Deputy Director of Development, Fundraising Operations

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 170,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, seeks a Deputy Director of Development to act as second in command for the development team. You will partner with senior leaders to mobilize resources, oversee the development operations, and drive donor engagement and strategic initiatives.

This role requires mentoring early career staff, coordinating with finance and program leadership, and ensuring high-quality processes across fundraising activities, CRM usage, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Extensive experience managing and mentoring staff.
• Proven track record in front-line donor prospecting.
• Strong communication and diplomacy skills.
• Experience with fundraising processes and systems.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional nonprofit environment.
• Data-driven with CRM experience (Salesforce).

Responsibilities

• Step in as CDO when needed and coordinate across business ops.
• Lead revenue mobilization and donor engagement strategies.
• Oversee allocation, tracking, and reporting of funds.
• Manage development training and staff performance.
• Ensure Salesforce and related systems accuracy.

Skills

Donor relations

Fundraising leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Job Summary

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 275 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.

The Deputy Director of Development will serve as the number two person in the department, reporting to the Chief Development Officer. The Deputy will be responsible for stepping into the CDO’s duties when he is traveling, serving as a senior fundraiser on the team, excelling at relations with donors and senior CSIS scholars alike, and managing the development team and the systems, processes, and communications that enable the entire department to function smoothly and strategically. This role is deeply cross-cutting: while grounded within the development team, it requires ongoing coordination with senior leadership, Presidents of Departments, program directors, Finance, and other business operations teams.

This position will be based out of our Washington, D.C. headquarters and is expected to be in-office 5 days/week.

Salary Range : $170,000 USD - $195,000 USD

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Support CDO’s vision

• Step in for CDO when needed (i.e. when CDO is on travel).
• Serve as internal center-wide liaison on behalf of CDO with all business operations partners, including engaging with Finance, Department Chiefs of Staff and Vice Presidents, etc.
• Advance revenue mobilization vision and strategy as articulated by CDO.
• Serve as fundraising partner for strategic engagement teams, specifically the Hess Center and Executive Education, helping them mobilize resources and secure new partners for engagement.
• Support prospect identification and cultivation of corporations and Professional Foundations.

Oversee and advance Center-wide fundraising processes

• Apportion funds through internal revenue allocation process, and serve as touchpoint for engagement with scholars and programs for this process.
  • Work with Deputy Director for Corporate Relations, Major Gift Officers, and department leadership to support and shape recommendations ahead of each allocations cycle.
  • Ensure final allocations are communicated clearly and in a timely manner to the Finance team, with all required documentation.
  • Track and troubleshoot follow-up questions or discrepancies to ensure continuity and clarity throughout the process.
• Oversee other fundraising operations processes, including:
  • Identification: Support systematic identification of new prospects by maintaining research tools, including new AI systems for prospecting and profile development for larger opportunities.
  • Research: Oversee prospect and donor research, including capacity assessments, funding histories, alignment analysis, and internal briefings. Ensure research is accurate, timely, and integrated into Salesforce.
  • Gift Processing: Manage end-to-end gift processing workflows to ensure timely entry, proper coding, prompt acknowledgment generation, and strong coordination with the Finance team. Maintain quality control and resolve discrepancies.
  • Stewardship: Oversee stewardship touchpoints, including thank-you letters, donor updates, and impact reporting. Lead larger stewardship processes including donor listings in the annual report and online.
• Oversee development training:
  • Oversee and deliver regular development fundraising training courses for program leads across the organization.
  • Ensure training materials, presentations, and guides are up-to-date and accurately reflect current processes, systems, and organizational standards.
  • Connect training directly to this role’s oversight of processes, helping program teams understand how development systems function, what is expected of them, and how to navigate workflow effectively.
  • Serve as a resource for ongoing questions and follow-up after training, reinforcing consistent understanding and application of development procedures.
• Additional responsibilities include:
  • Ensuring consistency and quality control across team systems, templates, workflows, and documentation.
  • Managing Salesforce operations and other systems to ensure accuracy, consistency, and accessibility for the full development team.
  • Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and standardize workflows across the team.

Manage Development staff

• Provide day-to-day management, mentoring, coaching, and guidance for development operations team, including goal setting, workflow coordination, and professional development.
• Oversee development operations budget, including planning, tracking, and regular reporting.
• Manage and streamline the processing of internal program transfers and staff reimbursements to ensure timeliness and accuracy.
• Serve as the central approver for team timesheets, expense reports, and other operational requests requiring supervisory review.

Knowledge, Education, And Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Extensive experience managing, coaching, and mentoring early career staff, and setting objectives and performance standards.
• Proven track record of front-line donor prospecting.
• Goal-oriented.
• Excellent people skills/diplomacy.
• Experience in systems management and fundraising processes.
• Organized and can oversee processes to deliver on outcomes.
• Intellectually curious with a broad understanding of international policy issues/CSIS program areas.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully work in a nonprofit setting that prioritizes new donor discovery and engagement.
• Experience working in a large, multi-issue organization and coordinating with multiple stakeholders.
• Proven experience working with data and CRM systems, such as Salesforce.
• Experience with utilizing the strength of an organizational brand for charity/business development.
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Ability to work in a manner that is open-minded, culturally sensitive, and impartial with no partisan bias.
• Enthusiastic, imaginative, creative, and energetic approach with a "can-do" attitude.

Physical Requirements And Work Conditions

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee working in an office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

Equal Opportunity Employer.