Senior Fundraising Operations Manager

SMASH Alumni Team; United States; Remote; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

SMASH is seeking a Sr. Fundraising Operations Manager to enhance fundraising strategies and operational systems. The role involves project management, data integrity, and collaboration across teams to drive effective fundraising. Candidates should have extensive experience in development operations and a commitment to SMASH's mission in STEM education.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Professional development stipend

Paid time off

Volunteer time

Flexible spending accounts

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years leading development operations with deep expertise in CRM management.
• Experience in managing complex workflows and competing priorities.
• Strong cross-functional collaborator with proven ability to build trust.

Responsibilities

• Translate fundraising strategy into actionable implementation plans.
• Lead revenue tracking and forecasting in coordination with Finance.
• Own and manage CRM and tech stack for the Development Team.

Skills

CRM management

data infrastructure

project management

collaboration

problem-solving

resilience

Job description

At SMASH, we aim to build a strong STEM workforce through academic learning and experiential engagement for high school and college students. We empower dedicated students in STEM fields through intensive education, rigorous coursework, and access to resources, aiming to cultivate success in college and careers. Our vision is to create a STEM ecosystem where every student can thrive in the global economy. By providing opportunities, we seek to enrich our communities and workplaces with well-prepared, competitive leaders.

This is a pivotal time for SMASH as SMASH builds on the success of our programs. Working at SMASH is about rapid growth, grit, personal commitment, accountability, and courage to challenge the status quo. If you have what it takes to change the STEM landscape, we want to hear from you.

SMASH is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization operating under the umbrella of the Kapor Center family of organizations.

About the role

SMASH is hiring a Sr. Fundraising Operations Manager who is eager to architect and scale the systems, processes, and infrastructure that power a high-growth fundraising engine.

As a key individual contributor and operational specialist, you’ll take full ownership of SMASH fundraising systems. You will serve as the lead project manager across fundraising deliverables, drive deadline accountability, and own CRM data and tech stack integrity and reporting.

This role is perfect for someone who excels at building and refining existing systems, accountability, and enabling a high-performing team to move faster and smarter. You’ll work cross-functionally, bring rigor and precision to fundraising operations, and serve as a trusted partner to both frontline fundraisers and senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Infrastructure

• Translate fundraising strategy into actionable implementation plans and tracking in collaboration with the CEO, CDO, Finance, and Development Team
• Serve as the operational “source of truth” for fundraising across the organization, ensuring alignment between day-to-day execution and long-term goals
• Lead revenue tracking, forecasting, and reconciliation in coordination with Finance to support financial planning and goal alignment
• Develop, document, and continuously refine standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency, compliance, and scalability in all fundraising workflows.
• Build appropriate systems to house and manage a $50M+ qualified prospect pipeline, translating opportunities into clear action plans and moving donors through the funnel in partnership with the Development Team fundraisers
• Oversee gift processing, donor acknowledgments, and stewardship touchpoints in collaboration with the Development Team to ensure a smooth, high-quality donor experience
• Analyze funder/donor trends to refine approach to cultivation and stewardship by donor type
• Support high-value donor experiences through customized events, visits, and recognition initiatives

Data, Reporting, Insights & Compliance

• Own and manage CRM and tech stack for the Development Team, overseeing data hygiene, moves management, and performance tracking
• Collaborate with program, development and data colleagues to track funding reports, as well as data required to steward the funder
• Support development of org-wide funding metrics and integrate impact data into fundraising reporting, grant applications, and the Impact Report
• Create dashboards, weekly recaps, and custom reports to monitor progress to goals and drive data-informed decision-making
• Manage all aspects of charitable registrations and renewals

Team Enablement & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with the Development Team to lead efficient team operations, milestone tracking, and meeting facilitation
• Lead change management initiatives to ensure team adoption of systems, tools, and processes

Required Attributes

Collaboration: Exceptional listening, communication, and presentation skills; excellent time management and organizational skills; timeliness and dependability; courageously candid when facing difficult conversations

Relationship Building: Welcome and embrace individual differences of everyone in the room; humility; patience when navigating situations; ability to listen to multiple perspectives; restorative approach to relationship building and conflict resolution

Problem Solving: Remain curious, innovative, iterative, and quickly pivot as needed; keep activities on track, think creatively, and act swiftly in the face of unanticipated events; make data-based decisions

Resilience: Approach situations with a growth mindset, adapt, and reflect to ensure desired outcome(s) are met

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience leading development operations, with deep expertise in CRM management, data infrastructure, and supporting high-performing fundraising teams raising tens of millions annually
• Proven track record working across foundation, high-net-worth individual, and corporate partnership pipelines
• Familiar with the full fundraising lifecycle, including prospect research, pipeline development, grant management, and reporting across institutional, corporate, and HNWI portfolios
• Expert project manager and hopefully SCRUM wizard with exceptional attention to detail, capable of managing complex workflows and competing priorities
• Strong cross-functional collaborator with a proven ability to build trust, drive alignment, and enable change across fundraising teams and senior leadership
• Demonstrated understanding of how to support the team toward successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewarding 6- and 7-figure gifts
• Skilled in translating data into compelling narratives to communicate impact and meet funder reporting requirements
• Systems thinker with a builder mindset—experienced in designing and improving operational processes for scalability and efficiency
• Experience working in mission-driven organizations focused on expanding access, opportunity, and representation in education, tech, or related fields.

Compensation

Salary Range: $100,000 - $115,000

SMASH offers competitive compensation, and excellent benefits including medical, dental, vision,

life/disability insurance, 401(k), professional development stipend, paid time off, volunteer time, and flexible spending accounts. Our collaborative office is located in Oakland’s dynamic Uptown District. We are seeking candidates with a personal commitment to our mission and innovation--values that are embedded in our culture.