VP, Major Gifts, Corp Partners and Events bei Oceana

General Summary

The Vice President (VP) of Major Gifts, Corporate Partners, and Events leads global efforts to engage individual and family donors, as well as corporate partners, in supporting Oceana’s campaigns to protect and restore our oceans. The Vice President is responsible for creating and executing a comprehensive development plan to build strong donor relationships and manage a team to achieve ambitious fundraising goals. The successful candidate will help maintain and forge new relationships to grow Oceana’s financial resources, impact, and visibility.

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Vice President serves on the Executive team and is a strategic partner with the heads of Institutional Giving, Marketing & Communications, Finance, and VPs leading campaigns in nine countries plus the European Union.

The successful candidate will continue to expand and diversify Oceana’s donor base/pipeline and work closely with other team members to secure funding for current and new initiatives. It is expected that the amount raised by Oceana will increase in future years as the Vice President systematically and effectively strengthens the organization's overall fundraising capacity.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions:

Organizational Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement a strategic fundraising plan including major gifts, annual giving, planned giving, corporate partnerships, and events. 
• Actively work with the CEO and senior staff to develop and implement ongoing fundraising and stewardship strategies that include major gifts, events, and corporate fundraising.
• Partner with the Board of Directors to identify, engage, and steward donors.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to ensure consistent messaging and donor engagement, as well as implementation of an effective events and corporate partnership strategy.
• Work with leaders in countries around the world to support their outreach and fundraising with major donors and corporate partners in their countries.
• Serve as a member of the Executive Committee, acting as a spokesperson for Oceana at community events, partnership meetings, and with the media.
• Collaborate with the Chief Financial Officer to develop and implement Oceana’s financial strategy.

Donor and Corporate Partner Solicitation, Stewardship & Events Management

• Actively solicit and steward a portfolio of ~200 major gift supporters.
• Solicit six- and seven-figure contributions.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit prospective individuals and family foundations, and steward them to build long-term relationships.
• Assess the current corporate partnership approach and results and develop an updated strategy to expand revenue and enhance Oceana’s brand globally.
• Develop and implement a new events strategy to attract new donors, deepen relationships with existing donors, leverage corporate partnerships, and increase revenue.
• Manage a team that plans and implements all special events, both in-person and virtual, ensuring fundraising, attendance, marketing, and program goals are met and kept within budget.

Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise and mentor a team of 12 staff managing major gifts, events, and corporate and celebrity partnerships, establishing clear performance metrics and leading the team to achieve department goals.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing environment focused on achieving fundraising objectives.
• Oversee the development and submission of grant proposals and reports, ensuring timely and accurate fulfillment of funding requirements. Work with the Institutional Giving team to realize efficiencies in campaign reporting.

Reporting & Analysis

• Work closely with the Accounting & Finance team to ensure accurate revenue recording, financial records, and compliance with legal and accounting requirements.
• Oversee research on funding sources and trends to position Oceana ahead of major funding changes and trends.
• Provide and present statistical analyses to the Board and senior leaders.
• Monitor and evaluate fundraising performance against goals and the strategic plan, providing regular updates, projections, and analysis to the CEO and Board of Directors.

Job Requirements
Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; CFRE certification required; master’s degree strongly preferred.
• At least 15 years of fundraising and development experience in progressively responsible leadership positions, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role overseeing operational and performance outcomes. Related experience or a relevant combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Proven ability to lead fundraising at the $20 million level and to build the strategy, systems, and relationships needed to grow revenue beyond that threshold.
• 5+ years of direct people management experience, including leading high-performing teams and managing effectively across time zones.
• Experience building integrated development strategies across multiple streams.
• Skilled in Board engagement and fostering a culture of philanthropy at the governance level.
• Verified track record of meeting or exceeding measurable fundraising goals in a medium- to large-sized, fast-paced nonprofit environment.
• Strong background in fundraising with high-net-worth individuals, family foundations, and corporate partnerships.
• Experience leading high-end fundraising events with celebrities and corporate sponsors, including board member involvement.
• Experience creating budgets and forecasting revenue.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, especially with finance and campaign teams.
• Excellent strategic planning, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to explain Oceana’s campaigns clearly and persuasively to target audiences. Comfortable with CRM systems and Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 40% of the year, domestically and internationally, for donor solicitation, stewardship, and fundraising events.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and build long-term relationships.
• Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising initiatives.
• Ability to work independently without close oversight, while also being a team player who productively engages with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside Oceana.
• High energy and passion for Oceana’s mission.
• Ability to construct, articulate, and implement annual strategic development plans.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Highly creative and entrepreneurial; a strategic thinker and strong fundraiser passionate about connecting people with a mission and its programs.
• Encourages and appreciates an entrepreneurial team culture.
• Provides creative approaches to challenges and opportunities.
• Maintains high standards of professional and ethical conduct, integrity, and accountability for self and team.

The salary range for this position is $240,000 - $265,000 annually. This is an exempt position.

Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.

Oceana’s U.S. offices have operated on a hybrid schedule and staff have been required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work remotely Monday and Friday. 

Please submit your application along with your CV by November 1, 2025.