- SCOPE OF ROLE:
The Director of Development Operations will build and lead the operational infrastructure that enables S:US’s philanthropy program to grow with discipline, accountability, and a strong donor experience. Reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy, the Director will serve as both a hands-on practitioner and a people leader: personally, driving high-priority systems, reporting, process, and data work while coaching and supervising the Fundraising Database and Administrative Manager.
This role will establish Development Operations from the ground up, translating fundraising strategy into practical systems, standards, workflows, and management tools. The Director will own fundraising CRM governance, currently centered in Raiser’s Edge, while helping prepare the department for future technology decisions, including a potential transition to Salesforce or another enterprise CRM. Core areas of responsibility include data quality, revenue and pipeline reporting, gift administration, prospect and portfolio infrastructure, process documentation, staff training, change management, and cross-functional coordination with Finance, Programs, Marketing and Communications, Information Technology, and organizational leadership.
The successful candidate will combine strategic judgment with a willingness to execute. They will be comfortable designing the future state, setting priorities, and managing change while also building dashboards, improving records, documenting workflows, troubleshooting day-to-day issues, and ensuring essential work is completed accurately and on time.
- ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Build and Lead Development Operations
- Create and implement a phased Development Operations roadmap aligned with philanthropy goals and organizational priorities.
- Establish clear ownership, service standards, controls, and decision rights for fundraising operations.
- Assess existing practices, identify risks and gaps, and build scalable solutions rather than relying on informal or person-dependent processes.
- Balance long-term infrastructure building with timely execution of day-to-day operational needs.
- Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Vice President of Philanthropy and translate strategy into measurable operating plans.
CRM Governance, Data Quality, and Adoption
- Own the overall effectiveness and governance of the fundraising CRM, currently Raiser’s Edge, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
- Develop and maintain standards for constituent records, required fields, coding, gift records, actions, opportunities, relationship management, and portfolio tracking.
- Lead data-quality efforts, including duplicate management, data hygiene, audits, exception reporting, and ongoing quality-control routines.
- Oversee system configuration, integrations, user access, vendor relationships, upgrades, and issue resolution.
- Help lead CRM migration readiness efforts, including business requirements, data clean-up, data mapping, documentation, testing, user training, change management, and post-implementation adoption.
- Create practical training, documentation, and reinforcement that increase staff confidence, consistency, and adoption.
Gift Administration and Financial Coordination
- Oversee accurate and timely gift entry, acknowledgments, pledges, recurring gifts, matching gifts, third-party gifts, sponsorships, grants, restrictions, and adjustments.
- Establish and monitor quality controls for gift processing, documentation, receipting, and stewardship handoffs.
- Partner closely with Finance to strengthen revenue reconciliation, restricted-gift tracking, audit readiness, and shared definitions and reporting practices.
- Develop and maintain gift acceptance and related fundraising policies in coordination with appropriate internal partners.
- Ensure exceptions, unusual gifts, and high-risk transactions are escalated and resolved appropriately.
Reporting, Forecasting, and Decision Support
- Design and maintain reliable dashboards and recurring reports for revenue, pipeline, forecasting, retention, engagement, activity, data quality, gift processing, and outstanding obligations.
- Create consistent definitions, reporting calendars, and quality checks so leaders and fundraisers can trust and act on the data.
- Partner with frontline fundraisers to improve pipeline discipline, moves management, next-step tracking, portfolio reviews, and forecasting.
- Analyze trends and translate data into concise, decision-ready insights for department and organizational leadership.
- Respond to ad hoc reporting and analysis needs while reducing one-off work through repeatable tools and processes.
Prospect, Portfolio, and Fundraising Enablement
- Build the operational framework for prospect identification, qualification, assignment, portfolio management, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship tracking.
- Create systems that help fundraisers prioritize relationships, document activity, manage follow-up, and identify retention and upgrade opportunities.
- Oversee audience segmentation and list preparation for appeals, events, donor communications, and stewardship efforts.
- Partner with fundraising, volunteer engagement, and Marketing and Communications colleagues to connect constituent information and improve relationship continuity.
Policies, Processes, and Change Management
- Document, improve, and maintain standard operating procedures for core fundraising and administrative workflows.
- Lead process-mapping and redesign efforts that clarify roles, reduce duplication, strengthen controls, and improve efficiency.
- Build sustainable systems for storing documentation, maintaining institutional knowledge, and reviewing procedures as practices evolve.
- Guide teams through change with clear communication, practical training, realistic sequencing, and consistent follow-through.
- Lead implementation of recommendations arising from CRM, Salesforce-readiness, and business-process assessments.
Team Leadership and Hands-On Execution
- Supervise, coach, and develop the Fundraising Database and Administrative Manager, setting clear priorities, expectations, and measures of success.
- Create an effective division of responsibilities while remaining willing to perform essential operational work directly when needed.
- Build a culture of service, accuracy, accountability, continuous improvement, and constructive problem-solving.
- Manage multiple projects and recurring deadlines, escalate risks early, and keep stakeholders informed.
- Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.