Opera Queensland creates extraordinary artistic experiences that inspire, challenge and connect communities across Queensland and beyond. As Queensland's state opera company, Opera Queensland is reaching more audiences, more communities and more stages than ever before through ambitious productions, regional engagement, education initiatives, First Nations programs and creative development.

To support the next stage of growth and impact, Opera Queensland is seeking an exceptional Philanthropy Manager to help grow the organisation's community of donors, philanthropic supporters, trusts and foundations.

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced relationship-builder to play a pivotal role in securing the philanthropic investment that enables Opera Queensland to enrich lives through artistic excellence, regional engagement and community impact.

The Chance

Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Business Development, you will be responsible for growing Opera Queensland's private giving program across individual donors, major gifts, family philanthropy, private ancillary funds (PAFs), trusts and foundations.

You will build meaningful relationships with philanthropists, donors, advisers, trustees and community leaders, creating compelling opportunities for supporters to contribute to one of Queensland's most respected cultural institutions.

Working across donor cultivation, major gifts, stewardship, fundraising events and philanthropic strategy, you will:

- Build, manage and grow a portfolio of current and prospective donors

- Identify, cultivate and secure new philanthropic opportunities

- Develop compelling cases for support aligned to Opera Queensland's artistic, education, regional and community priorities

- Manage relationships with trusts, foundations, PAFs and philanthropic families





- Deliver exceptional donor stewardship and engagement experiences

- Support major fundraising initiatives, including Opera Queensland's Annual Fundraising Gala and donor events

- Contribute to the continued growth of private income and long-term donor support

- Maintain strong pipeline management, CRM discipline and reporting practices

Success in this role will be measured not simply by fundraising outcomes, but by your ability to build trusted, long-term relationships that create lasting impact for both Opera Queensland and its supporters.

About You

You are a natural relationship-builder who thrives on connecting people to meaningful causes and creating opportunities for impact.

You may come from philanthropy, fundraising, major gifts, advancement, development, trusts and foundations, community investment, partnerships or a related field. Regardless of your background, you have a demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships, navigate complex stakeholder environments and convert engagement into meaningful philanthropic outcomes.

You will bring:

- Demonstrated success in philanthropy, major gifts, fundraising or relationship-led revenue generation

- Experience engaging high-net-worth individuals, trustees, advisers, foundations or community leaders

- Solid proposal writing and case-for-support development capability

- Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills

- Strong commercial judgement, professionalism and discretion

- Experience managing donor pipelines,



forecasting and CRM systems

- A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach

- An appreciation for the arts, culture, education, community impact or purpose-led organisations

Most importantly, you will be motivated by purpose and excited by the opportunity to connect people and philanthropy with programs that create meaningful impact across Queensland.

Why Opera Queensland?

Opera Queensland is driven by Creativity, Respect, Collaboration, Virtuosity and Joy.

This is an organisation that believes great art has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities and create meaningful connections between people. Through mainstage productions, regional touring, education programs, First Nations initiatives and creative development, Opera Queensland is creating a vibrant and sustainable future for opera across the state and beyond.

In 2025, work conceived and made in Queensland reached more audiences, on more stages, in more cities than at any point in the company’s history. This role offers the opportunity to directly influence the organisation's future growth and sustainability.

Applications

OnTalent is proud to partner with Opera Queensland on this important appointment.

We welcome applications from candidates across philanthropy, fundraising, advancement, higher education, arts and culture, community services, foundations, trusts, not-for-profit and purpose-led organisations who are inspired by the opportunity to build relationships that create lasting cultural and community impact.

For more information, to view the success profile or to apply, please visit:

https://www.ontalent.com.au/opera-queensland-philanthropy-manager/

For a confidential discussion, please contact Jacinta Messer on 07 •••• •830.

📌 Philanthropy Manager (Brisbane)
🏢 OnTalent
📍 Brisbane