VP of Membership & Development Operations

Pheasants Forever, Inc.; White Bear Lake (MN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Pheasants Forever, Inc. seeks a strategic leader to guide Membership and Development Operations. The Vice President will shape the organization’s membership and annual giving strategy, establish development operations infrastructure, and ensure data quality, reporting, and donor stewardship.

You will partner with the Chief Development Officer, manage gift processing and benefits fulfillment, oversee annual giving programs, and lead teams across fundraising initiatives including capital campaigns.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 7+ years of nonprofit fundraising, membership, annual giving, or development operations experience, including staff leadership.
• Experience growing membership or annual giving programs and leading gift processing, stewardship, or fundraising operations.
• Strong knowledge of CRM systems, data management, and fundraising reporting; experience with Microsoft Dynamics is preferred.
• Ability to translate data into strategic decisions, establish effective organizational practices, and lead staff training and development.

Responsibilities

• Lead an integrated development operations strategy supporting membership, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and capital campaigns, with clear ownership and accountability across teams.
• Provide organizational oversight of membership and donor gift processing, including gift entry, designation, acknowledgments, receipting, pledge administration, recurring payments, and membership benefit fulfillment.
• Establish organizational policies, standards, and accountability for development operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and consistency across fundraising programs. Partner with Development, Finance and Information Technology on reconciliation, gift acceptance, donor privacy, and data access.
• Lead organizational stewardship and recognition strategies that protect donor intent, communicate conservation impact, and strengthen member and donor relationships.
• Provide strategic oversight of supporter services and operational partnerships, aligning service quality, capacity, and investment with organizational needs while reducing administrative demands on fundraisers.
• Develop and oversee strategies for annual and life membership acquisition, renewal, retention, upgrades, and reactivation.
• Lead annual giving and recurring giving programs that deepen engagement, attract new donors, and grow philanthropic support.
• Provide strategic direction for coordinated direct mail, email, digital, and AutoPay initiatives, including segmentation, messaging, premiums, testing, and evaluation.
• Collaborate with Development leadership to connect members and annual donors with major, planned, and campaign giving opportunities.
• Provide strategic oversight of membership and annual giving activities at National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other priority membership and donor events.
• Establish consistent data definitions, quality standards, and reporting practices that produce accurate, reproducible membership and fundraising results.
• Guide development technology and reporting priorities in partnership with Development and Information Technology, ensuring systems support fundraising strategy and informed decision-making.
• Oversee dashboards and analysis of membership, donor, campaign, and operational performance, translating findings into recommendations for strategy and resource allocation.
• Advise the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership on membership growth, fundraising infrastructure, operational risks, and investments needed to achieve organizational goals.
• Lead and develop the Membership and Development Operations Team through clear priorities, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Set the strategy for Development Team training and professional development, ensuring consistent application of fundraising best practices and organizational standards, including CRM use, gift documentation, reporting, and stewardship.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, revenue goals, staffing plans, and operational objectives aligned with organizational strategy.
• Build effective cross-functional partnerships and communicate progress, challenges, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Perform other duties as assigned. Some travel is required including annual Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other members and donor related events.

Skills

Donor stewardship

CRM systems

Data analysis

Nonprofit fundraising

Leadership

Communication

Capital campaigns

Strategic planning

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

Application Deadline

October 26, 2026

Anticipated Start Date

January 2027

Position Summary

The Vice President of Membership and Development Operations leads the organization’s membership and annual giving strategy and establishes the development operations infrastructure, standards, and accountability needed to support fundraising growth across Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

This leader provides organizational oversight of membership and donor gift processing, supporter services, stewardship, data standards, and reporting. Working closely with the Chief Development Officer and cross-functional partners, the Vice President strengthens Development Team capabilities, guides operational investments, and supports the strategy and execution of organization-wide capital campaigns.

Primary Responsibilities

Development Operations and Stewardship

• Lead an integrated development operations strategy supporting membership, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and capital campaigns, with clear ownership and accountability across teams.
• Provide organizational oversight of membership and donor gift processing, including gift entry, designation, acknowledgments, receipting, pledge administration, recurring payments, and membership benefit fulfillment.
• Establish organizational policies, standards, and accountability for development operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and consistency across fundraising programs. Partner with Development, Finance and Information Technology on reconciliation, gift acceptance, donor privacy, and data access.
• Lead organizational stewardship and recognition strategies that protect donor intent, communicate conservation impact, and strengthen member and donor relationships.
• Provide strategic oversight of supporter services and operational partnerships, aligning service quality, capacity, and investment with organizational needs while reducing administrative demands on fundraisers.

Membership and Annual Giving Strategy

• Develop and oversee strategies for annual and life membership acquisition, renewal, retention, upgrades, and reactivation.
• Lead annual giving and recurring giving programs that deepen engagement, attract new donors, and grow philanthropic support.
• Provide strategic direction for coordinated direct mail, email, digital, and AutoPay initiatives, including segmentation, messaging, premiums, testing, and evaluation.
• Collaborate with Development leadership to connect members and annual donors with major, planned, and campaign giving opportunities.
• Provide strategic oversight of membership and annual giving activities at National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other priority membership and donor events.

Data and Reporting

• Establish consistent data definitions, quality standards, and reporting practices that produce accurate, reproducible membership and fundraising results.
• Guide development technology and reporting priorities in partnership with Development and Information Technology, ensuring systems support fundraising strategy and informed decision-making.
• Oversee dashboards and analysis of membership, donor, campaign, and operational performance, translating findings into recommendations for strategy and resource allocation.

Team Leadership

• Advise the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership on membership growth, fundraising infrastructure, operational risks, and investments needed to achieve organizational goals.
• Lead and develop the Membership and Development Operations Team through clear priorities, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Set the strategy for Development Team training and professional development, ensuring consistent application of fundraising best practices and organizational standards, including CRM use, gift documentation, reporting, and stewardship.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, revenue goals, staffing plans, and operational objectives aligned with organizational strategy.
• Build effective cross-functional partnerships and communicate progress, challenges, and recommendations to senior leadership.

Perform other duties as assigned. Some travel is required including annual Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other members and donor related events.

Qualifications

• Commitment to the mission of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and an appreciation for conservation, hunting, and the outdoors.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• At least seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising, membership, annual giving, or development operations experience, including staff leadership.
• Demonstrated success growing membership or annual giving programs and leading gift processing, stewardship, or fundraising operations.
• Strong knowledge of CRM systems, data management, and fundraising reporting; experience with Microsoft Dynamics is preferred.
• Ability to translate data into strategic decisions, establish effective organizational practices, and lead staff training and development.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, with the ability to guide cross-functional initiatives and organizational change.
• Sound judgment and a commitment to donor confidentiality and responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
• Experience supporting capital campaigns, major gifts, or planned giving is preferred.

Compensation and Location

Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications. Range $100,000- $120,000. This position will be located at Pheasants Forever’s National Office in White Bear Lake, MN.

For more information

Contact James Roberts, Pheasants Forever Chief Development Officer, at [e-mail].

Pheasants Forever is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, disability status, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including but not limited to selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.