Director of Advancement

• Lead a landmark capital campaign at a leading girls' school
• Drive major gifts, alumni engagement and philanthropic growth
• Flexible role | Adelaide | Full-time or 4 days per week

The Organisation

Established in 1884, Wilderness School is Adelaide's oldest independent girls' school and one of Australia's most respected educational institutions. With a proud history and a clear vision for the future, Wilderness empowers girls to thrive academically, personally and professionally while fostering a lifelong commitment to leadership, community and service.

At the heart of the School is a deeply connected community of students, families, old scholars, donors and supporters. Through its Foundation, alumni network and philanthropic programs, Wilderness continues to invest in exceptional educational opportunities and facilities that will benefit generations of young women.


Benefits & Culture

• Opportunity to lead a significant three-year capital campaign
• Work closely with an engaged Principal and Foundation Board
• Flexible working arrangements including four-day week option
• Strong culture of community, excellence and philanthropy
• Established donor base and highly engaged alumni network

The Role

Reporting directly to the Principal, this highly visible leadership role combines strategic planning with hands-on fundraising and relationship management to lead the School's philanthropic strategy, fundraising activities and community engagement programs.

The immediate priority is the leadership of a major three-year capital campaign to fund a new gymnasium facility. With campaign readiness work already completed by Marts & Lundy, the successful candidate will build on a strong foundation to develop strategy, engage major donors and deliver campaign success.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the planning and execution of the capital campaign
• Building and managing relationships with principal and major donors
• Developing annual giving, bequest and donor stewardship programs
• Supporting and engaging the Foundation Board and Scholarship Trust
• Leading alumni engagement and strengthening connections with more than 4,500 Old Scholars
• Developing systems, reporting and advancement operations that support long-term philanthropic growth
• Leading and mentoring the Advancement team

Skills Required

You are an experienced fundraising and advancement professional with a strong track record of securing major gifts and building long-term donor relationships.

You will bring:

• Experience leading or playing a senior role in a significant capital campaign
• Demonstrated success securing major gifts from individual donors
• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience working with boards, committees and senior leaders
• Strategic planning capability combined with strong execution skills
• A collaborative leadership style and the ability to build trust across diverse stakeholder groups
• Experience within education, independent schools, universities, healthcare or the broader not-for-profit sector will be highly regarded.

Most importantly, you will be excited by the opportunity to build a culture of philanthropy and make a lasting contribution to one of Australia's leading girls' schools.


If you are excited by the opportunity to lead a transformational fundraising campaign and build a lasting culture of philanthropy within one of Australia's leading girls' schools, we welcome your application. Please submit your CV and covering letter or contact Judith Marks or Richard Green at NGO Recruitment on (02) 8243 0570 for a confidential discussion. To request a full information package, please email officeadministrator@ngorecruitment.com (please do not send applications to this address).

Please note there is no formal closing date for this role, if you are interested, we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

NGO Recruitment values equitable recruitment practices and is committed to representing candidates reflective of the diverse organisations and communities we work with. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds, ages, and identities, and are happy to adjust our recruitment process to support accessibility needs. If you are interested in this position and have most of the skills or experience we are looking for, please go ahead and apply.