Major Gifts and Bequests Officer (0.6 FTE)
Duchesne College
St Lucia, QLD
Posted on: 6 August 2026
Closing date: 17 August, 2026
Duchesne College is seeking an experienced and relationship-focused Major Gifts and Bequests Officer to help build the College’s philanthropic future.
This newly created role will establish and grow our major gifts and bequest program. Working closely with the Head of College and Advancement team, you will identify, cultivate and steward relationships with alumni, families, friends of the College and prospective donors who share our commitment to empowering future generations of Duchesne women.
This is an exciting opportunity for a fundraising professional who enjoys building genuine relationships and creating long-term philanthropic partnerships.
About the Role
The Major Gifts and Bequests Officer will:
• Develop a pipeline of major gift and bequest prospects.
• Identify, research and qualify prospective donors.
• Build and maintain meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, friends and supporters.
• Prepare donor engagement plans, proposals and stewardship reports.
• Support the Head of College and Director of Advancement in donor meetings, cultivation activities and philanthropic conversations.
• Develop and implement a bequest program, including donor communications and legacy society initiatives.
• Maintain accurate donor records and reporting through the College CRM.
• Track activity, pipeline development and fundraising outcomes.
• Assist with selected advancement and donor engagement events.
About You
You are an excellent relationship builder who enjoys connecting people with causes that matter.
You will bring:
• Experience in philanthropy, fundraising, advancement, development, alumni relations or business development.
• Demonstrated success managing relationships with donors, clients or high-value stakeholders.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience preparing proposals, reports or business cases.
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and community leaders.
• An ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team.
Experience in major gifts, planned giving, higher education, independent schools or the not-for-profit sector will be highly regarded.
Why Join Duchesne?
At Duchesne College, relationships are at the heart of everything we do. This role offers the opportunity to:
• Help shape the future of philanthropy at the College.
• Build a program from the ground up.
• Work closely with an engaged alumni community and senior leadership.
• Enjoy flexibility through a part-time appointment.
• Make a meaningful contribution to opportunities for future students.
Employment Details
• Part-time (0.6 FTE)
• 12-month fixed-term contract
• St Lucia location
To apply, please submit:
• Your resume
• A one – to two-page cover letter outlining your experience in relation to the skills and expertise listed above.
Please email your application to head@duchesne.uq.edu.au.
Applications close at 5.00pm on Monday 17 August 2026.
We reserve the right to close or extend the advertisement depending on the quality and number of applications received, therefore we urge all suitable candidates to submit their application as early as possible.
Click here to download the position description or visit: https://duchesne.uq.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/DC-Major-Gifts-and-Bequest-Officer-July-2026.pdf
