The Kansas City Symphony seeks a transformative Chief Development Officer who will pioneer breakthrough strategies and inspire a new era of philanthropic engagement for one of America’s most innovative major orchestras. The Chief Development Officer will lead all fundraising and philanthropic initiatives of the Kansas City Symphony. The Chief Development Officer will play a pivotal role in developing and implementing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that supports the Symphony’s budding growth-minded culture of entrepreneurial innovation, intelligent risk taking, and significant change. As both a functional and cultural leader in the organization, the Chief Development Officer will bring extensive experience as a philanthropy team leader and individual practitioner, possessing a deep background in the cultivation and stewardship of major donors and correlated fundraising efforts while setting and exceeding aggressive fundraising benchmarks.

In only its 42nd season, the Kansas City Symphony has already become one of America’s most vibrant major orchestras and has gained national and international recognition. With the 2024/2025 season, the Symphony welcomed Matthias Pintscher as its new music director. Pintscher regularly conducts many of the world’s best orchestras and opera companies and ranks as one of the world’s foremost composers of orchestral music. Continually creating live music experiences in Helzberg Hall, located in the prestigious Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Symphony serves Kansas City’s metro population of more than 2.2 million people as well as welcoming visitors from around the globe. The Symphony’s 80 full-time musicians from around the world bring a diverse and dynamic range of musical experiences to audiences in both orchestral and chamber music formats each season. In addition to concerts in Helzberg Hall, Symphony musicians perform throughout the region on its portable stage, the Mobile Music Box. The Symphony also serves as the orchestra for the Kansas City Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, adding to the rich cultural experiences that these organizations offer to the community.

"This is a unique opportunity to be a part of building something extraordinary—not just for Kansas City, but as a model for symphony orchestras across the country. We are transforming into an entrepreneurial, highly innovative, and fast-moving organization. I am seeking a partner in the Chief Development Officer who can help me lead this organization through this transformation and into a bright future, becoming one of America’s most admired symphony orchestras so that we may bring Kansas City truly world-class music experiences." — Danny Beckley, President and CEO

For more information, including core competencies and qualifications, please refer to the full prospectus.