Associate Director of Development Operations

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Development Operations plays a critical role in the success of the Universitys fundraising efforts by overseeing the integrity management and strategic use of the Raisers Edge donor database; ensuring accurate gift processing and reporting; supporting scholarship fund administration; and providing data-driven insights that advance fundraising goals and institutional priorities.

Serving as the primary leader of advancement operations functions this role is responsible for donor records gift administration scholarship fund administration reporting infrastructure reconciliation and advancement systems. The Associate Director serves as a key partner to frontline fundraisers finance staff Financial Aid and academic units to ensure operational excellence compliance and effective stewardship of donor data and funds.

The Associate Director reports directly to the Senior Director of Development and serves as the primary subject matter expert for development operations donor data management scholarship fund administration reporting infrastructure and advancement systems. This position sits on the Development and Alumni Affairs team.

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Key Responsibilities

Database Management & Advancement Systems

Oversee the accurate and timely entry of all fundraising gifts for the University.

Oversee the ongoing management maintenance and accuracy of the Raisers Edge database.

Develop and enforce protocols for data entry record maintenance and data governance to ensure consistency and quality.

Monitor database integrity through regular audits exception reporting and data clean-up initiatives.

Train and support team members and colleagues on effective use of Raisers Edge and related advancement systems.

Continually assess systems software and business processes to ensure they effectively support fundraising operations and institutional goals.

Serve as the primary administrator for development operations systems and maintain documentation of procedures standards and workflows.

Manage constituent data imports exports integrations and large-scale record updates.

Scholarship Fund Administration

Manage the intake tracking and administration of endowed and annual scholarship funds in partnership with Financial Aid and related departments.

Maintain accurate documentation of donor restrictions fund agreements scholarship criteria award utilization and reporting requirements.

Monitor scholarship fund activity and collaborate with campus partners to ensure compliance with donor intent and University policies.

Support the establishment documentation and tracking of scholarship and endowed funds.

Development Operations Strategy & Analytics

Provide strategic insights using fundraising and constituent data to support campaign planning fundraising priorities and organizational decision-making.

Create accurate reports dashboards constituent lists and analyses for internal and external stakeholders.

Oversee the periodic distribution of gift reports and quarterly pledge reminders.

Establish and implement best practices in data management for prospect management campaign tracking donor retention and legacy giving.

Oversee high-priority projects such as wealth screening imports address updates deceased record management and other large-scale database initiatives.

Partner with fundraising staff to develop segmentation strategies and support portfolio management efforts.

Produce fundraising performance metrics pipeline reports retention analyses campaign reports and forecasting data to support fundraising success.

Compliance Reconciliation & Financial Coordination

Serve as the primary contact with the Business Office in monthly and annual gift reconciliation fund creation gift adjustment review and audit preparation.

Ensure compliance with University policies donor restrictions gift acceptance standards and applicable reporting requirements.

Maintain documentation supporting audits reconciliations and financial review processes.

Support the development and implementation of advancement services policies procedures and operational standards.

Collaboration & Professional Contribution

Promote a culture of accuracy collaboration responsiveness and continuous improvement across development operations functions.

Serve as a collaborative and strategic partner across the Development team and with campus stakeholders providing expertise in advancement operations data management and reporting.

Stay informed of emerging trends and best practices in advancement services development operations and fundraising technology.

Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Universitys development and alumni affairs goals.

Required

Bachelors degree required.

Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in development operations advancement services donor services or fundraising administration preferably in higher education.

Demonstrated proficiency with Raisers Edge (or comparable CRM systems).

Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.

Experience with gift processing reporting reconciliation and database management.

Experience managing scholarship funds or other donor-designated programs.

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and the ability to work collaboratively across departments.

Preferred

Raisers Edge super user.

Experience leading cross-functional projects or coordinating work across multiple stakeholders.

Familiarity with scholarship awarding processes in a university setting.

Advanced Excel and reporting skills.

Experience developing fundraising analytics dashboards and donor segmentation strategies.

Knowledge of advancement services best practices CASE standards and fundraising compliance requirements.

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Core Competencies

Strategic thinking and problem solving

High degree of accuracy and organization

Professionalism and discretion

Collaborative and service-oriented mindset

Initiative and follow-through on complex tasks

Strong analytical and data management skills

Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

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