and the belief that together we can make a meaningful difference to the lives of people affected by cancer.
The Foundation is entering an exciting new chapter as we set our sights on an ambitious future, with bold plans to grow our impact and help power the next generation of cancer discoveries. There has never been a more exciting time to join our team and help make a difference.
As our Senior Major Gifts Manager you will be responsible for building and managing relationships with high‑net‑worth donors to secure transformational philanthropic gifts of $500,000–$2.5 million+. Working closely with the Director of Principal and Major Gifts, you’ll lead donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship across an assigned portfolio, identifying new opportunities and maximising donor lifetime value. You’ll also work collaboratively with Foundation and Peter Mac stakeholders to strengthen philanthropic engagement and support the Foundation’s broader fundraising strategy.
Key responsibilities will see you:
- Manage a portfolio of prospective major gift donors, identifying, qualifying and cultivating high-value prospects to build a strong pipeline of philanthropic opportunities and secure significant, multi-year and transformational gifts
- Develop and maintain effective donor relationships through tailored engagement, timely impact reporting, communications and appropriate recognition, ensuring donor expectations are met and gift agreements are fulfilled
- Build strong relationships with donors, corporate and community partners, Foundation advocates, and Peter Mac clinical, research and executive leaders to identify new opportunities, facilitate donor engagement and maximise philanthropic outcomes across fundraising programs
- Engage with other Foundation fundraising colleagues to develop donor-centric, blended giving opportunities that meet the donor where they are on their giving journey
- Lead, mentor and develop direct reports while contributing to the strategic planning, budgeting, revenue forecasting and resource allocation of the Major Gifts program to optimise performance and return on investment
This is a fantastic opportunity to bring your skills to work that makes a real difference, developing your career in a leading cancer care organisation, and enjoying the culture, opportunities and employee benefits that make Peter Mac a rewarding place to work.
You are a strategic, relationship-focused fundraising professional with the emotional intelligence, empathy and judgement to build trust and navigate sensitive donor relationships. You bring a collaborative and influential approach, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders, motivate teams and translate complex information into meaningful fundraising outcomes. You bring a collaborative and influential approach, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders, motivate teams and translate complex information into meaningful fundraising outcomes. You are driven, commercially minded and committed to achieving ambitious philanthropic goals while delivering an exceptional donor experience.
You’ll bring with you:
- Proven success in major gifts or philanthropic fundraising programs, ideally within health, research or tertiary education, including securing gifts of $500,000 or more
- Demonstrated ability to develop compelling funding propositions in collaboration with clinical, research or academic partners
- Strong understanding of integrated fundraising programs, including principal and major gifts, Gifts in Wills and mid-value giving, and the metrics required to drive portfolio performance
- Proven experience leading, motivating and developing staff, and working with volunteer leaders to support peer-to-peer major gift solicitations
- Highly developed stakeholder engagement, negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and apply insights to drive fundraising outcomes
We offer a range of benefits which support our people both personally and professionally, including:
- Up to $11,660 in salary packaging to increase your take home pay
- Discounted health insurance and eye care
- A comprehensive health and wellbeing program
- Public transport options at our doorstep and end of trip facilities for cyclists
- Onsite eateries and coffee shops and inviting rooftop garden spaces
- Pathways for professional development and new career opportunities
- Five weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading and purchased leave options
- Flexible, hybrid working arrangements
Peter Mac celebrates, values and supports a diverse and inclusive environment which reflects our vibrant community. We encourage applications from anyone identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. We also welcome anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA+, linguistically, culturally and/or gender diverse, people with disability, and people of any age to apply for our roles.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Senior Major Gifts Manager is responsible for engaging with high-net-worth donors as part of a transformational comprehensive fundraising campaign. Working with the Director of Principal and Major Gifts, you will deliver against the Foundation’s strategy by engaging with a portfolio of generous and ambitious donors who believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people affected by cancer.
You will contribute to a program that identifies and builds relationships with prospective donors, personally overseeing the solicitation of donations of $0.5m - $2.5m+, ensuring best-practice cultivation and stewardship of donors.
The role involves a high degree of collaboration with senior leaders and teams across the Foundation to appropriately prospect and qualify leads from Individual Giving and Gifts in Wills, with accountability for the delivery of agreed performance outcomes including significantly increasing lifetime value across your portfolio. You will also build relationships internally with key Peter Mac stakeholders, supporting the development of a culture of philanthropy throughout Peter Mac.
Health and Allied Services, Managers and Administrative Workers Enterprise Agreement 2025-2028
HS4
Immunisation Category C
- Members of the Principal and Major Gifts team
- CEO
- Deputy CEO & Head of Fundraising
- Foundation Executive
- All Foundation staff
- Peter Mac Communications team
- Peter Mac clinical and research leaders
- Peter Mac Foundation Board members
- Individual and organisational donors and funding partners
- Volunteers
- Success in Major Gift programs and/or philanthropic programs focused on high value giving, preferably in a health, research, or tertiary education setting
- Demonstrated success soliciting and securing gifts of $0.5m +
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with clinical, research or academic partners in developing donor funding propositions of $0.5m +
- A demonstrated understanding of the necessary integration of fundraising programs: how principal and major gifts, gifts in Wills and mid-value giving work together within a successful health fundraising program
- Understanding of the metrics and measurements required to support and sustain a strong major gifts program and manage an individual portfolio
- Proven ability to build, lead and motivate staff in the achievement of agreed fundraising goals
- Success in working with volunteer leaders in peer-to-peer solicitation of Major gifts
- Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation and influencing skills
- Highly developed ability to interpret and apply insights from complex data analysis to drive business outcomes
- Demonstrated emotional intelligence, empathy and judgment to build trust and work with utmost sensitivity with donors whose philanthropic motivations may be shaped by personal experiences of cancer
- Tertiary qualifications in business, commerce or related disciplines preferred
- Experience in working with Blackbaud CRM or other data platforms
- Willingness to travel and work out of usual business hours as needed
Key Accountabilities Key Performance Indicators
- Build a pipeline of pre-committed gifts, including multi-year commitments.
- Effectively manage your portfolio of prospective Major Gift donors capable of $0.5m+ gifts
- Collaborate with the Prospect Researcher to identify and qualify potential leads from within the Foundation database
- Work with Gifts in Wills and Mid-Value team members to appropriately manage shared opportunities
- Work with the Impact Team to develop compelling propositions to engage prospective donors and meet major gift objectives
- Solicit an aggregated gift value of a minimum of $7.5m per year
- Pipeline value represents 3-4 times agreed annual target within 18 months
- Generate three new confirmed gifts in Wills referrals per year
Measured by:
- Value and number of proposals presented to donors annually and over a three-year rolling period
- Value and number of gifts solicited annually and over a three-year rolling period
- Value and number of gifts closed annually and over a three-year rolling period
- Value and number of new prospective donors qualified annually and over a three-year rolling period
- Value and number of volunteer leader peer-to-peer solicitations annually and over a three-year rolling period
- Number of new gifts in Wills leads per annum
- Work with the Impact Team to develop impact reports and updates for donors
- Work with Foundation Executive and other stakeholders to develop appropriate recognition opportunities for key donors
- Contributes to and aligns with an overall communication plan for major donor development
- Impact reports delivered in a timely manner, through relevant channels to meet donor expectations
- Gifts are receipted accurately and promptly
- Represents donor interests appropriately for donor recognition
- Messaging is aligned with Peter Mac brand and fundraising objectives
Measured by:
- Number of impact reports delivered
- Major gifts communication plan adherence
- Recognition opportunities accepted
- Contact with donors and other external relationships is recorded promptly within the Foundation database
- Record-keeping is compliant with relevant privacy and fundraising legislation
- Maintain detailed records of donor / prospect relationships and actions within Blackbaud CRM
- Accurately report on the status and results of your assigned donor portfolio
Measured by:
- Donor records are compliant
- Donor data is stored in secure, effectively managed systems
- Reporting accurately reflects actions and income against targets
- Donor funds are expended in accordance with gift agreements
- Creates effective relationships with donors, foundations, corporations and community partners to position the Foundation and Peter Mac as a destination for philanthropic investment
- Cultivates strong internal relationships with Peter Mac research and clinical leaders, fundraising volunteers, key Foundation fundraising team members, particularly in fostering collaborative engagement of prospective donors
- Develops a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan for qualification and cultivation of high-priority donors and institutional leaders, volunteers and organisational partners
- Growth in the number of effective and trusted relationships that lead to opportunities to present transformational gift proposals
- Increase the number of inbound opportunities generated by Foundation advocates across Peter Mac
- Increase leads for fundraising other programs, most specifically Gifts in Wills, but also other opportunities as they arise across other programs (e.g., such as dollar match offers or similar)
- Effective stewardship of relationships, as evidenced by stakeholder feedback
- Works collaboratively with other Foundation fundraising programs to optimise donor service delivery and overall fundraising revenue
Measured by:
- Clinician and researcher participation in donor engagement
- Relevant and appropriate Board and Executive deployment
- Leads generated for the Foundation, and within the Foundation
- Provide leadership and mentoring to direct reports, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration and continuous improvement
- Contribute to the planning of annual budgets and revenue forecasts for the Major Gifts program
- Provide strategic advice to the Director of Principal and Major Gifts regarding investment or resource allocation decisions that improve program efficiency and return on investment
- Team leadership delivers to the objectives of the ‘Empowered People’ enabler of the Foundation’s strategic plan, as evaluated through the key results areas and qualitative feedback
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
