Director, Business Systems & IT Operations

Skoll Foundation; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 171,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Flexible time off

Medical coverage

Dental & Vision

Job summary

The Skoll Foundation is seeking a Director, Business Systems & IT Operations in Washington, DC. This role leads the design and governance of Skoll's business systems, including Salesforce, data quality, and process improvements, with a view to enabling AI-enabled workflows.

You will own system implementations, partner with program and operations teams, and ensure data integrity while coordinating with a managed services provider. This hybrid role requires three on-site days per week in DC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or higher in a related field.
• 10–12+ years in business systems or Salesforce-centric roles.
• Hands-on Salesforce administration experience.
• Experience managing Salesforce implementations and deployments.
• Map and redesign business processes; understand why processes work.
• Experience with data governance in a CRM environment.
• Project management across full delivery lifecycle.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills.
• On-site three days a week in Washington, DC.

Responsibilities

• Map, document, and improve business processes across the foundation—translating staff work into system requirements and configurations.
• Own Salesforce as Skoll's core CRM and grants management platform: administration, configuration, user management, reports, dashboards, and data quality.
• Partner with program and operations teams to identify process gaps and opportunities to improve design.
• Manage Salesforce development partner: translate needs into specs, review deliverables, and manage sprint priorities.
• Lead technology projects from requirements gathering through delivery and adoption; own full lifecycle.
• Coordinate with managed services provider for reliable day-to-day end-user support and escalation.

Skills

Salesforce administration

Business systems

Data governance

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in related field

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Skoll Foundation is hiring a Director, Business Systems & IT Operations based in Washington, D.C. This role is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, including Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday required on-site in the Washington, D.C. office.

The Skoll Foundation drives large-scale change by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and innovators who help solve the world's most pressing problems. We are a team of approximately 40 people based in Washington, DC, and we are in the middle of an AI-led digital transformation that is changing how we work — embedding intelligent tools across our investment, portfolio management, and collaboration workflows. Skoll is a private grantmaking foundation that seeks to build a sustainable world of peace and prosperity for all by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and other social innovators. Together, we advance bold and equitable solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. The Skoll Foundation fosters a mission and values-based approach to the work we do focused on the vision of doing good.

Role

We're looking for a Director, Business Systems & IT Operations who deeply understands how business processes translate into system design. You'll own Skoll's business applications and the processes they support including investment workflows, grantee management, portfolio reporting, and cross-team collaboration. You'll be the person who can sit with a program officer, understand how they actually work, and ensure our systems reflect and improve those processes rather than constrain them.

You'll also own data management and governance across our business systems ensuring data quality, consistency, and integrity so that both staff and our growing AI capabilities can rely on what's in the system.

This role is part of a broader AI transformation at Skoll. You don't need to be an AI expert, but you'll be expected to leverage AI to drive efficiency across business applications and processes, and to ensure the systems and data you manage are well‑positioned to support increasingly intelligent workflows.

You’ll report to the Vice President of Technology & Digital Transformation. This is a hybrid position based in Washington, D.C. with an expectation of three days per week in the office.

Duties

Business Process Design & Systems

• Map, document, and improve business processes across the foundation — translating how staff work into system requirements and configurations.
• Own Salesforce as Skoll's core CRM and grants management platform: administration, configuration, user management, reports, dashboards, and data quality.
• Partner with program and operations teams to identify process gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities where better system design can reduce friction.
• Manage the relationship with our Salesforce development partner: translating business needs into technical specifications, reviewing deliverables, and managing sprint priorities.

Data Management & Governance

• Own data quality and integrity across Skoll's business systems establishing standards, monitoring compliance, and resolving issues.
• Design and maintain data governance practices: naming conventions, field‑level documentation, data entry standards, and lifecycle management.
• Ensure the data layer is clean and well‑structured enough to support reporting, analytics, and AI‑driven workflows.

Project Management & Delivery

• Lead technology projects from requirements gathering through delivery and adoption owning the full lifecycle, not just the technical build.
• Manage timelines, dependencies, stakeholder communication, and change management for system implementations and process improvements.
• Coordinate with Skoll's managed services provider to ensure reliable day‑to‑day end‑user technology support and escalation handling.

Required Education & Experience

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field; advanced education or training related to the role desired.
• 10-12+ years in business systems, business analysis, or Salesforce‑centric roles, with experience bridging business process and technology.
• Demonstrated work experience with hands‑on Salesforce administration experience; certification preferred but not required.
• Prior experience managing Salesforce implementations to include scoping requirements, coordinating with developers, overseeing configuration and deployment, and driving user adoption.
• Demonstrated ability to map and redesign business processes; not just configure systems yet understand why a process works the way it does.
• Experience with data management and governance: data quality frameworks, documentation standards, or data stewardship in a CRM environment.
• Project management experience across the full delivery lifecycle from scoping and requirements through go‑live and adoption.
• Strong communication skills across all levels of an organization and an ability to translate between what staff need and what systems can do.
• Ability to work on‑site three days a week including Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Washington, D.C.
• Locational proximity of fifty miles or closer to the Washington, D.C. office required for consideration.
• Proven ability to thrive in a collaborative, multi‑cultural environment undergoing change.
• Other duties as assigned.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in the foundation, nonprofit, philanthropic, and/or social enterprise sectors.
• Familiarity with Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or legacy NPSP.
• Exposure to AI tools and an understanding of how AI systems depend on well‑governed data and well‑designed processes.
• Experience with business process modeling or documentation methodologies.

Cultural Fit

• Enthusiastic and flexible collaborator with humility, a positive demeanor, and exceptional service orientation
• Willingness to roll up sleeves and collaborate across the Foundation’s small team.
• A keen sense of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to creating a positive organizational culture.
• Comfortable working and managing in a fast‑paced environment and adaptable to change.
• Interest in social innovation and alignment with the Skoll Foundation’s mission to catalyze transformational social change.

The Skoll Foundation offers a comprehensive benefits package including a discretionary 10% employer sponsored retirement contribution, flexible time off, paid holidays, medical, dental, vision coverage, and generous retirement plan offerings.

Salary Range

$170,572 - $200,000

The full salary range for this role is $170,572 to $200,000 USD. New hires typically start between the range minimum and midpoint, or $170,000 up to $185,000 USD, based on job‑related skills, experience, and expertise evaluated during the interview process.

The Skoll Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.