Manager of Advancement Operations & Engagement

Cleary University; Michigan; Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan with 5% employer match

Tuition discount

Hybrid flexibility

Job summary

Cleary University in Howell, MI seeks a Manager of Advancement Operations & Engagement to run our fundraising engine. You’ll own the donor database, coordinate gift processing, and create data-driven reports that illuminate donor impact and guide strategy.

You’ll collaborate with the Vice President of Advancement, engage alumni and supporters, and balance rigorous data work with compelling storytelling to support scholarships and campus growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; 3–5 years in advancement or related field.
• Strong data management, reporting, and donor stewardship skills.
• Experience with CRM/databases and financial reconciliation.

Responsibilities

• Own the donor database, maintain clean records and run data audits.
• Oversee gift processing, receipts, and alignment with Finance.
• Build queries, reports, and dashboards to guide decisions.
• Manage grant calendar, deadlines, and post-award reporting.
• Gather stories and scholarship data to demonstrate impact.

Skills

DonorCRM (DonorPerfect/Salesforce)

Excel/Google Sheets

Digital communications

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

DonorPerfect

Salesforce

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

Manager of Advancement Operations & Engagement
Cleary University | Howell, Michigan | Full-Time

Be the engine behind a growing university’s fundraising.

Cleary University is a fast-growing, student-centered institution in southeast Michigan. As Manager of Advancement Operations & Engagement, you’ll be the person who makes our fundraising work, combining database expertise with donor and alumni relationships. You’ll report directly to the Vice President of Advancement and work closely with campus partners, and your work will directly support student scholarships and the university’s growth.

If you like organized systems, good stories, and seeing your work turn into real support for students, this role is for you.

Why Work at Cleary?

• Generous paid time off and paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan with a 5% employer match
• Tuition discount
• Hybrid flexibility, as approved
• A chance to take on a wide-ranging role at a university on the rise

What you’ll do

Run advancement operations

• Own our donor database: keep records clean, standardize profiles, and run regular data audits
• Oversee gift processing, pledge tracking, tax receipts, and acknowledgment letters, and reconcile gifts with the Finance Office
• Build custom queries, reports, mailing lists, and dashboards that help the team make decisions
• Manage the grant calendar, including deadlines, reporting schedules, attachments, and post-award requirements
• Gather student stories and scholarship data to create impact reports for donors

Drive engagement and annual giving

• Coordinate annual giving, including direct mail, digital campaigns, and giving days
• Research corporate and foundation funders and help prepare proposals, budgets, and application materials
• Partner with Marketing on alumni engagement and donor stewardship, including events, newsletters, and impact updates
• Keep the stewardship calendar on track so donors hear from us consistently
• Talk with alumni and donors to capture their stories for publications, campaign materials, and grant proposals
• Pitch in on special projects that support our fundraising priorities

What you bring

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3 to 5 years of experience in advancement, annual giving, business operations, data management, project coordination, higher education, marketing, or a related field
• Comfort with databases and CRMs (DonorPerfect, Salesforce, or similar), Excel or Google Sheets, and digital communication tools
• Strong organization, attention to detail, and follow-through
• Clear writing and speaking, and a knack for building relationships
• Experience managing timelines, calendars, and multiple workflows at once
• Discretion with confidential donor, gift, and scholarship information

Nice to have

• Experience in higher education, especially scholarship administration, alumni relations, or working across departments
• Experience with giving days, direct mail or digital campaigns, or corporate and foundation grant proposals
• Experience building custom reports and dashboards
• Where you’ll work
• This position is based at our Howell, Michigan campus. Hybrid work is available as approved, and you may occasionally attend regional events.

Equal opportunity employer

Cleary University is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation during the application process, please contact Human Resources.