Responsibilities

• Strategic Advancement Messaging & Narrative Leadership — Develops and stewards donor-centered messaging frameworks that articulate the museum’s philanthropic priorities, campaign goals, and impact narratives.
• Strategic Advancement Messaging & Narrative Leadership — Serves as the primary author and editor of advancement communications, ensuring clarity, consistency, and strategic alignment across donor touchpoints.
• Strategic Advancement Messaging & Narrative Leadership — Partners closely with frontline fundraisers to align messaging with cultivation strategy, donor motivations, and solicitation goals.
• Strategic Advancement Messaging & Narrative Leadership — Establishes and upholds department and museum editorial standards, ensuring consistency in voice, tone, accessibility, and inclusive language.
• Strategic Advancement Messaging & Narrative Leadership — Partners closely with the Chief Advancement Officer to shape advancement-forward institutional messaging during campaign planning, execution, and stewardship.
• Writing, Editing, & Content Development — Writes, edits, and oversees a high volume of advancement communications, including major and principal gift proposals, stewardship reports, donor updates, campaign materials, cases for support, and board-facing communications.
• Writing, Editing, & Content Development — Provides substantive editing and message refinement for materials produced by advancement staff as well as marketing and communications partners as appropriate.
• Writing, Editing, & Content Development — Translates complex curatorial, programmatic, and financial information into compelling, donor-centered language that integrates both data and story.
• Writing, Editing, & Content Development — Creates material in multiple voices, including senior leadership and campaign communications contexts.
• Writing, Editing, & Content Development — Ensures that all advancement communications reflect ethical, donor-centered fundraising practices and reinforce trust, clarity, and impact.
• Project Management & Workflow Leadership — Leads advancement communications workflows from concept through execution, managing timelines, dependencies, inputs, and approvals across multiple stakeholders.
• Project Management & Workflow Leadership — Designs and oversees the sequencing of communications to align with fundraising strategy, campaign phases, and donor engagement priorities.
• Project Management & Workflow Leadership — Coordinates closely with Advancement colleagues, Marketing & Communications staff, and institutional partners to ensure timely delivery and message integrity.
• Project Management & Workflow Leadership — Collaborates on gift announcement strategy and timing in coordination with Marketing & Communications.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Institutional Alignment — Partners with Marketing & Communications to ensure philanthropic priorities and donor-centered framing are accurately reflected in outward-facing institutional materials.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Institutional Alignment — Collaborates with Curatorial, Education, and Programs teams to identify compelling stories and translate them into advancement-ready narratives.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Institutional Alignment — May mentor or provide guidance to advancement staff and partners on writing standards and donor-centered messaging.
• Demonstrates a commitment to fostering cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility through respectful communication and cooperation with others, continuous training, and the modeling of inclusive behaviors.
• In partnership with HR, supports the leadership team in ensuring equitable experiences, strengthening inclusion acumen and promoting a culture of belonging that embraces the contributions of all staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in business, communications, non-profit management, or related field.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in advancement communications, development writing, or donor engagement.
• Demonstrated experience producing high-volume, high-quality fundraising writing.
• Direct experience supporting major gifts and/or campaign fundraising.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Demonstrated strength in project management and cross-functional coordination.
• CFRE or demonstrated fluency with ethical, donor-centered fundraising practices.
• Able to handle confidential financial information with tact and discretion.
• A strong sense of professionalism; must be comfortable acting as a point of contact for the Advancement team and museum.
• Comfort leveraging emerging tools and technologies to improve efficiency while maintaining confidentiality and quality standards.
• Honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic supported by commitment, enthusiasm, and follow-through.
• Ability to work within and support a diverse community of visitors, artists, and employees.

Preferred

• Experience in a museum, cultural institution, higher education, or similarly complex nonprofit environment.
• Experience developing messaging frameworks or narrative toolkits.
• Understanding of and dedication to advancing the Honolulu Museum of Art’s identity, vision, and values.

Benefits

• Fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees.
• 12 paid holidays.
• 15 days of vacation accrued in the 1st year, increasing to 20 days in the 2nd year.
• 15 days of sick leave accrued annually.
• Group retirement plans with employer matching after 12 months of service.
• Shop, Museum Café, and Art School discounts.
• Onsite parking provided.