OPEN DATE: February 25, 2026
CLOSING DATE: March 24,2026
POSITION TYPE: Trust Fund
APPOINTMENT TYPE: Permanent
SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Washington, DC

Position sensitivity and risk:
Low Risk/Non-Sensitive

Open to all qualified applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?

Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program, which may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care).

Conditions of Employment

Come join a team of dedicated staff at an exceptional time in the Smithsonian’s history during the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future.

The Smithsonian has surpassed its $2.5 billion fundraising goal one full year ahead of schedule, a milestone that comes as the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary in 2026. This achievement marks the largest fundraising effort in the history of any cultural organization and represents a defining moment for the Institution and the country it serves. The Our Shared Future campaign has advanced the Smithsonian’s reach and impact, empowering the institution to find solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. The Smithsonian has built a model fundraising organization, driven by talented staff across our many museums, research centers and cultural centers. This position offers exciting opportunities for the successful candidate to make a significant impact on the future of the Smithsonian. There is no better time to join this amazing Institution.

The Office of Advancement oversees and guides the fundraising efforts of the entire Smithsonian and is home to the central development organization for the Institution. In addition to raising significant support for a variety of Smithsonian initiatives, the Office of Advancement provides support services to advancement offices across the Institution. The office engages with staff throughout the Smithsonian to accomplish their goals.

The Smithsonian’s Office of Advancement seeks a charismatic and accomplished Principal Gift Officer who will be responsible for supporting the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual donors capable of making transformational philanthropic contributions to support art initiatives. The Principal Gift Officer will maintain an active portfolio of individual donors and prospects who are capable of making gifts of $5 million or more to the Smithsonian. S/he will develop appropriate cultivation and solicitation strategies for donors and prospects, moving constituents in an appropriate and timely fashion toward solicitation and closure. S/he will work closely with board members, volunteers, senior leadership and other senior administrators, unit directors and advancement directors to engage donors to achieve annual fundraising goals and to build and maintain a robust principal gifts portfolio to fund Institution priorities in the arts. The Principal Gift Officer will collaborate with Smithsonian’s Art Units in developing gift propositions that have broad impact across the Institution and its work in the arts.

Art at the Smithsonian
Art at the Smithsonian is special because of a rare combination of scale, purpose, public access, and storytelling that few institutions in the world can match. Instead of being housed in one building, the Smithsonian’s art lives across the constellation of the Smithsonian’s museums, each focused on different places, traditions, and forms of creativity. The collections range from historic works to contemporary art and are used to help visitors understand history and ideas—as well as artistic style. The national collection includes fine art, folk and self-taught art, photography, craft, media art, and even video games. This breadth reflects a curatorial commitment to showing American creativity as plural, evolving, and culturally embedded. Smithsonian art is not static. Curators, conservators, and researchers actively study, preserve, and reinterpret the collections. The Institution maintains extensive research databases, archives, traveling exhibitions, and national education programs that extend the impact of its art far beyond museum walls. Smithsonian art connects people across time, place, and lived experience.

Qualified candidates must have a bachelor’s degree and at least five years of progressively responsible advancement leadership, preferably within a major, arts-related institution, non-profit organization, or educational institution. Must have a proven track record of fundraising success and experience securing gifts at the $5 million level and beyond. In addition to possessing superior people management and advancement skills, highly effective interpersonal communication abilities, and a sense of urgency, the successful candidate must be collaborative and have the gravitas and leadership presence to interact with sophisticated donors and arts patrons, volunteer leaders, as well as curatorial, administrative, and board leadership.

Applicants, who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States, must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit their resumes and a cover letter by
March 24, 2026. Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week. Relocation expenses are not paid.

What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures.

The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To review the Smithsonian’s EEO program information, please click the following: https://www.si.edu/oeo.