Development Operations & Communications Specialist

Peabody Essex Museum; Salem (MA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Peabody Essex Museum is seeking a Development Operations & Communications Specialist to support fundraising operations, donor services, and development communications.

The role processes approximately 4,000 annual transactions, including gifts and multi-year commitments, and provides gift administration, database maintenance, prospect research, and cross-department coordination to advance fundraising goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of development functions experience.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines; strong problem-solving skills.
• Experience with databases, spreadsheets, and data maintenance; discretion with confidential information.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, Google Docs; familiarity with Tessitura or comparable CRM preferred.
• Google Calendar, Monday.com, and WordFly experience preferred; willingness to work occasional evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Proactively manage the Development team Master Communications Calendar via Google Calendar and Monday.com.
• Coordinate communications timelines, creative briefs, copy, donor lists, design requests, and approvals across projects.
• Provide administrative support to the Associate Director of Design and keep the Development Operations team on track with deadlines.
• Coordinate onsite gift processing and check deposits with Finance; serve as Development liaison to Executive Office for Board data updates.

Skills

Attention to detail

Time management

Analytical thinking

Written communication

Verbal communication

Independent worker

Collaborative teamwork

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Tessitura CRM

Microsoft Word

Excel

Google Docs

Google Calendar

Monday.com

WordFly

Job description

The Development Operations & Communications Specialist (DOC Specialist) plays a vital role in supporting the Peabody Essex Museum's fundraising operations, donor services, and Development communications. This position ensures the timely and accurate processing of approximately 4,000 annual transactions, including outright gifts, multi-year commitments, and other forms of philanthropic support. The Development Operations & Communications Specialist also provides gift administration, database maintenance, prospect research, and cross-departmental coordination to support the Development team's effectiveness and the Museum's fundraising goals.

A key responsibility of this position is proactively managing the Development team's Master Communications Calendar through Google Calendar and Monday.com. Working closely with solicitation and event communication project managers, the Associate Director of Design, the Database & Research Manager, and stakeholders across the Museum, the Development Operations & Communications Specialist coordinates communications timelines, creative briefs, copy, donor lists, design requests, and approval processes to ensure projects are delivered accurately and on schedule.

The Development Operations & Communications Specialist also provides essential administrative support to the Associate Director of Design, helps keep the Development Operations team on track with deadlines and deliverables, coordinates onsite gift processing and check deposits with Finance, and serves as the Development liaison to the Executive Office for key Board data updates. Through strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and collaborative project management, this position helps ensure the smooth operation of Development activities and the timely delivery of donor communications.

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree and two or more years of experience with Development functions while having exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational and time management skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. They are an effective problem-solver who works well independently and collaboratively, with strong analytical, mathematical, written, and verbal communication skills. Experience with databases, spreadsheets, and data maintenance is required, with knowledge of Tessitura or a comparable CRM preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Docs, and related tools is expected, while experience with Google Calendar, Monday.com, and WordFly is preferred. The candidate must exercise discretion when handling confidential information and be available to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $24.49 to $25.21 commensurate with experience.