Careers

ABOUT BCRF

Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution. Research is the key to stopping it in its tracks. Founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world. By investing in the best minds in science to examine every aspect of the disease from prevention to metastasis—and fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration—BCRF is accelerating the entire field and moves us closer to the answers we urgently need to be the end of breast cancer.

About the Role

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and experienced Managing Director, Gift Planning (Legacy Giving) to lead and grow the Foundation's legacy giving program.

Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Managing Director will be responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive planned giving strategy that inspires transformational philanthropy through bequests, beneficiary designations, blended gifts, and other charitable planning vehicles. The Managing Director will help donors align their philanthropic goals with BCRF's mission while growing a robust pipeline of future support. The Managing Director will manage a portfolio of donors and prospects, oversee marketing and stewardship initiatives, partner closely colleagues across the Development & Events team, and help shape the long-term vision and infrastructure for a growing program.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced planned giving professional who enjoys both frontline fundraising and program building. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in charitable gift planning, strong relationship-building skills, and a demonstrated ability to create systems and strategies that support long-term growth.

As the program grows, this role will play an important role in shaping its future structure and staffing. The Managing Director will oversee significant vendor partnerships, including FreeWill and Stelter, manage the program’s marketing budget, and lead a team of two full-time employees. The program also benefits from the partnership of experienced pro bono legal counsel, who advise on complex and/or significant gift intentions and realized bequests. 

This position is based in New York City and currently requires staff to work onsite a minimum of three days per week.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Program Growth

• Develop and implement a multi-year strategic plan to grow BCRF's planned giving program with a focus on increasing legacy commitments and stewardship of existing donors.  
• Manage and achieve annual goals and performance metrics, regularly evaluating program effectiveness and identifying opportunities for growth.
• Identify opportunities to integrate planned giving across the donor lifecycle, including Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Principal Gifts, and Events.
• Partner with Major Gifts colleagues to incorporate gift planning strategies into donor conversations and fundraising plans.
• Maintain expertise in planned giving trends, charitable tax law developments, and best practices in philanthropy and estate planning.
• Serve as BCRF's internal subject matter expert on charitable gift planning and wealth transfer philanthropy.
• Represent BCRF externally with donors, advisors, professional organizations, and industry partners.

Donor Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of planned giving donors and prospects and develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Develop and implement gift planning strategies tailored to donors' philanthropic, financial, and estate planning objectives.
• Personally identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and secure planned gifts.
• Build trusted relationships with donors, family members, attorneys, financial advisors, trustees, executors, and other professional advisors.
• Collaborate with Major Gifts colleagues to identify and pursue blended gift opportunities that maximize donor impact.
• Prepare proposals, stewardship reports, and other donor-facing materials.
• Develop strategies to increase legacy society membership and deepen engagement among existing members of the Evelyn H. Lauder Legacy Society. 

Marketing and Communications

• Lead the strategic direction of BCRF's planned giving marketing program across print, digital, direct response, and donor engagement channels.
• Oversee relationships with planned giving vendors, consultants, and external partners.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to maintain compelling and technically accurate planned giving content and educational materials.
• Monitor campaign performance and use data to refine donor acquisition, retention, and conversion strategies.

Estate Administration and Program Operations

• Provide strategic oversight of bequest administration in partnership with external legal counsel.
• Ensure timely and accurate management of planned gift records, estate documentation, donor agreements, and reporting.
• Partner closely with the Database & Donor Services team to maintain data integrity and reporting accuracy.
• Develop systems, workflows, and policies that support operational excellence and scalability.
• Monitor and analyze program performance, pipeline development, and realized revenue to identify opportunities for growth.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, supervise, mentor, and develop planned giving staff as the program grows.
• Foster a collaborative and donor-centered culture that emphasizes accountability, professionalism, and excellence.
• Provide planned giving expertise and training to colleagues across the Development & Events team.

About You

You are a strategic, relationship-driven fundraising professional with deep gift planning expertise and a passion for helping donors create meaningful philanthropic legacies. You are proactive, collaborative, and entrepreneurial, with the ability to build trusted relationships with donors, professional advisors, and colleagues while driving results. You exercise sound judgment, handle confidential matters with discretion, and thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. Most importantly, you are excited by the opportunity to help build and grow a best-in-class Gift Planning program that advances BCRF's mission.

In addition, you have the following qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in planned giving and/or charitable gift planning.
• Demonstrated success securing planned gifts and building a pipeline of documented future commitments. Experience working within a large, multi-year fundraising campaign a plus.
• Deep knowledge of charitable gift planning techniques, estate planning concepts, wealth transfer strategies, and tax implications of charitable giving.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, trustees, and executors in developing and closing charitable gifts.
• Experience building, scaling, or revitalizing a planned giving program required.
• Strong understanding of estate administration and gift acceptance practices.
• Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking combined with strong execution and project management skills.
• Experience supervising staff and building high-performing teams preferred.
• Familiarity with fundraising databases; Raiser's Edge NXT experience preferred.

 Travel:

Domestic travel required to support donor cultivation, stewardship, conferences, and professional engagement opportunities.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time exempt position. The salary range for this role is $175,000-$190,000. Our compensation package includes an exceptional benefits package focusing on employee physical, mental and financial wellness.  More specifically we offer

• Medical, dental and vision coverage from the first day of employment; with the election of certain medical plans, BCRF helps significantly defray the cost of out-of-pocket expenses with contributions to a health reimbursement account or heath savings account.
• The opportunity to enroll in pre-tax Commuter Transit, Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account and Dependent Care Account from the first day of employment.
• 401K, with up to a 5% match each pay period; employee contributions and any match are immediately fully vested
• Paid parental leave offering 18 weeks 100% paid leave for a birthing parent and 12 weeks 100% paid leave for non-birthing parent
• Paid Time Off including
• 15 days of annual vacation time in first year of employment, increasing with length of service
• 7 days of annual paid sick time
• Paid holidays along with BCRF wide half days and summer Fridays

To Apply:

Please submit a CV and cover letter expressing your intention to apply for the role. After uploading your CV, please select the "upload attachment" option on the next screen to provide your cover letter.

Only candidates short-listed for an initial interview will be contacted. Please, no phone calls.

Our Commitments:

BCRF upholds an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, gen etic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all applicants, employees, consultants, third-party workers.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis without the need for employer support or sponsorship now or in the future.