Executive Director, Board Development-Philanthropy

Beth Israel Lahey Health, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Beth Israel Lahey Health seeks an Executive Director of Board Development to provide system-wide leadership for board development across first-tier BILH organizations. This role serves as lead advisor for board development initiatives, partnering with governance, philanthropy, and hospital leaders to recruit diverse volunteer leadership and align with organizational priorities.

The Executive Director drives onboarding, education, and ongoing development for trustees and volunteers, while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 10–15 years philanthropy/board development experience.
• 5+ years of leadership and staff management; ability to engage trustees and donors.
• Healthcare, academic medicine, or large nonprofit system experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of nonprofit governance principles and board best practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Board Development function across first-tier BILH hospital and clinical unit boards.
• Develop and coordinate system-wide trustee recruitment, onboarding, and volunteer leadership initiatives.
• Ensure alignment of board structures and leadership development with governance standards and priorities.
• Oversee onboarding, orientation, and ongoing development programs for board members and volunteers.
• Monitor trustee engagement metrics and philanthropic activity; report to leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Relationship building

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Power BI

CRM platforms

Job description

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

The Executive Director of Board Development provides system-wide leadership for board development across first-tier BILH organizations, while serving as lead advisor and primary support for BIDMC board development initiatives. Reporting to the Vice President, Philanthropy Enterprise Initiatives, The Executive Director is responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of a comprehensive board development program that supports organizational priorities, advances a partnership with local and system governance staff, promotes philanthropic engagement, and develops strategies to recruit and cultivate diverse volunteer leadership talent to reflect patient populations and support strategic priorities.

The position partners with the BILH System Governance Team to ensure board development practices complement governance standards and processes. The Executive Director partners closely with hospital leaders, senior executives, Philanthropy leaders, board development staff, and volunteer leaders to ensure an exceptional board engagement experience for trustees, advisory board members, and committee members. The role provides system-wide leadership for first-tier board recruitment, onboarding and board engagement strategies designed to advance philanthropic and organizational goals.

Job Description

Essential Duties & Responsibilities including but not limited to:

Strategic Board Development Leadership

1. Leads the Board Development function across first-tier BILH hospital and clinical unit boards, establishing a system-wide approach to identifying, cultivating, recruiting, onboarding, and educating volunteer leaders.
2. Develops and coordinates system-wide strategies for first-tier trustee recruitment, leadership succession, committee appointments, and volunteer engagement initiatives.
3. Ensures alignment of board structure, composition, and leadership development efforts with system governance structure and local strategic priorities and community needs.

Board Candidate Pipeline and Leadership Development

1. Build and manages the candidate pipeline across first-tier hospitals and clinical units, partnering with Governance and Nominating Committees, philanthropy leadership, prospect development teams, and executive leadership to identify, evaluate, and recruit high-impact volunteer leaders.
2. Leads efforts to cultivate and maintain robust trustee and volunteer leadership pipelines, including identification of future board chairs, committee leaders, and philanthropic ambassadors.
3. In collaboration with the BILH Board Governance team, establishes and coordinates comprehensive onboarding, orientation, education, and continuing development programs for first-tier board members and volunteer leaders.
4. Develop and recommend strategies to increase community representation, and skill-based board participation.

Board and Volunteer Engagement

1. Provides strategic leadership for trustee engagement and stewardship activities, ensuring meaningful opportunities for board members to advance philanthropy, advocacy, community engagement, and organizational priorities.
2. Develops and monitors reporting and metrics related to trustee engagement, including participation, philanthropic engagement, leadership involvement, and other indicators of an active and engaged board.
3. Partners with philanthropy and executive leadership to identify opportunities that maximize board members’ influence, networks, expertise, and philanthropic capacity.
4. Works with board and philanthropy leaders to develop educational initiatives to enhance the engagement of board members in philanthropy.
5. Creates an intentional and consistent trustee experience across the first-tier board member lifecycle, from onboarding and early engagement through ongoing service, leadership development, recognition, and transition from board service.

Team Leadership and Management

1. Coordinates Board Development staff, creating a high-performing team culture grounded in collaboration, accountability, innovation, customer service, and continuous improvement.
2. Develop work plans including project management, budget development, operational performance, and resource allocation.
3. Identifies opportunities to leverage data, technology, and best practices to strengthen candidate pipeline development, trustee engagement, and overall board member experience.

Organizational Partnership and Consultation

1. Serves as the organization's subject matter expert on board development, trustee engagement, and onboarding best practices for first-tier boards.
2. Provides consultation, training, guidance, tools, and resources to philanthropy staff, hospital administrators, executive leaders, and board liaisons on board development matters.
3. Leads special projects and strategic initiatives relating to board development, volunteer leadership, board engagement, and philanthropy integration.
4. Represents Board Development and Philanthropy in system-wide committees, task forces, executive meetings, and external professional organizations as appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required. Experience: 10-15 years of progressively responsible experience in philanthropy, volunteer leadership, board development, nonprofit management, healthcare administration, or related field required. Minimum of 5 years of leadership and staff management experience required. Demonstrated experience building relationships and working effectively with trustees, senior executives, donors, community leaders, and other high-level volunteers required. Healthcare, academic medicine, or large nonprofit system experience strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

Experience developing and engaging trustees, volunteer leaders, and other influential constituents with knowledge of nonprofit board structures , and best practices. Demonstrated success developing and engaging influential volunteer leaders, trustees, and philanthropic ambassadors. Experience supporting healthcare, academic, nonprofit, or complex matrix organizations. Knowledge of fundraising principles, major gifts, board philanthropy, campaign leadership, and donor engagement strategies. Experience leveraging governance technology platforms, including Nasdaq BoardVantage, Diligent, OnBoard, or similar systems. Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, O365, Power BI, CRM platforms, and board management systems. Experience leading diversity-focused board recruitment and inclusion initiatives.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Decision Making - Ability to make complex, strategic decisions affecting multiple organizations, departments, and stakeholder groups. Exercises significant independent judgment in board development strategy, volunteer leadership engagement, and organizational planning. Problem Solving - Ability to navigate highly complex and sensitive issues involving trustees, volunteer leaders, executive stakeholders, donors and organizational priorities through diplomacy, strategic thinking, and influence. Independence of Action - Functions with a high degree of independence. Establishes strategic direction, departmental objectives, and operational priorities with broad executive guidance. Written Communications - Exceptional ability to prepare executive-level communications, board and volunteer engagement materials, presentations, reports, correspondence, and strategic recommendations for senior leaders and trustees. Oral Communications - Ability to influence, negotiate, advise, and present effectively to board members, executive leadership, physicians, donors, and external stakeholders. Knowledge - Demonstrated expertise in board development, volunteer leadership engagement, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership practices, with a strong working knowledge of nonprofit governance principles and board best practices. Teamwork - Ability to lead high-performing teams and foster collaborative relationships across multiple entities and stakeholder groups. Customer Service - Ability to establish and maintain exceptional service standards for volunteer leaders, trustees, executive leadership, and internal partners.

Physical Requirements & Environment

Work requires close attention to task for work to be accurately completed. Intermittent breaks during the work day do not compromise the work. Work is varied every day and the employee needs to be adaptable to respond to these changes and use independent judgment and manage priorities. No substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions Health Care Status: NHCW: No patient contact. Health Care Worker Status may vary by department. Close work (paperwork, visual examination), Color vision/perception, Visual monotony, Visual clarity > 20 feet, Visual clarity feet, Conversation, Telephone. Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally in carrying, lifting, pushing, pulling objects. Sitting most of the time, with walking and standing required only occasionally. This job requires frequent sitting, Keyboard use. There may be occasional walking, standing.

Pay Range

$170,000.00 USD - $200,000.00 USD

The pay range listed for this position is the annual base salary range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law.

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment. More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled At Beth Israel Lahey Health, we are driving the change in health care that Massachusetts wants and needs. Our culture promotes continuous learning, growth, innovation and a sense of belonging. We make it a priority to offer comprehensive compensation and benefits and help you achieve a healthy and balanced life. While you're busy caring for and supporting our patients, we take care of you.