Director Advancement Operations

Saint Mary's College; Notre Dame (IN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Saint Mary’s College is seeking an experienced Director of Advancement Operations to lead the systems, data, processes, and operational infrastructure that support the College’s fundraising efforts.

Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Director will provide leadership for Advancement Services and Prospect Research and will partner with leadership to align data strategy with fundraising goals.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years in advancement operations, fundraising systems, data management, or a related management role.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams responsible for data, reporting, CRM, or related functions.
• Experience with process mapping, workflow optimization, and operational redesign.
• Strong knowledge of data governance, reporting, analytics, and financial reconciliation processes.
• Experience implementing, managing, or optimizing CRM/database systems.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with senior leaders and cross‑functional teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of systems, processes, workflows, and reporting that support fundraising effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain an Advancement Dashboard and other reporting tools that support data‑driven decision‑making across the Division.
• Provide centralized data, analytics, reporting, and prospect research support for Advancement leadership and staff.
• Oversee Advancement Services and Prospect Research, providing strategic direction and operational leadership.
• Ensure the accuracy, integrity, security, and appropriate use of Advancement data and databases.
• Lead process mapping, system optimization, workflow redesign, and database migration initiatives, including collaboration with external vendors when appropriate.
• Ensure systems and processes effectively support stewardship activities, including gift acknowledgments, reporting, compliance, and donor communications.
• Establish and maintain effective information flow between Advancement and Finance related to gift processing, fund reconciliation, endowment reporting, and donor‑restricted funds.
• Partner with the Executive Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations and other Advancement leaders to align operational strategies with fundraising priorities.
• Participate as a key member of the Advancement Leadership Team, contributing to Division‑wide planning, goal setting, and strategic initiatives.
• Design and implement processes that maximize the effective use of data in support of Advancement goals.
• Analyze Advancement data and trends and translate findings into meaningful reports and recommendations for leadership.
• Manage competing requests for reports, mailing lists, prospect research, biographies, and other Advancement information and resources.
• Support comprehensive campaign planning and execution through accurate data, reporting, research, and operational processes.
• Ensure compliance with fundraising policies, procedures, and established goals.
• Research, design, and implement new programs and processes that support the goals of the Advancement Division.
• Maintain and regularly update an Advancement Operations manual documenting policies, procedures, workflows, and best practices.
• Develop and maintain appropriate documentation, policies, procedures, and audit processes to promote consistency and operational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Finance and program areas to ensure donor‑restricted funds are managed and used in accordance with donor intent.
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities for Advancement staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the College and Advancement Division.

Skills

Data governance

CRM systems

Process optimization

Leadership

Analytics

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

CRM systems

BI dashboards

Reporting tools

Data migration

Job description

Saint Mary’s College is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of AdvancementOperations to lead the systems, data, processes, and operational infrastructure that support the College’s fundraising efforts. Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Director will provide leadership for Advancement Services and Prospect Research and will play a key role in ensuring the Division has the tools, information, and processes needed to achieve its fundraising goals.

This position will oversee the development and continuous improvement of Advancement systems and workflows, with a strong focus on data integrity, reporting, analytics, process optimization, and collaboration across departments. The Director will serve as a strategic partner to Advancement leadership and will help transform data into meaningful insights that support decision-making, donor engagement, and fundraising success.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of demonstrated experience in advancement operations, fundraising systems, data management, or a related management role; higher education experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams responsible for data, reporting, CRM systems, prospect research, or related functions.
• Experience with process mapping, workflow optimization, and operational redesign.
• Strong knowledge of data governance, reporting, analytics, and financial reconciliation processes.
• Experience implementing, managing, or optimizing CRM/database systems.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior leaders and cross‑functional teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a higher education advancement or fundraising environment.
• Experience with CRM/database migration projects and implementation of new systems.
• Experience developing dashboards, reporting tools, and business intelligence frameworks.
• Experience working with fundraising data, gift processing, donor stewardship, prospect research, and advancement services.
• Experience collaborating with Finance on gift processing, fund reconciliation, endowment reporting, and donor‑restricted funds.
• Experience developing policies, procedures, training materials, and operational documentation.
• Experience providing leadership, mentorship, and professional development to staff.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of systems, processes, workflows, and reporting that support fundraising effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain an Advancement Dashboard and other reporting tools that support data‑driven decision‑making across the Division.
• Provide centralized data, analytics, reporting, and prospect research support for Advancement leadership and staff.
• Oversee Advancement Services and Prospect Research, providing strategic direction and operational leadership.
• Ensure the accuracy, integrity, security, and appropriate use of Advancement data and databases.
• Lead process mapping, system optimization, workflow redesign, and database migration initiatives, including collaboration with external vendors when appropriate.
• Ensure systems and processes effectively support stewardship activities, including gift acknowledgments, reporting, compliance, and donor communications.
• Establish and maintain effective information flow between Advancement and Finance related to gift processing, fund reconciliation, endowment reporting, and donor‑restricted funds.
• Partner with the Executive Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations and other Advancement leaders to align operational strategies with fundraising priorities.
• Participate as a key member of the Advancement Leadership Team, contributing to Division‑wide planning, goal setting, and strategic initiatives.
• Design and implement processes that maximize the effective use of data in support of Advancement goals.
• Analyze Advancement data and trends and translate findings into meaningful reports and recommendations for leadership.
• Manage competing requests for reports, mailing lists, prospect research, biographies, and other Advancement information and resources.
• Support comprehensive campaign planning and execution through accurate data, reporting, research, and operational processes.
• Ensure compliance with fundraising policies, procedures, and established goals.
• Research, design, and implement new programs and processes that support the goals of the Advancement Division.
• Maintain and regularly update an Advancement Operations manual documenting policies, procedures, workflows, and best practices.
• Develop and maintain appropriate documentation, policies, procedures, and audit processes to promote consistency and operational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Finance and program areas to ensure donor‑restricted funds are managed and used in accordance with donor intent.
• Provide mentorship, guidance, and professional development opportunities for Advancement staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the College and Advancement Division.

Schedule

40 hours per week / 12 months / Monday–Friday

Eligibility to Work

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and must not require visa sponsorship from the College, either now or in the future.