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Senior Director, Advancement Events

New York City, New York (onsite)

About the Organization

The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869 with a dual mission of scientific research and science education, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses more than 40 permanent exhibition halls, galleries for temporary exhibitions, the Rose Center for Earth and Space including the Hayden Planetarium, and the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. The Museum’s scientists draw on a world-class permanent collection of more than 30 million specimens and objects, some of which are billions of years old, and on one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, the Museum offers two of the only free-standing, degree-granting programs of their kind at any museum in the U.S.: the Ph.D. program in Comparative Biology and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Earth Science residency program. Visit amnh.org for more information.

Position Overview

The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) seeks a visionary, strategic, and highly accomplished Senior Director, Advancement Events to lead a sophisticated portfolio of fundraising and donor engagement events that are central to the Museum’s philanthropic success, brand visibility, and relationship building strategies.

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Senior Director will oversee the fundraising strategy, production, creative direction, and flawless execution of the Museum’s four major annual benefit events – collectively generating more than $5M+ in gross revenue – as well as exhibition openings, Trustee engagement programs, cultivation/stewardship events, and high-profile VIP experiences.

This leader will be responsible for modernizing and elevating AMNH’s longstanding events portfolio, introducing fresh and contemporary approaches while honoring the Museum’s refined, polished, and world‑class aesthetic, with a focus on maximizing revenue. The Senior Director is a key ambassador for AMNH’s mission, serving as a strategic partner across Advancement, Museum leadership, Trustees, internal colleagues, and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Strategic Vision

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive, multi‑year strategy to elevate, modernize, and diversify AMNH’s fundraising and engagement events portfolio.
  • Set annual revenue, participation, and partnership goals aligned with broader Advancement priorities.
  • Establish best-in-class standards for donor experience, event production, campaign integration, storytelling, and brand representation.
  • Bring forward new event concepts and engagement opportunities to grow revenue, enhance impact, and expand audiences.

Fundraising Strategy & Event Leadership

  • Lead all aspects of AMNH’s four current major signature benefit events, including strategy, revenue generation, fundraising pipeline development, operations (working in partnership with an in-house event planning team), messaging, and execution; evaluate potential for an additional signature benefit event.
  • Drive revenue growth through table and ticket sales, sponsorships, individual support, digital engagement, special appeals, and bespoke donor offerings, working collaboratively with colleagues across Advancement and Corporate Relations.
  • Ensure all events serve as powerful tools for major donor cultivation, corporate partnership development, stewardship, pipeline building, and increased philanthropic investment.
  • Oversee exhibition openings, donor receptions, Trustee engagement programs, and VIP donor visits tailored to curated, high-level audiences.
  • Maintain a deep understanding of NYC’s philanthropic landscape, competitive events environment, trends in benefit fundraising, and donor expectations.

Team Leadership & Management

  • Lead, mentor, and inspire a seasoned team of fundraising event professionals, ensuring a collaborative, creative, supportive, and high-performing culture.
  • Set clear goals, performance standards, and professional development pathways.
  • Oversee team structure, resource allocation, and staffing needs, including vendor partners.
  • Model AMNH’s values of collaboration, integrity, and excellence.

Cross-Functional & Executive Collaboration‑Functional & Executive Collaboration

  • Collaborate closely with internal fundraising teams including Major Gifts, Principal Gifts, Individual Giving, Corporate Relations, Membership, Planned Giving, Foundation Relations, and Donor Relations, including by serving as an informal advisor on other event programming.
  • Partner with the President’s Office, Communications and Marketing, Operations, Finance, programmatic colleagues in Science and Learning and Public Engagement, and other internal Museum departments to ensure alignment and seamless execution.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to Museum leadership and Trustees.
  • Present strategies, outcomes, and recommendations to senior leadership and Board committees as appropriate.

Operational Excellence & Event Production

  • Ensure exceptional standards for event production, hospitality, and onsite guest experience consistent with AMNH’s stature as a world class cultural institution.
  • Oversee event budgets, financial modeling, forecasting, and expense management to achieve strategic revenue and ROI goals.
  • Manage all vendor relationships including production partners, caterers, creative agencies, entertainment, technical services, and security.
  • Strengthen systems, workflows, documentation, and project management tools to create efficiency and operational clarity across the portfolio.
  • Ensure compliance with internal policies, fundraising regulations, insurance requirements, and safety protocols.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required.
  • Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible experience producing, directing, and managing high-impact fundraising events in a complex nonprofit, cultural, or mission-driven institution.
  • At least 6 years of leadership experience, including team management, hiring, and professional development.
  • Demonstrated expertise in event-based fundraising, including sponsorship acquisition, donor engagement, prospect strategy, and Board/Honoree management.
  • Proven success generating multi-million-dollar revenue through large-scale benefit events and strategic donor programs.
  • Strong financial acumen and experience managing high-value budgets, revenue forecasting, and ROI analysis.
  • Deep familiarity with New York City’s philanthropic community, cultural fundraising landscape, and event production standards.
  • Exceptional judgment, diplomacy, discretion, communication, and relationship-building skills.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office and fundraising databases; experience with CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, or similar a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Annual salary in the range of $175,000-195,000. Pay will be determined based on several factors. The hiring range for the position at commencement is based on the type of work and the scope of responsibilities. The salary and placement offered is based on a number of individualized factors, including, but not limited to, skills, knowledge, training, education, credentials, areas of specialization and depth and scope of experience.
  • AMNH offers an extensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance, Retirement Plans, and PTO. Learn more at careers.amnh.org.

Orr Group

AMNH has retained the Orr Group to conduct this search. Please direct all inquiries and interest to the Orr Group search team.

Jesse Bryan

Vice President

Orr Group

jbryan@orrgroup.com

 

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