Chief Development Officer

Location: Washington, DC or New York, NY. Position is remote with a preference for candidates in these two locations. A hybrid option is available to applicants based in the Washington, DC area. National travel for donor meetings and events is required. Must reside in the continental United States.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is the nation’s leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, education, policy, and support for patients, survivors, and caregivers. LUNGevity is committed to making an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship while advancing health equity and addressing disparities across the lung cancer care continuum.

Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. We fund cutting-edge research, foster collaborative science, and empower people affected by the disease.

Position Summary

LUNGevity Foundation is seeking a visionary, creative and strategic fundraising leader to serve as our next Chief Development Officer (CDO). Building on a strong foundation of private support totaling nearly $15 million annually, the CDO will drive forward an ambitious revenue growth strategy, positioning LUNGevity as the partner of choice for transformative philanthropists and institutions.

This leader will design and execute a multi-year plan to accelerate funding for LUNGevity’s bold research agenda and community priorities, spanning early detection, precision medicine, treatment breakthroughs, patient education, advocacy, and health equity initiatives. Serving as a core member of the Executive Management Team and reporting to the CEO, the CDO will unify and lead a diverse, multi-faceted development program that includes teams focused on individual philanthropy, a robust portfolio of peer-to-peer events, and corporate and foundation relations.

The ideal candidate is an inspiring manager, data-informed strategist, and effective storyteller who can translate scientific innovation into compelling and urgent investment opportunities. While personally cultivating a high-value donor portfolio, the CDO will empower other development team members to build diverse, sustainable donor pipelines that support significant revenue growth, optimize donor retention, and secure the multi-year funding needed to transform the landscape of lung cancer.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Revenue Strategy

• • Create and translate a multi-year fundraising plan with actionable annual milestones, ensuring the team is structured to expand fundraising capacity and hit new and increased revenue targets each year.
  • Partner with the CEO, the Executive Director of Research, and program leaders to align philanthropic efforts with organizational vision, research roadmaps, and strategic growth goals.
  • Maintain a robust pipeline of donors, foundation, and corporate prospects, ensuring disciplined revenue forecasting and accountability to fundraising targets.

Major Donor & Institutional Fundraising

• • Cultivate and manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, research philanthropists, and private foundations capable of making five-, six- and seven-figure investments.
  • Oversee a strategy to increase institutional funding and diversify it beyond an existing and robust portfolio of pharmaceutical companies.
  • Design and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that inspire transformative commitments to research.
  • Develop compelling, science-informed proposals in partnership with the research and communications teams that clearly articulate LUNGevity’s research impact and leadership in lung cancer innovation.

Annual Fund & Community-Driven Philanthropy

• Provide strategic oversight for annual and monthly giving programs and digital marketing campaigns to maximize low- and mid-level donor acquisition, optimization, and retention.
• Champion and expand LUNGevity’s signature peer-to-peer events and community fundraising campaigns, leveraging grassroots enthusiasm to build broad-based national awareness and a steady influx of new supporters.
• Work with development directors to establish clear, systematic pathways to identify and upgrade high-potential peer-to- peer participants and annual fund donors into the major gifts pipeline.

Data-Driven Infrastructure & Team Performance

• Create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement through: effective use of Salesforce and its integration with data from multiple fundraising platforms, prospect management systems, reporting dashboards, and performance metrics that drive fundraising results.
• Lead, coach, and retain a high-functioning fundraising team, establishing clear key performance indicators (KPIs) that promote ownership and professional growth.
• Guide the creation of board-ready reports and donor strategy dashboards that highlight progress and opportunities.

Visibility & Influence

• Represent LUNGevity at high-level donor meetings and philanthropic forums
• Collaborate with marketing and communications to position LUNGevity as a thought leader in lung cancer research.
• Lead the strategy for donor events across the country and virtually including the Celebration of Hope gala, intimate salons, scientific briefings, and partnership roundtables to engage current and prospective supporters.

Qualifications

• • 10+ years of fundraising experience, including significant leadership in major gifts, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate partnerships, and foundation relations
  • Demonstrated track record of securing five- to seven-figure gifts and research-focused funding
  • Experience as a senior fundraising leader within a nonprofit organization with a multi-million-dollar fundraising revenue goal
  • Knowledge of biomedical research funding landscapes and donor motivations is an advantage
  • Experience building and leading high-performing fundraising teams
  • Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to distill complex scientific concepts into compelling philanthropic narratives
  • Passion for science, research, improving outcomes and changing lives for people with cancer
  • CRM proficiency (Salesforce preferred) and strong data-driven decision-making capabilities.
  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CFRE preferred.
  • Willingness to travel 10–20% annually for donor engagement and events.

Benefits and Compensation

This is a full-time position, with opportunities for health, dental, and vision insurance, Flexible PTO, and employer-augmented retirement savings.

Salary

Salary range is $185,000-$200,000. Final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, geographic location, and other relevant factors.

Application Process

Submit your resume and cover letter online at Chief Development Officer Application

LUNGevity is an equal opportunity employer. LUNGevity will not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical condition), disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, citizenship, or any other class protected by applicable law.

This is a full-time position, with opportunities for health, dental, and vision insurance, Flexible PTO, and employer-augmented retirement savings.