Philanthropy Advisor for Private Major Donors - German  

Join MSF OCG as a Philanthropy Advisor!

We are looking for passionate candidates ready to contribute to our humanitarian mission.

Below, you will find the job details and the qualifications we are looking for.

Inclusivity and Diversity at MSF

Do your qualifications and experience not exactly match all requirements of the job?

At MSF OCG, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together to advance MSF's social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.

We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don't fulfil every listed qualification.

We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will undergo reference checks.

Context & mission

Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent, international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, people affected by natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without regard to race, religion, creed or political affiliation (MSF Charter).

The MSF movement is built around 5 operational centers supported by 24 sections and offices worldwide. MSF Operational Center Geneva (MSF OCG) is one of these centers.

As Philanthropy Advisor, you will secure and grow income from individual major donors in German-speaking Switzerland and Liechtenstein. You will manage a portfolio of assigned donors, build strong and lasting relationships, deepen their engagement with MSF's social mission, and identify opportunities to increase their support. This includes organising meetings with MSF representatives, sharing relevant information on MSF projects and priorities, coordinating donor events and webinars, presenting funding opportunities, and directly soliciting financial contributions. You will also contribute to the effective use of the CRM system and prospect research to strengthen the team's fundraising approach.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Qualification, cultivation and stewardship

· Manages a portfolio of Major donors

· Is accountable to deliver the best possible experience to MSF key donors in in order to increase their engagement.

· Qualify each Major Donor and Major Donor prospect, in close cooperation with the Prospect Researcher

· In coordination with the Team Coordinator, closely liaise with the Middle Donor manager to identify and update potential Major Donors

· Prepare and facilitate one to one meetings, calls, presentations and other meaningful interactions with major donors or representatives (lawyers, wealth managers, etc.)

· Establish relations with new potential major donors, including high-potential middle givers and other prospects, including ultra-high-net-worth individuals, to secure significant future support for MSF's work

· Interact and collaborate with key spokespersons within MSF (President, General Director, Director of Operations, other management team members), as well as field staff, with the aim of bringing donors closer to the organisation in an attempt to show them our live saving mission and work in the projects.

· Define, propose and organise visits to MSF offices and projects, in line with MSF criteria and guidance

· Ensure that the nature / identity of donors is in line with MSF gifts acceptance policy.

· Ensure that the moves management runs smoothly, and donors are thanked and steward properly.

· Keep the database up-to-date

· Liaise with Writing Officers for the preparation, including proof reading and editing, of project briefings, reports, proposals, slideshows, infographics and any other creative way of presenting MSF and its mission to private major donors

· Liaise with the Direct Marketing team to adequately leverage marketing appeals and to coordinate touch-points

Solicitation

· Present and defend MSF's cases for support to individual major donors in German speaking Switzerland and Lichtenstein.

· Ensure that the major donors journey strategy is followed and that major donors are solicited according to their motivations in a personalised way.

Information and data management

· Closely work with the System Support Team to ensure most efficient use of Customer Relationship Management Database

· Support the Team Coordinator in income forecasting and quarterly analysis of results

Others

· Participate in the Community of Practice for Individual Major Donors of MSF

· Work proactively on projects as needed in the Unit, upon request by her/his supervisor.

Your profile

Education

· University degree in Business Management, Marketing, Communications, Political Science, Law, International Relations or equivalent

Experience

· Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in similar functions or in the fields of high-level relational skills, like public relations, wealth management or sales/marketing/communications, high-level advocacy or humanitarian project work

· Experience in using Microsoft Dynamics or other Customer Relationship Manager System: a plus

· Experience and knowledge of humanitarian aid: a plus

Languages

· (Swiss) German (native or equivalent),

· English

· French : a plus

· Italian: a plus

Skills/ Technical competencies

· Proven writing skills

· Excellent in oral public presentations

· Use of data base a plus

Personal Abilities/Qualities

· Excellent interpersonal skills

· Rigorous and good organizational skills

· Empathic, enthusiastic, optimistic

· Result orientation

· Team spirit

· Strong commitment to MSF's social mission and values

Terms of employment

· Full-time position 100% (40h/week)

· Open-ended contract

· Working place: Zürich

· Ideal start date: asap

· Gross annual salary (for 100%): from CHF 87'372.- to CHF 100'608.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)

· Paid vacation: 25 days per year, prorate temporis, plus any Swiss public holidays falling within the contract period.

· Pension plan: pension contribution covered 3/4 by MSF, 1/4 by staff member.

· Relocation support available for eligible candidates.

How to apply

Candidates are invited to submit their application exclusively through our recruitment platform, following these guidelines:

• CV (maximum 2 pages)
• Cover letter (maximum 1 page)
• Documents must be submitted in either English or French.

The application deadline is 30th August, 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier if we receive a sufficient number of quality applications.

APPLY

All applications will be treated confidentially.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please note that we do not wish to use the services of recruitment or placement agencies.