Director of Development Operations

Israel Policy Forum; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical

Dental

Vision

401K matching

HRA

FSA

Commuter benefits

Parental leave

Professional development stipend

Job summary

Israel Policy Forum seeks a strategic, data-driven Director of Development Operations (DDO) to lead the operational infrastructure for a major gifts fundraising program.

The DDO will manage performance, forecasting, and analytics, ensuring staff have data-driven support to maximize donor engagement and results. Reporting to CGOSO, this role guides strategic fundraising operations and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading fundraising operations and analytics.
• Strong moves management, donor pipeline management, and forecasting skills.
• Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with staff leadership ability.

Responsibilities

• Lead fundraising performance management to meet revenue goals.
• Develop KPIs and benchmarks to inform strategic decisions.
• Own moves management, donor engagement, and pipeline reviews.
• Facilitate portfolio and pipeline review meetings with data insights.
• Monitor activity, solicitation progress, and donor movement.
• Identify risks and growth opportunities to maximize results.
• Analyze donor behavior and campaign performance to guide strategy.
• Develop quarterly/annual forecasts for budgeting and planning.
• Evaluate major gifts, events, and leadership giving initiatives.
• Present analyses and recommendations to leadership and boards.

Skills

fundraising analytics

moves management

donor pipeline management

forecasting

stakeholder communication

staff management

CRM systems (Salesforce)

data-driven decision making

project management

Education

null

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Israel Policy Forum is pleased to work with DRG to conduct this search. Read full job description HERE.

The Position

Israel Policy Forum seeks a strategic, data-driven, and highly collaborative Director of Development Operations (DDO) to join the Development & Community Engagement team. The DDO will lead the operational infrastructure supporting a sophisticated major gifts and donor engagement-focused fundraising program. The ideal candidate will be a strong manager, analyst, and operator with deep knowledge of fundraising best practices who understands major gifts fundraising and enjoys building systems and processes that drive an energetic, robust fundraising effort.

Reporting to the Chief Growth and Organizational Strategy Officer (CGOSO), the DDO will serve as the department’s operational leader and be responsible for fundraising performance management, moves management discipline, forecasting, reporting strategy, operational planning, business process improvement, and staff accountability.

The DDO will ensure that fundraising staff have the systems, processes, data, analytics, and operational support necessary to maximize donor engagement and fundraising results. Working closely with the Director of Leadership Giving, Fundraising Systems Coordinator, Senior CRM Manager, and senior leadership, this position will help to translate fundraising and engagement strategies into measurable outcomes. The DDO will manage three team members including the Development Associate, the Donor Engagement and Events Manager, and the Development Systems and Analytics Coordinator.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Fundraising Performance, Pipeline Management & Strategic Analysis

• Lead the development department's fundraising performance management function, establishing the processes, tools, and accountability mechanisms needed to achieve annual and long-term revenue goals.
• Develop, monitor, and continually refine fundraising KPIs, metrics, and benchmarks to assess organizational performance and support strategic decision-making.
• Own the department's moves management, donor engagement, and pipeline review processes, ensuring prospects progress effectively through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Facilitate regular portfolio and pipeline review meetings with fundraising staff, providing data-driven insights and recommendations to strengthen performance.
• Monitor fundraiser activity, solicitation progress, portfolio health, and donor movement, ensuring consistent execution of fundraising strategies.
• Identify fundraising risks, trends, and growth opportunities, and recommend corrective actions or strategic adjustments to maximize results.
• Analyze donor behavior, giving trends, campaign performance, and revenue outcomes to inform fundraising strategy and resource allocation.
• Develop quarterly and annual fundraising forecasts, projections, and scenario analyses to support budgeting, planning, and organizational decision-making.
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of major gifts, Leadership Circle giving, events, and other key fundraising initiatives.
• Present performance analyses, forecasts, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership, board members, and volunteer leaders.

Reporting, Analytics & Data Strategy

• Establish department-wide standards, priorities, and best practices for fundraising reporting, analytics, and data usage.
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of development dashboards, performance reports, and other analytical tools that provide actionable insights.
• Ensure development leadership has timely access to accurate, meaningful fundraising data to support decision-making and strategic planning.
• Partner closely with the Fundraising Systems and Analytics Coordinator to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and usefulness of fundraising reports and analytics.
• Translate complex fundraising data into clear, actionable recommendations that improve fundraising effectiveness and organizational performance.
• Support the preparation of board, committee, executive leadership, and stakeholder reports by synthesizing fundraising results, trends, and projections.

Development Operations & Process Excellence

• Lead the design, documentation, implementation, and continuous improvement of fundraising workflows, procedures, and operational standards.
• Establish and maintain scalable systems and processes that promote efficiency, consistency, accountability, and excellence across the development function.
• Ensure gift processing, donor stewardship, prospect management, record maintenance, and related development operations adhere to organizational policies and industry best practices.
• Monitor operational effectiveness, identify process gaps or inefficiencies, and implement solutions that improve productivity and fundraising outcomes.
• Propose, lead, and oversee development operations projects and strategic initiatives that strengthen fundraising infrastructure and support organizational growth.
• Ensure fundraising activity, donor engagement actions, and prospect strategies are documented consistently and accurately across development systems.

Technology, Systems & Resource Management

• Serve as the senior development liaison for fundraising technology strategy, ensuring systems and tools effectively support fundraising objectives and operational needs.
• Partner with the Fundraising Systems and Analytics Coordinator and Senior CRM Manager to establish technology priorities, evaluate solutions, and optimize system performance.
• Ensure CRM and related technology platforms support effective prospect management, reporting, donor engagement, and organizational decision-making.
• Champion adoption of fundraising technologies, processes, and best practices that improve staff efficiency and enhance donor relationship management.
• Develop and manage technology-related expense budgets and forecasts, ensuring appropriate investment in systems, tools, and future enhancements.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Supervise, mentor, and develop development operations staff, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Promote rigorous standards for CRM usage, recordkeeping, document retention, and data hygiene across the development team.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding, training, and ongoing development of development operations personnel.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to ensure accurate gift reconciliation, revenue reporting, and financial alignment.
• Collaborate with Communications, Programs, Finance, and other departments to support integrated fundraising initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior leadership, providing guidance on fundraising effectiveness, operational strategy, departmental planning, and organizational growth.
• Support board and committee engagement through the preparation of reports, analyses, and materials that facilitate informed decision-making.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Qualifications

• A minimum of 7–10 years of nonprofit fundraising operations, advancement services, development management, or related experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting major gift fundraising programs.
• Strong understanding of moves management, fundraising analytics, and donor pipeline management.
• Experience with revenue forecasting and performance reporting.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong project management and organizational abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing staff and cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to translate complex information into actionable recommendations.
• Deep experience utilizing Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
• Familiarity with the Jewish communal, public policy, or nonprofit sectors.
• Experience supporting organizations raising $5M or more annually preferred.
• Experience with board reporting and fundraising committees preferred.

WHO WE ARE

Work Environment

Israel Policy Forum is based in New York, NY and has an office in Washington, DC. New York and Washington, DC staff work in person one to three days per week. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support fundraising events or organizational priorities.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Israel Policy Forum is an equal opportunity employer. We consider applications for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. Frequently cited statistics show that women and underrepresented groups apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Israel Policy Forum encourages you to break that statistic and to apply.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Salary

The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $125,000 commensurate with experience.

Benefits

• paid time off (vacation, sick leave, Jewish and secular holidays)
• medical
• dental
• vision
• matching 401K
• HRA
• FSA
• commuter benefits
• 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave
• an annual professional development stipend

TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS

A resume and cover letter are required to apply. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined above. If you are selected to move forward for an initial screening call, we expect you to hear from us by October.