Manager, Development Information & Strategy

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. seeks a Manager of Development Information and Strategy to streamline and govern frontline fundraisers’ access to platforms like Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Asana, Salesforce, and Slack.

You will design centralized solutions, lead training, and drive change management across a cross-functional team. You will partner with IT and Development Operations to deliver end-to-end project execution, audits, and ongoing improvements that enhance operational efficiency and

Qualifications

• At least 6 years of relevant experience, preferably in a fundraising, nonprofit, or academic setting plus Bachelor's or equivalent; Master's degree or equivalent may substitute for up to 2 years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated expertise managing and/or organizing information platforms and shared workspaces (Microsoft Teams, Asana, Sharepoint, and Slack); Familiarity with AI tools and emerging technologies is a plus.
• End-user experience with Salesforce.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders.
• Experience managing, mentoring, and/or coaching team members.
• Experience developing project plans and implementing change management best practices; experience and comfort with project management software and databases.
• Strong communication (written and oral) and facilitation skills; able to translate technical/system topics into plain language for diverse audiences.
• Critical thinking skills and a demonstrated ability to both identify problems and develop effective solutions collaboratively.
• Comfort evaluating emerging technology and AI capabilities to simplify access to information and improve user experience.
• Demonstrated self-starter, detail oriented, and well-organized.
• Ability to set priorities, produce and manage multiple high-priority projects to completion on tight deadlines is essential.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency, inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• In partnership with Development Database Services, Development Finance, and IT, leads efforts to streamline and centralize access to departmental resources and information, providing systems expertise and understanding of frontline fundraising needs.
• Manages, optimizes, and advises on the strategy for organization of Development information and project-management platforms (Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Asana).
• Collaborates with Database Services team to determine how and when to leverage Salesforce in solutioning and partner together on select projects.
• Evaluates and leverages emerging technologies and AI capability to build centralized solutions to improve information access and usability.
• Facilitates conversations with a cross-functional cohort of operations staff responsible for resource management to socialize and reinforce established best practices.
• Designs and leads trainings and develops supporting communications and guiding materials to ensure staff understand how to use platforms effectively.
• Leads regular audits of information-management platforms and resources (e.g., Development's General Channel in Teams) to ensure information is up to date, accurate, and relevant.
• Plays a lead role in identifying pain points and needs across the department, and is responsible for end-to-end management and execution of selected projects aimed to address needs and improve operating efficiency.
• Leads conversations with partner-stakeholders to uncover pain-points and needs, including through the facilitation of a monthly check-in with frontline fundraising coordinators.
• Partners with Development Operations leaders to develop other ways to collect- and central track and manage partner-stakeholder requests, building transparency, trust, and collaboration.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Mentoring

Project management

Communication

Change management

Confidentiality

Self-starter

Diversity & inclusion

Prioritization

Detail oriented

AI tools familiarity

AI tools

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Location: Remote or Hybrid, preferably in the eastern standardtime zone

Duration: This is a 2-yearfixed-term position, with full benefits and the possibility of extension

Overall Function:

The Manager, Development Information and Strategyis responsibleforleadingcross-functional efforts that make it easier for frontline fundraisers to find, use, and trust the resources they need. Partnering closely with Development Operations and IT, this role streamlinesand advises on management ofinformation platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Asana,Salesforce,andSlack),designscentralized solutionsto meetthe needs of partner-stakeholders, anddrives training and change-management to reinforce best practices. Reporting to the Director,Development Information & Strategy,the Managerhelps to define team visionanddownstheend-to-end delivery of selected projectsaimedtoimproveoperational efficiency andhelpEDF achieve its fundraising goals.

KeyResponsibilities:

In partnership withDevelopment Database Services, Development Finance,and IT, leadsefforts to streamline and centralize access to departmental resources and information,providing systemsexpertiseand an understanding of frontline fundraising needs.

• Manages,optimizes,andadvises on thestrategy fororganization ofDevelopmentinformationand projectmanagementplatforms(i.e.Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Asana).

• Collaborateswith DatabaseServices teamtodeterminehow and when toleverageSalesforceinsolutioningand partner togetheron select projects.

• Evaluatesandleveragesemergingtechnologiesand AI capabilitytobuildcentralized solutionsto improve information access and usability.

• Facilitates conversations witha cross-functional cohort of operations staffresponsible for resource managementto socialize and reinforceestablished best practices.

• In collaboration withDatabase Service and partner-stakeholders, designsand leadstrainingsand developssupportingcommunications andguidingmaterialstoensurestaffunderstand howto useplatforms effectively.

• Leadsregularaudits ofinformationmanagementplatforms and resources(i.e.Development's GeneralChannel inTeams)to ensureinformation is up to date,accurate,andrelevant.

Plays aleadrole inidentifyingpain points and needs across the department, andis responsible forend-to-end management and execution of selected projectsaimed toaddressneedsandimprove operational efficiency.

• Leadsconversations with partner-stakeholders touncover pain-points and needs, including through the facilitation of a monthly check-in with frontline fundraising coordinators.

• Partners with Development Operations leaders to developotherwaystocollect- and ways to centrallytrack and manage-partner-stakeholder requests,building greater transparency, trust, and collaboration across the Department and helping to ensure Development needs are met.

Works closely withthe Director of Development Information & Strategy, members ofthe teamand, as appropriate withthe Development Leadership Team,to prioritizestakeholderrequests, considering impact and effort,todevelop aproject'roadmap' (along with a 'parking lot' of future projects to consider) to be shared department-wide.

Overseessolution design,strategicimplementation,and change management forselectprojects,bringing expert-level project management skills toall aspects of executing solutions -developingtimelinesand projectplans, consultingwith partner-stakeholders to ensure alignment,managingdeliverables and project scope,and creating opportunities togather and respond to feedbackto drive accountability.

Manages,mentors,and supportsstaffas the Information and Strategy team grows.

Partners withsupervisor and team leadership as well aswith other leaders on the broaderStrategic OperationsTeam,tosetteam vision and priorities,demonstrateimpact, and promote team growth and engagement.

Participatesin advancing EDF's organizational effectiveness and culture goals, so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in ways that align with EDF values.

Additionalrelevant responsibilitiesas assigned.

Qualifications:

• At least 6 years of relevant experience, preferably in a fundraising, nonprofit, or academic settingplusBachelor's or equivalent; Master'sdegree or equivalent may substitute for up to 2 years of relevant work experience.

• Demonstratedexpertisemanaging and/ororganizinginformationplatforms and shared workspaces(Microsoft Teams, Asana, Sharepoint, and Slack); Familiarity withAItools and emergingtechnologies isa plus.

• End-user experience withSalesforce.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders.

• Experiencemanaging, mentoring, and/orcoaching team members.

• Experience developing project plans and implementing change management best practices; experience and comfort with project management software and databases.

• Strong communication(written and oral)and facilitation skills;abletotranslate technical/system topics into plain language for diverse audiences.

• Critical thinking skills and a demonstrated ability to bothidentifyproblems and develop effective solutions collaboratively.

• Comfort evaluating emerging technology and AI capabilities to simplify access to information and improve user experience.

• Demonstratedself-starter,detail oriented, and well-organized.

• Abilityto set priorities, produce and manage multiple high-priority projects tocompletion ontight deadlines is essential.

• Ability tomaintainconfidentiality.

• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency, inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

Please note that pay ranges are country specific. As a result, the stated currency is not meant be converted into any other currency.

97,000 - 105,000 USD