Chief Development Officer
The POLG Foundation
The POLG Foundation seeks a Chief Development Officer to lead The POLG Foundation’s $60 million transformational fundraising campaign, focusing on major gifts from ultra-high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. Reporting to the CEO and collaborating closely with the Board and Development Task Force, this leader will drive development strategy, execution, and donor engagement. The ideal candidate is a seasoned fundraising professional with experience managing high-level campaigns, building strategic relationships, and communicating complex scientific ideas in compelling ways. This is a unique opportunity to build a high-impact development program from the ground up, establishing systems, messaging, and culture that will scale with the organization.
The POLG Foundation story starts, as is often the case, with the journey of one family and, more particularly, one young man, Frederik. Having faced fear, sadness and grief, the family, inspired by Frederik's example of sheer determination, perseverance and his naturally cheerful disposition, has set out to transform hardship into deep resolve and thereby find a cure for a devastating disease. The mission of The POLG Foundation is to support and accelerate research to find effective treatments and a cure for POLG mitochondrial disorders. The Foundation is the leading funder of basic, translational and clinical POLG research, and it aims to be a conduit for scientific collaboration by connecting academic research, drug discovery and clinical development together. They focus on three defined areas of research: understanding mechanisms and modelling POLG disease, assisting with preclinical preparations, and supporting active clinical trials, including drug repurposing initiatives. By supporting research specific to the mitochondrial dysfunction found in POLG mutations, The POLG Foundation is also creating a body of knowledge that can inform the development of treatments and potential cures for a variety of other diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart diseases, depression, some cancers, and aging in general.
"Our beloved son, Frederik, tragically lost his life this year to POLG mitochondrial disease, at the young age of 22. It is his story—and the constant, painful reminder of why The POLG Foundation exists—that compels us to advance with such urgency and determination every single day to meet our mission. During his battle, Frederik and our family shared one ardent wish: to save other POLG individuals from the anguish and suffering that he lived through. We want Frederik’s life to matter and make a difference. This will be his greatest legacy. Our commitment to ending this devastating disease is absolute. Frederik knew that his time was limited, but he gave us our marching orders, by stating to his dear friend and our CEO Dr. Brian Tseng: "I know you won't be able to save my life, but I want our work and the foundation that we started to save others from suffering.”
Today, we stand at a critical inflection point. To accelerate our life-saving science, one vital piece of the puzzle is missing: a pioneering, indispensable Chief Development Officer. This role is not simply about fundraising; it is about propelling life-saving science forward. We seek a strategic, independent, dynamic self-starter—a true force and a trailblazer—with the vision, passion, drive, and skill to secure the significant resources required to advance our bold mission without delay.” — Julie and Robert de Luxembourg, Founders
For more information, including core competencies and qualifications, please refer to the full prospectus.
The POLG Foundation story starts, as is often the case, with the journey of one family and, more particularly, one young man, Frederik. Having faced fear, sadness and grief, the family, inspired by Frederik's example of sheer determination, perseverance and his naturally cheerful disposition, has set out to transform hardship into deep resolve and thereby find a cure for a devastating disease. The mission of The POLG Foundation is to support and accelerate research to find effective treatments and a cure for POLG mitochondrial disorders. The Foundation is the leading funder of basic, translational and clinical POLG research, and it aims to be a conduit for scientific collaboration by connecting academic research, drug discovery and clinical development together. They focus on three defined areas of research: understanding mechanisms and modelling POLG disease, assisting with preclinical preparations, and supporting active clinical trials, including drug repurposing initiatives. By supporting research specific to the mitochondrial dysfunction found in POLG mutations, The POLG Foundation is also creating a body of knowledge that can inform the development of treatments and potential cures for a variety of other diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, heart diseases, depression, some cancers, and aging in general.
"Our beloved son, Frederik, tragically lost his life this year to POLG mitochondrial disease, at the young age of 22. It is his story—and the constant, painful reminder of why The POLG Foundation exists—that compels us to advance with such urgency and determination every single day to meet our mission. During his battle, Frederik and our family shared one ardent wish: to save other POLG individuals from the anguish and suffering that he lived through. We want Frederik’s life to matter and make a difference. This will be his greatest legacy. Our commitment to ending this devastating disease is absolute. Frederik knew that his time was limited, but he gave us our marching orders, by stating to his dear friend and our CEO Dr. Brian Tseng: "I know you won't be able to save my life, but I want our work and the foundation that we started to save others from suffering.”
Today, we stand at a critical inflection point. To accelerate our life-saving science, one vital piece of the puzzle is missing: a pioneering, indispensable Chief Development Officer. This role is not simply about fundraising; it is about propelling life-saving science forward. We seek a strategic, independent, dynamic self-starter—a true force and a trailblazer—with the vision, passion, drive, and skill to secure the significant resources required to advance our bold mission without delay.” — Julie and Robert de Luxembourg, Founders
For more information, including core competencies and qualifications, please refer to the full prospectus.