National Audubon Society Vice President, Development Operations

ThinkingAhead; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 174,000 - 244,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nonprofit conservation organization is seeking a Vice President of Development Operations to reshape development efforts and drive mission impact. This role involves strategic leadership, team management, and oversight of fundraising systems, aiming for operational excellence and maximizing donor engagement. The ideal candidate is a visionary thinker with 15+ years of experience in development and a commitment to equity and conservation.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in development with at least 5 years managing a team.
• Experience in capital campaigns is strongly preferred.
• Proficient in data management and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Lead Development Operations functions to meet fundraising goals.
• Modernize development infrastructure for operational excellence.
• Oversee performance management and data-driven decision-making.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication

Data analysis

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

National Audubon Society Vice President, Development Operations

New York City, New York

Location: Hybrid, based in New York City, Washington, D.C., or Chicago preferred

About Audubon
The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come. Learn more about Audubon’s strategic plan, Flight Plan, at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.
Audubon 2024 Annual Report | Audubon

The Opportunity This is a pivotal moment for the National Audubon Society—and for a bold, strategic leader ready to help reshape how development operations drive mission impact. As Audubon activates the ambitious goals of Flight Plan 2023–2028, the organization seeks a Vice President of Development Operations who is not simply a steward of existing systems but a transformational strategist. This role is not about maintaining the status quo—it is about building a best-in-class development operations program that propels one of the world’s leading conservation organizations toward its bold future.
Audubon is undergoing significant structural and cultural evolution. The incoming Vice President will join a reimagined leadership environment where innovation, cross-functional collaboration, and decisive action are essential. They will be empowered to develop and lead a high-performing Development Operations function that enables skilled relationship management and pipeline development, improves organizational agility, and strengthens data-informed decision-making. With oversight of critical areas such as data management in support of principal and major gifts fundraising and pipeline development, forecasting, performance management, prospect research, and campaign operations, this leader will help shape the infrastructure that supports Audubon’s expansive and equity-centered conservation mission across the Americas.

This is a unique opportunity for a visionary systems thinker with entrepreneurial drive, who can confidently lead through complexity, and who embraces bold change as a vehicle for deeper impact. As a key advisor to the Chief Development Officer and partner across multiple departments, the Vice President will play an essential role in positioning Audubon’s development function to meet the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises head-on, while embedding principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in every aspect of their work.

If you are a change agent who sees the connection between operational excellence and social impact, and if you are driven by the power of strategic philanthropy to build a better future for birds and people alike—Audubon is ready for your leadership.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO), the Vice President of Development Operations will serve as a key member of the Development Leadership team, in essence ensuring the internal functionality necessary to deliver on ambitious annual and multi-year fundraising goals. The VP will help develop and lead the execution of strategies to ensure Audubon has best-in-class operating systems in place to maximize performance across donor markets. These include systems for individual and team performance management and tracking, internal communications, constituent management, and market penetration. The VP will manage a team of professionals as well as direct contract capacity in support of data-driven decision-making, campaign planning and management, revenue forecasting and tracking, performance management, prospect research, and budgeting and expense management. The VP will play a key role in developing and monitoring Development revenue goals, including gift projection data in close coordination with Development Leadership and Finance.

Essential Functions

• Lead development operations functions, including:
  • Monitoring and tracking performance against organizational fundraising goals
  • Planning & data analysis
  • Performance management
  • Database management
  • Prospect Research
  • Campaign planning and management
  • Internal communications and learning/training/professional development
  • Budgeting, expense monitoring and reporting
• Modernize development infrastructure, aligning systems and processes to support enterprise-wide fundraising goals and drive operational excellence.
• Ensure data-informed decision-making, performance management and accountability across fundraising efforts, including deployment of consistent KPIs, dashboards and other reporting and market research.
• Contribute strategic leadership to Audubon’s comprehensive campaign, especially with respect to process and data needs.
• Oversee and provide strategic direction in support of a best-in-class prospect research program and donor data and management functions.
• Coordinate annual budgeting processes with Development Leadership and Finance.
• Effectively lead a team of approx. 11 development staff by providing guidance, coaching, mentoring, training, etc., and by setting clear goals and performance monitoring processes.
• As a key member of the Development Management Team, serve as a strategic partner and advisor to the Chief Development Officer.
• Collaborate on projects and reporting needs with the offices of the CEO, COO, and CFO, including representing the Development Team in cross-departmental initiatives and projects, such as implementation of the organizational strategic plan (Flight Plan), Audubon's performance monitoring and reporting system (CHIRP), and other enterprise-wide efforts.
• Partner with Audubon staff to ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging principles are incorporated and followed in all aspects of our work.
• Co-lead integration and optimization of fundraising systems (e.g., Salesforce and EveryAction) to improve data quality and operational efficiency.

Qualifications and Experience

• Senior-level development professional with 15+ years of experience in organizations that have a reputation for strategic thinking, organizational excellence, and decisive action; at least 5 years of management experience developing strategy and overseeing a team of development professionals, preferably in a decentralized setting. Bachelor’s degree also required.
• Proven track record of overseeing development operations teams with an ability to establish and monitor priorities, drive and delegate project work, and maintain flexibility while meeting deadlines and working cross-functionally with other leaders.
• Experience working in partnership with teams managing donor relationships.
• Capital Campaign experience is strongly preferred.
• A self-starter with a positive attitude, strong communications skills, and demonstrated capability to work independently in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Keen attention to detail, with the ability to synthesize and carefully analyze information; follow best practices, trends, and make decisions for Audubon’s development operations program.
• Experience with budgeting and analyzing revenue and expense activity.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, as well as navigating, analyzing, and reporting data from fundraising databases and other web-based tools. Knowledge of Salesforce a plus.
• Willing and able to travel, as required for the job.
• A commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging and to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.
• Interest, understanding, and commitment to the conservation of birds, other wildlife, and their habitat is a plus, as is the capacity to communicate Audubon’s mission, goals, and programs effectively and with the highest professional standards.

National Audubon Society Competencies: This role will also be accountable to apply and develop the following competencies.

• Building Trust: Take actions that give others confidence in your intentions and see you as a truthful and reliable person who follows through on promises and commitments.
• Coaching: Guide and develop individuals within the organization, nurturing their professional growth and enhancing performance for the future.
• Decision Making: Make decisions based on comparative data and input from various sources, incorporating diverse viewpoints and insights for a holistic understanding.
• Leading and Facilitating Change: Be effective in guiding, managing, and supporting organizational or systemic transformations, including considering diverse needs and perspectives.
• Strategic Leadership: Demonstrate creative problem-solving skills and articulate strategic vision to help team members and the organization achieve long-term goals.

EEO Statement
The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Compensation
Compensation for the Vice President of Development Operations is $174,000 to $244,000 annually, based on experience, and includes an excellent package of employee benefits.

To Apply
Interested applicants should send a resume and a statement of interest to Chris Spagnola and Jessica Martinez, Partners with ThinkingAhead Executive Search:[e-mail]; [e-mail].

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