Senior Manager Philanthropy

Queensland Symphony Orchestra is seeking to appoint a Senior Manager – Philanthropy responsible for developing and implementing strategies to drive growth in philanthropic income. This role works closely with the Director – Development to meet annual fundraising strategy targets.

The position will lead a high-functioning philanthropy team and play an important central role in promoting a culture of philanthropy across the organisation to play a central role in growing annual giving, major gifts and bequests, through strategic relationship management.

Your experience in philanthropy and growing supporter bases will set you up for success.

The Role

This role reports to the Director – Development, working collaboratively to continuously improve, develop and deliver the philanthropy strategy. You will manage and support an empowered philanthropy team to achieve best practice donor engagement and donor servicing. To excel in this environment, you will be passionate about developing authentic relationships and working to support QSO’s signature programs.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Work collaboratively with Director – Development to implement the overarching five-year fundraising strategy.
• Liaise with the Senior Leadership Team, CEO, Board, artists and musicians, to facilitate a culture of proactive engagement with donors.
• Develop and implement relationship strategies to grow income generation through major gifts, annual giving, bequests, trusts and foundations and campaign gift donations.
• Meet agreed annual fundraising targets.
• Drive donor engagement and uplift through the creation and delivery of a strategic events plan to inspire and engage donors at all levels of support.
• Undertake face-to-face donor meetings to identify major and mid-level gift prospects, and to increase giving from the current supporter base.
• Develop and maintain donor-focused impact narratives and cases for support to underpin QSO fundraising campaigns.
• Manage Trusts & Foundations pipeline and oversee submissions and acquittals.
• Represent QSO (where needed) at performances, industry events, supporter and stakeholder events.

Essential Criteria

• Relevant tertiary qualification and/or proven experience in supporter management, Trusts and Foundations, Bequests and fundraising operations and processes.
• Minimum of five years of experience in major supporter fundraising.
• Experience using databases in a philanthropy context.
• Proven record of accomplishment in developing fundraising strategies to achieve targets.
• Experience and expertise in developing relationships with major supporters and generating significant gifts.
• Established networks and good understanding of the philanthropy landscape in Queensland/Australia.
• Current “C” class Driver’s License and Blue Card holder

Desirable criteria

• Experience using Tessitura.

Please send your CV and covering letter to recruitlead@qso.com.au by Thursday 15 January 2026.

QSO is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a workplace that values the diversity of its employees and their backgrounds, and the contribution all people can make to a successful organisation. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates and have a commitment to reconciliation and cultural safety in our workplace. We offer workplace flexibility, health and wellbeing programs and an Employee Assistance Program for our employees.