Description

Director of Campaign and Philanthropy Operations
Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy Advisor and in close collaboration with BLO’s General Director
& CEO, senior leadership team, and board leadership, the Director will serve as a strategic advisor
and key driver in helping BLO staff and volunteer leaders prepare for a comprehensive campaign.

This includes designing and building campaign structure and related philanthropic protocols that
improve near-term and aspirational philanthropic outcomes; translating broad-campaign objectives
into actionable plans, ensuring clarity around campaign objectives; creating tools, dashboards, and
reporting for measuring overall philanthropic performance; and supporting donor pipeline
development and prospect management through data analytics and optimized resource allocation.

The Director plays a crucial role in the functioning of the Philanthropy department, serving as an
internal thought partner and key counsel for philanthropy data strategy, campaign reporting, and
performance assessment. They support the creation of KPI’s for the Philanthropy team’s activity
relevant to the success of the comprehensive campaign. This includes monitoring and reporting on
fundraising metrics at the institutional, team, and individual levels. This role supervises a
Prospect Researcher and helps to build BLO’s critical base of support through the application of
strategic data insights and best practices in donor screenings, prospect research and management,
and stewardship.

A central figure in creating a rhythm for the campaign that extends beyond but appropriately
synchronizes with the tempo of BLO’s seasonal productions, the Director will combine philanthropic
strategy with project management fundamentals and analytical acumen to foster transparency,
consistency, and accountability—not only in tracking campaign tasks and progress but also in
promoting more effective collaboration and alignment across philanthropy, external affairs,
artistic programming, and outreach.

A key priority for this role will be strengthening the organization’s data fluency and adoption for
improved strategic decision-making and impact assessment building towards readiness for a
comprehensive campaign. The Director will help staff at all levels to understand, trust, and
leverage fundraising data as a tool for decision-making, storytelling, and relationship building,
ensuring that insights translate into strategy and impact. They will also guide the adoption of
Tessitura and other tools to maximize donor engagement, measurement, and
collaboration across departments.

Location and Schedule
BLO’s offices are located in the Opera + Community Studios in Boston’s historic waterfront neighborhood of Fort Point, a creative area for working and living artists. The Studios were established through a partnership with Midway Artist Studios and comprise 16,000 square feet of space designed as a hub for artistic creation and cultural collaboration, featuring multiple spaces, including BLO’s offices, gathering spaces, and rehearsal
studios. BLO provides a hybrid work schedule, offering employees the opportunity to work primarily remotely, when circumstances allow.

Compensation
Compensation is highly competitive and budgeted in the range of $140,000 – $150,000 annually,
depending on experience. Boston Lyric Opera offers a competitive benefits package, which adds
significantly to the employee’s total compensation package.

Interested in Learning More?
Boston Lyric Opera has partnered with Talent Citizen to assist in this recruitment. Please contact
President Tracy D. Welsh, and Senior Associate Eva Kotilinek to share your resume and cover letter
via email at: blo-dcpo@talentcitizen.com.

Boston Lyric Opera values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran’s status or any other protected category. BLO is an equal opportunity employer.

Qualifications

Essential Duties:

Campaign Management
• Support the Chief Philanthropy Advisor, General Director & CEO, and Board leadership in aligning
campaign activities with institutional goals and milestones.
• Promote a robust portfolio management process that is informed by data insights, optimizes
prospect identification and research, streamlines activity tracking and reporting, and integrates
moves management and stewardship ensuring campaign goals are met.
• Serve as the internal lead for the facilitation and accuracy of BLO’s fundraising and campaign
data, ensuring data integrity and alignment across teams.
• Serve as liaison to internal leadership and philanthropic counsel for all campaign
activity.
• As a co-liaison for the Campaign Committee along with the Principal Gift Officer, support
volunteer leadership’s philanthropic and campaign-related engagement and philanthropic
strategies—providing reports, tracking assignments, and ensuring timely communications.
• Hold regular meetings with gift officers/philanthropy advisors to ensure cultivation strategies,
solicitations, and activity tracking are accurate and current.
• Maintain and manage the primary campaign calendar, ensuring all deliverables, communications,
and events are coordinated and executed on schedule.
Data & Budget Support
• Partner with the CRM & Database Administrator to professionalize the use of Tessitura reporting,
analytics, and dashboard design in ways that improve the philanthropy team’s performance and
strategic decision-making.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive campaign and related fundraising reports, revenue and expense
tracking, and forecasting tools to inform strategic planning and campaign goals.
• Collaborate closely with Finance and External Affairs to ensure compliance and accurate campaign
fund tracking with accounting and fundraising best practices, GAAP standards, and IRS regulations.
• Analyze ROI on appeals and fundraising activities, producing insights that guide on-going
infrastructure investments.
Process Building & Implementation
• Design and document philanthropy policies, workflows, and standard operating procedures that
enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability across the department.
• Build infrastructure and systems that enable successful campaign execution, portfolio
management, and donor engagement.
• Partner with leadership to establish clear team goals, performance metrics, and processes that
align with BLO’s strategic priorities and campaign goal attainment.
• Oversee gift processing, acknowledgment, and stewardship systems, ensuring timely and accurate
donor communications.
• Provide onboarding and training for Philanthropy staff on systems and process use, including
Tessitura.
Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration within the Philanthropy team by
promoting shared understanding of systems, data, and processes.
• Serve as a thought partner to colleagues across Philanthropy, External Affairs, and Finance to
align donor engagement, marketing, and stewardship initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and board members to support alignment and transparency
across campaign and philanthropic activities.
• Identify and advance opportunities to professionalize department operations, ensuring
consistency
and integration across all fundraising initiatives.

The ideal candidate will bring many of the following professional qualities and experiences:
• At least seven years of progressive experience in campaign and/or development operations,
fundraising analytics, or strategic philanthropy management.
• Proven ability to manage campaigns, data systems, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

• Advanced proficiency in Tessitura and familiarity with data visualization, segmentation, and
dashboard reporting tools, is ideal.
• Demonstrated success translating complex data into clear, actionable insights that inform
fundraising strategy.
• Experience designing and implementing business processes, tracking systems, and performance
metrics for development teams.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills, with a collaborative and
diplomatic approach.
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage competing
priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and community engagement and an appreciation for the role of
the arts in civic life.
• Proactive, productive team contributor with a positive attitude and a mindset that’s persistent,
results-oriented, and driven to succeed.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, behavioral and linguistic flexibility, and
intellectual and social curiosity.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize and prioritize information from a wide array of sources while
maintaining attention to detail and effectively managing overall workflow.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects effectively, and maintain a high degree
of professionalism and confidentiality in a team-oriented, complex environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Boston Lyric Opera Company

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Director of Campaign & Philanthropy Ops