Executive Director, Advancement Operations

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Office of College Advancement builds and strengthens relationships with alumni, families, and friends to advance College priorities through joyful engagement and celebration, philanthropic and volunteer support, and stewardship of Swarthmore’s contributions to the common good. We work intentionally as a collaborative group that drives innovation, creates space for rich dialogue, inspires trust, and develops a community rooted in inclusivity and belonging.

The opportunity:

The Executive Director of Advancement Operations is responsible for leadership, oversight, planning and management of the offices of Advancement Information Systems, Alumni & Gift Records, and Prospect Discovery & Development. The Executive Director has a holistic understanding of the work, priorities, and business practices of each department and across these departments and Advancement, so they can design, develop, and creatively implement organizational planning, coordination of work, human resources, and hardware and software design. The Executive Director reports to the Vice President for College Advancement and is a member of Advancement’s Leadership Committee. They drive divisional strategies that enable a culture of data-driven decision making, serving as a champion for data informed decision-making. The Executive Director guides the divisional technology strategy, understanding and recommending new technologies to streamline operations, increase philanthropic support, and personalize constituent communications. The Executive Director ensures that the Operations group and chosen technology support business practices and enable the division to advance its goals. The Executive Director develops and monitors office-wide operations and systems goals and provides periodic progress reports to the Vice President and the Leadership Committee. They build solid relationships within the Office of Advancement, with the Office of Information Technology and across the College in the analysis and use of information technology and data to measure the effectiveness of programs and forecast engagement and giving trends.

The core functions include:

• Oversight of Advancement’s information systems, including analysis of and key decision making in the selection and migration from the Ellucian Banner database to a new CRM;
• Analysis, development and use of operating systems and technical tools in support of a comprehensive alumni and family engagement, fundraising and advancement communications program;
• Management of an integrated and collaborative model of prospect identification and development to ensure the highest level of constituent and prospect engagement and optimization of philanthropic potential; and
• Serving as a champion for a data- and technology driven Advancement culture by partnering with colleagues on information and technology strategies and initiatives throughout Advancement.

Essential Responsibilities

• Oversees the selection and efficient use of operating systems and technical tools in support of Swarthmore’s comprehensive fundraising and family & alumni relations programs, including a migration from a legacy system to a new CRM.
• Explores and implements opportunities for continuous improvement in office systems and structures to maximize coordination and productivity, enhance communications, and promote collaborations.
• Collaborates with senior staff in Advancement and campus partners to implement the effective use of the College's prospect management database, reporting tools, and other institutional resources, increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness for fundraising and engagement purposes.
• Develops strategies and sets direction, goals, and policies for advancement operations; creates metrics to support goals; and defines roles, responsibilities, and expectations for Operations staff.
• Oversees production, design, and implementation of visually appealing and action-oriented reports to properly and in a timely manner extract data to be used by members of Advancement, President's office, Board of Managers, and other College constituents, such as The Scott Arboretum and Chester Children’s Chorus.
• Provides direction in all areas of information management, from gift entry and acknowledgements to updating constituent records and ensuring GDPR compliance.
• Identifies ways to use capacity, inclination, affinity, and other indicators in the building and designing of prospect pools for gift officers as well as for identified College priorities & special projects.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of current and emerging technologies for alumni and donor systems, records, and research.
• Oversees and directly manages relationships with Advancement’s vendors and leads the division in review of new vendors and technology.
• Leads direct reports in developing Advancement procedures for storing and extracting data, prospect profiles, and reports, and to ensure the quality and accuracy of data and that support the engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of constituents.
• Mobilizes staff in multiple departments to ensure continued data hygiene.
• Oversees the standards set for database information organization, storage, maintenance, and retrieval.
• Assembles, convenes, and leads cross-departmental project teams that may include Advancement staff, (non-technical) campus partners, and ITS administrative computing colleagues to ensure project and departmental goals are met.
• Collaborates on the preparation and administration of Advancement annual budgets for all departments reporting to the Executive Director of Operations.
• Supervises colleagues who train campus partners in Advancement’s technical applications.
• Recommends technical solutions in all areas of Advancement.
• Develops and implements effective strategies for creating and maintaining database reporting and analysis.
• Ensures that procedures and systems are in place to collect and safeguard constituent information.

Who you are:

• You are an energetic and collaborative professional with a deep appreciation for the liberal arts and the ability to adapt to new work situations, people, ideas, procedures, and organizational structures, in order to support an evolving and complex work environment.
• You have the demonstrated ability to build successful and collaborative relationships with constituents and coworkers in order to maximize the effectiveness of the department.
• You have exceptional communication, leadership, and listening skills, as well as the ability to work effectively and communicate (verbal and written) with all levels of management and both technical and non-technical staff.
• You have excellent technical skills, including the ability to understand the division’s technical ecosystem, relational databases, and external web applications.
• You have the ability to lead, recruit, evaluate, and develop a diverse team of information and technology professionals and contribute to the ongoing fostering of a high-functioning, results-oriented team.
• Your career demonstrates progressive leadership, information and/or technology experience that can support and enhance fundraising efforts.
• You possess a strong background in research and/or data management and analytics, data standards and security, business process design, report development, testing, and support of advancement information systems with an emphasis on quality control.
• You exhibit mature judgment and the ability to act independently to plan and accomplish goals.
• You are able to maintain a high level of confidentiality, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines in a time-sensitive environment.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 5 years in strongly related experience.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to handle multiple and varied tasks independently, while also working collaboratively in projects involving multiple users and departments.
• Strong analytical, organizational and interpersonal abilities. Skill in dealing with people, diplomacy, tact, discretion, and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion; culturally competent with respect to issues such as racial, cultural, religious, sexual, and gender identity
• Ability to be a self-starter and work both independently and in a team environment on several projects at a time.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, or as needed to complete projects or meet heavy demand.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree.
• Experience working in a college or university setting, especially in navigating a department through a CRM migration.
• A sense of humor and a deep appreciation for private liberal arts education.
• Working knowledge of tax codes and the ability to interpret IRS rulings as they apply to charitable contributions and fundraising.
• Ability to lead, recruit, evaluate, and develop a diverse team of information and technology professionals and contribute to the ongoing fostering of a high-functioning, results-oriented team
• Successful supervisory experience focused on setting priorities, managing, and motivating a diverse team
• Knowledge of charitable giving techniques, including life income gifts and estate planning.
• Superior written and oral communication skills, including in imaginative and persuasive writing, and in articulating the value of higher education.
• Technical expertise and knowledge, with significant experience with hands-on management, application development, and financial reporting experience with large development and alumni data processing systems.
• Previous experience with matrixed organizational models and/or higher education.
• Ability to authentically engage and inspire others as a senior representative of the Advancement Office.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a hybrid work environment. You’ll join a passionate, creative, and supportive team who works hard while having fun. You will be supported, heard, and respected with the opportunity for professional development and engagement in campus life. You will be encouraged to bring new ideas to the table and will be considered a thought-partner in order to advance innovation and spread joy. If you are excited about this role, we want to hear from you!

For full consideration, submit applications including resume and cover letter by September 16, 2022.

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Advertised: Aug 19 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: