Job description

Please review the details for the position before applying for the opening. If you are an internal employee, please apply through the internal portal on Workday. You should have your completed resume/cv and cover letter ready to upload. You should upload both documents on the third page (the required section is named resume/cv – this is also where you should upload your cover letter). These documents should either be in a PDF format (.pdf) or a Word document (.doc) format.

Job Posting Title
Assistant Vice President, Information Strategy and Operations
Job Description Summary
Admin Exempt
Job Description
Reporting to the Vice President for Development, the AVP, Information Strategy and Operations serves as a member of the division’s senior leadership team and is responsible for leading efforts to strategically align and leverage data, technology, talent, and financial resources to advance the Development division's mission and achieve key goals and objectives and secure private philanthropic support for the College’s highest priorities. with oversight of these critical functions: gift processing and administration; biographic records and data integrity, information technology and systems, prospect management and research; business intelligence, fundraising analytics, and reporting; administration and finance [budget and talent management], and marketing. The AVP will champion a “data-informed culture” within the Development division and provide the vision, direction, and leadership for developing and implementing information and technology strategies and initiatives that maximum and leverage the Salesforce-based enterprise system [Affiniquest], GiveCampus, and other third-party applications and vendor services. The AVP must possess a sophisticated understanding and hands-on technical expertise and knowledge of Advancement CRMs and related fundraising applications, along with proven financial reporting, analytics, and data management skills. They will be charged with recruiting, training, and mentoring staff to hone and advance the team’s technical skills and expertise, and will proactively design and implement technical and policy-related training for end-users across the division. The AVP is the division’s lead liaison to the Finance Office for gift reporting, gift reconciliation and auditing, and to the campus Library Technology Services for technology applications, integrations, and reporting services. The AVP oversees a team of approximately 16 FTEs with six direct reports. The incumbent, in partnership with the VP and Senior Managers, will create an overarching, progressive, and transformative vision for information strategy and operations within the Development enterprise at Wellesley. To ensure that Wellesley has a top-performing, model program the AVP will be an active member of the Advancement professional community (CASE, AASP, ADRP, APRA, NACUBO, etc.) and will stay abreast of industry standards, best practices, and emerging trends. The AVP will be the lead Advancement representative with and liaison to Affinaquest, the College’s Salesforce CRM provider, and will proactively engage industry peers and vendor partners, and participate in membership groups and discussions that advance Wellesley’s professional practice in key Advancement disciplines.

Primary Position Responsibilities

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Serve as a senior advisor to the Vice President, along with fellow Senior Managers, providing organizational leadership, strategic direction, and operations management for the division.

• With the Vice President, develop and maintain productive relationships with faculty and senior administrative staff.

• Partner closely with the Assistant Vice President for Development and fundraising teams to develop integrated fundraising strategies to increase philanthropic revenues and donors, proactively identifying the data, technologies, systems, and reports needed to drive and inform the fundraising enterprise.

• Lead the planning and implementation of high priority projects that optimize fundraising and global alumnae engagement.

• Build solid collaborative relationships within the Development Division, Alumnae Association, Finance Office, Library and Technology Services,, Human Resources, Wellesley Centers for Women and other key partners across the College to ensure alignment and effectiveness.

• Establish policies and procedures that reflect industry best practices related to prospect development, records management, and gift administration, and advises on industry best practices in fundraising and donor relations. Ensure that all gift accounting is conducted in accordance with the CASE Global Reporting Standards, and that alumnae and donor records management adheres to current and emerging U.S. and global data protection and privacy laws.

• Collaborate across the division and College to assess marketing needs and develop an integrated Development marketing plan.

• Assess and recommend resource allocations and investments to best achieve the division’s strategic goals. Oversee the development division’s operating budget and resource allocations, including budget planning, completion of budget requests and budget submissions. Develop processes for senior management in the Division to regularly review and discuss programmatic goals to ensure a shared understanding of budget impact and resource allocations.

Management

• Oversee the day-to-day operations and direct the workflow and activities of a team of 16+ FTEs.

• Provide effective leadership, supervision, mentoring, and will model professionalism to staff members in the optimum performance of their roles, regularly evaluating staff performance against established goals and work plans, and ensuring alignment of activities with the highest priorities of the Development division.

• Quantify and communicate the overall effectiveness and ROI of activities, including critical evaluation of team performance, value and use of external data vendors and software services, and quantitative as well as qualitative contributions to Wellesley’s fundraising and constituent engagement success.

• Promote and uphold compliance with institutional policies related to human resources and performance management, fiscal responsibility and management, computing and records security, privacy, confidentiality and protection of restricted and sensitive information throughout the division, in close collaboration with Library and Technology Services.

• Recruit, train and mentor staff. Align teams and delegate effectively in order to utilize staff and resources to their maximum potential. Develop succession planning for each reporting department.

• Provide opportunities for staff to strengthen and enhance their technical skills so that they can function effectively in positions of increasing responsibility, including the identification and assignment of Affinaquest learning modules and credentials and promoting staff participation in professional associations, peer groups, and consortia, as appropriate.

Information Strategy and Analysis

• Oversee, direct and align staffing resources focused on the effective coordination and use of the prospect management and fundraising tracking systems, including prospect coding schemes, fundraising activity, and proposal pipeline management. Ensure effective collaboration with Prospect Development, Information Technology and Systems, Gift Accounting and Development.

• Monitor, analyze and report on relationship management data, including examination of fundraising progress against defined programmatic goals, cultivation and solicitation cycles, contact reporting, campaign progress, prospect identification, KPIs and performance metrics, etc.

• Lead the identification and utilization of a suite of business intelligence and statistical analysis tools to analyze constituent relationships and behaviors, identify and assign prospects, build revenue and other forecasting models, and establish appropriate metrics to measure and evaluate staff and program performance. Outcomes of these analytics services will include the creation and deployment of executive, program and portfolio management interactive data visualization dashboards and business intelligence platforms, providing executive management and senior leadership with appropriate insights and recommendations for strategies that can improve fundraising performance and leverage prospective donor and market opportunities as revealed through effective data analysis and reporting. Serve as mentor and technical resource to business analysts.

• Oversee database system training for the entire Development and Alumnae Association staff. Collaborate across the division to identify needs for end-user training and cross-training and develop and deliver appropriate training programs.

Revenue Generation and Optimization

• Collaborate on efforts to identify areas for analysis and for growth of both revenue and donors.

• Develop analysis of the fundraising program and partner with fundraisers to implement plans to grow revenue and donors.

• Lead the development team in understanding how to utilize technology more effectively. Use a suite of online tools to maximize the ability of staff to broaden the base of donors and to most effectively target their efforts.

• With the Vice President, develop and maintain productive relationships with faculty and senior administrative staff.

Performance Profile

• In conjunction with other senior managers in the division, successful completion of fiscal year fundraising and alumnae engagement efforts.

• In conjunction with other senior managers in the division, the development and implementation of “best practice” standards for fundraising, prospect development, gift reporting and stewardship.

• A motivated and effective staff which has the support, resources, skills, and freedom to do their jobs well.

• Effective collaboration across the College for technology, gift reporting, audit procedures and marketing.

• Ongoing assessment, tuning, and optimization of the Salesforce CRM platform, leveraging the Affinaquest relationship and advocating for priority enhancements and new features.

• Effective and efficient use of the College’s Development (budget management).

Supervisor Responsibilities

Oversees a staff of 16, with 6 direct reports (direct reports listed below):

• Director of Prospect Research

• Director of Gift Records and Administration

• Director of Fundraising Analytics

• Senior Associate Director of Marketing

• Associate Director of Operations and Budget

• Administrative Assistant to the AVP

Education Required

• A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.

Experience Required

The AVP for Information Strategy and Operations will be a proven advancement operations leader with 7+ years of professional experience, an ability to articulate a cohesive vision, and the energy to implement goals and work plans that drive and strengthen a successful comprehensive advancement program. They must possess a deep knowledge of the operating needs for a complex fundraising program, including gift accounting, financial reporting, prospect development, marketing and communications, donor relations and stewardship.

The AVP must have knowledge of campaign and post campaign planning, reporting and budgeting. It is also critical that AVP have past experience collaborating with senior level college administrators on gift accounting, reconciliation and audits, as well as information technology systems, integrations, and applications.

The AVP will have a proven competency in managing people and programs successfully and will demonstrate integrity, outstanding communication skills, exceptional judgment and the ability to establish strong collegial relationships with other members of the senior management team. They will have strong analytical skills, an understanding of best practices nationally, and the ability to build and motivate teams to work towards ambitious goals.

The AVP must demonstrate expertise in leading, designing and managing information technology solutions, data management and integrity standards, business process design, report development and testing that support and enhance fundraising efforts.

In addition, the AVP will possess:

• Experience successfully planning for, and managing, a comprehensive campaign.

• Proven management skills that nurture an accountable, goal oriented and values based environment.

• A minimum of seven years of advancement operations experience, including management and supervisory experience in a complex fundraising organization, preferably in a higher education environment.

Skills and Abilities Required

• An authentic appreciation for liberal arts education and women’s education, particularly the education and opportunities provided by Wellesley, and an ability to articulate eloquently its particular mission.

• An ability to work collaboratively and to authentically engage and inspire others as a senior representative of the Development division.

• Flexibility and the demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast paced, complex, academic environment, juggling numerous projects and satisfying numerous constituencies simultaneously.

• Enthusiasm, ability to take risks, and the courage to speak and act on convictions.

• Outstanding interpersonal and relationship building skills, excellent communication, leadership, and listening skills, as well as the ability to work effectively and communicate clearly (verbal, written, and presentation) with all levels of management and both technical and non-technical staff.

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Cultural competency with respect to issues such as racial, cultural, religious, sexual, and gender orientation.

All employees hired after August 2, 2021 are required to upload proof of vaccination and booster against COVID‐19, subject to approved medical or religious exemptions or disability accommodations.

Worker Sub-Type
Administrative
Time Type
Full time
EEO Statement
At Wellesley, we embrace and honor difference and diversity. We believe the best ideas—the best solutions—draw on a range of voices, perspectives, and experiences. As a college, and as a community, we are dedicated to assuring that all members for the Wellesley community have an equal opportunity to flourish.

Wellesley College is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Wellesley College and all its subcontractors shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60–1.4(a), 60–300.5(a) and 60–741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that Wellesley College and all of its subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status. Candidates who believe they can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply.

Job Type: Full-time

offroadmanagementgroup.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, offroadmanagementgroup.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, offroadmanagementgroup.com is the ideal place to find your next job.