Head of Advancement

The new Head of Advancement is responsible for leading and executing IBRO’s global advancement strategy, ensuring its continuous development, implementation, evaluation, and refinement. The position drives continued revenue growth for IBRO by identifying and securing strategic fundraising opportunities aligned with the organization’s mission and values.

The position leads outreach and fundraising campaigns for the organization, using major events like the IBRO World Congress to leverage these actions. They also manage targeted fundraising strategies with a particular focus on North America, Europe, and Asia, working with consultants and third-party philanthropy services as well as collaborating with regional partners and stakeholders. It is the expectation that the position will support revenue generation in the range of $250,000 per year during an initial five-year period. 

This is a high-impact leadership role focused on driving sustainable revenue growth, building meaningful partnerships with likeminded institutions and funders, and amplifying IBRO’s global reach. The Head of Advancement will play a crucial role in amplifying IBRO’s impact by:

• Lead and execute IBRO’s global advancement strategy, ensuring measurable fundraising results
• Secure strategic, donations, partnerships* or sponsorships aligned with IBRO’s mission, with an expected target of $250.000 per year during a 5 year period
• Oversee development of high-impact funding proposals across all areas
• Manage and grow IBRO’s global partnerships with other nonprofits, companies, multilateral organizations, ensuring compliance and adherence to best practices
• Lead fundraising campaigns and targeted initiatives, including those linked to major events like the IBRO World Congress
• Drive fundraising efforts with a particular focus on North America, Europe, and Asia
• Prepare strategic materials to support leadership engagement with key stakeholders

All responsibilities and job functions are performed with a commitment to IBRO’s mission, values, and strategic goals. High-impact partnerships and measurable results are prioritized, and ethical standards, transparency, and best practices are consistently upheld across all activities.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and results-driven advancement or fundraising professional with a strong track record in developing and implementing successful revenue-generation in an international, non-profit context.

They bring demonstrated experience in securing funding from diverse sources, including individual donors, corporate sponsors, and institutional partners, along with the ability to craft compelling proposals and manage high-value relationships. The candidate is highly collaborative, capable of working transversally within small teams and engaging effectively with senior stakeholders and external partners.

The successful candidate possesses strong project management and leadership skills, with prior experience overseeing complex and time-sensitive initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and values. They are adept at designing and delivering targeted fundraising campaigns, ideally from within a context of non-profit association management.

Key attributes include excellent communication and negotiation skills, cultural awareness, and the ability to operate effectively across multiple regions, particularly North America, Europe, and Asia. A proactive mindset, strategic thinking, and a commitment to advancing organizational impact are essential skills for success in this role.

The successful candidate will match most of the following:

• 6-10 years of proven and relevant experience in areas related to fundraising and partnership management in the non-profit area
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (written and oral)
• Fluency in English is an absolute requirement. Other language skills are considered an advantage
• Prior professional exposure to multicultural and international stakeholder management and
• community building
• Prior knowledge about the scientific process and topics will be considered an advantage
• Excellent organizational multitasking abilities
• Master’s degree or above in relevant field is preferred

IBRO offers a competitive renumeration package that include the following: 

• A stimulating and supportive work environment with a dedicated team based in Brussels
• A permanent, full-time role (38 hours/week) under Belgian jurisdiction. Consultancy-based affiliation may be considered for the right candidate
• Flexible working conditions with scheduled weekly home working days
• A competitive salary with benefits including lunch vouchers, group insurance, and a supplemental retirement plan
• Opportunities for international travel to neuroscience conferences and stakeholder meetings

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, we’d love to hear from you! IBRO’s office is based in Brussels where we expect an employee to be based. The position starts in September 2026 and applications will be reviewed on a running basis. Send your application and motivated coverletter to the attention of Executive Director Lars Kristiansen as one integrated PDF to: recruitment@ibro.org.

A detailed job description is available upon request.

IBRO is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. IBRO does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, ‘race’, color, ethnic origin, citizenship/nationality, age, religion, belief, or disability. Additional information about the organization and its values can be found on its website www.IBRO.org