Associate Director of Development Operations - Research

Job Title:

Department:

Job Description:

The Associate Director of Development Operations – Research plays a critical role in advancing the College’s fundraising and engagement efforts by providing high-quality research, reporting, and data management support to the Development Division. This position oversees prospect research and reporting functions, ensures data integrity across systems, supports stewardship and donor intent compliance, and serves as a key resource to development staff on constituent information and database usage. The Associate Director collaborates closely with Development Operations colleagues to ensure seamless operations and successful fundraising outcomes. This position does require occasional weekend and evening work.

Job duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Build, review, and execute regular and ad hoc reports related to gifts, prospects, and constituent biographical data.

• Conduct prospect identification, research, and management for individuals, corporations, and foundations.

• Prepare comprehensive briefing documents for the President and other senior staff as needed.

• Serve as a primary resource for the Development Division on database reports and general constituent information.

• Provide stewardship research support, including accessing gift fund balances and monitoring fund activity.

• Research original gift agreements, statements of intent, and related documentation to clarify donor intent as questions arise.

• Monitor spending of restricted funds and help ensure alignment with both donor intent and institutional priorities.

• Collaborate with Development, Finance, and other stakeholders to resolve fund-related inquiries.

• Coordinate data transfers to and from external databases and systems in partnership with appropriate departments (e.g., Omatic).

• Manage data integrity efforts, including batch uploads, data pulls from other modules, and quality control processes.

• Support ongoing data information management to ensure accuracy, consistency, and reliability across systems.

• Provide training to Development and Development Operations staff on reporting, research tools, and data-related topics.

• Write, maintain, and update reference documents related to data management, reporting standards, and best practices.

• Maintain working knowledge of all Development Operations functions to ensure comprehensive support to Development operations.

• Hire, train, and supervise the Development Operations Student Associate.

• Contribute broadly to the success of the Development Division through collaboration, problem-solving, and operational support.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• 1-3 years of experience in development operations, development operations research, prospect research, data management, or a related field required.

• Demonstrated experience producing complex reports and conducting prospect research required.

• Strong understanding of fundraising databases/CRMs and reporting tools required.

• Excellent analytical, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills required.

• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism required.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills required.

• Experience in higher education or nonprofit advancement preferred.

• Supervisory or team leadership experience preferred.

• Familiarity with stewardship practices, donor intent compliance, and gift fund management preferred.

• Experience coordinating data integrations with external systems preferred.

• Occasional weekend and evening work required.

Benefits Highlights:

• 403 (b) Retirement

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Vacation Time (23 days)

• Sick Time (12 days)

• Paid Holidays (21 days)

• Employee Assistance Program

• Long-Term & Short-Term Disability

• Life and AD&D Insurance

• Tuition Remission

For a full list of our benefits and additional information, please navigate to our benefits site.
 

Rhodes is an equal opportunity employer that offers an excellent benefits package and a great working environment.

A complete application includes a cover letter and a resume.

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