Gift and Data Integrity Senior Specialist

Company Description

Augsburg University has maintained a strong academic reputation defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies since 1869. A welcoming campus in the heart of Minneapolis, Augsburg offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to nearly 3,200 diverse students.

Augsburg’s mission is to educate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

Augsburg invites individuals who share our mission and commitment to intentional diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to join our community.  In particular, Augsburg invites BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, individuals with disabilities, women, veterans and those from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

Job Description

Summary of Position

The Gift and Data Integrity Senior Specialist plays a critical role in advancing Augsburg University's fundraising goals by ensuring the integrity, security, and strategic use of the institutional advancement database. As a key member of the Advancement Services team, this position oversees the end-to-end gift processing lifecycle, ensuring complex donations are accurately recorded in compliance with legal, IRS, and CASE standards. In addition to managing daily gift operations, the Senior Specialist partners with leadership to leverage statistical analysis for predictive annual giving reports, supports the implementation and onboarding of AI and automation tools, and serves as a technical resource and educator across the division. 

Primary Responsibilities

 Data Architecture, Gift Processing & Compliance 

• Records: Conceptualize, structure, and govern fund, gift, and donor records. Exercise a high level of independent judgment and absolute discretion when managing sensitive constituent profiles, high-net-worth donor information, and complex philanthropic intents.
• High-Level Gift Management: Accurately audit and record all donations into the university’s fundraising database (Raiser’s Edge), ensuring complex split-fund, recurring gifts, stock transfers, and pledges are captured.
• Complex Ledger Maintenance: Manage recurring gift programs, structural pledge reminders, and track nuanced administrative details regarding Augsburg-owned insurance policies.
• Compliance & Receipting: Interpret and apply IRS regulations, CASE guidelines, and institutional policies to generate legally compliant tax receipts and design strategic donor acknowledgment frameworks.
• Information Governance: Formulate and maintain strict documentation standards for transactions and gift agreements. Serve as the primary authority on data integrity, providing intellectual oversight, policy training, and quality control supervision over tasks executed by auxiliary staff and student workers. 

Gift Analytics & Statistical Analysis 

• Predictive Reporting Infrastructure: Partner collaboratively with the Director of Advancement Services and the Giving team to conceptualize, design, and build out a suite of data-driven reports. Then execute those reports on a regular schedule. Review and refresh reports annually to support the evolution of the fundraising strategy. Some reports will be spearheaded by the Gift and Data Integrity Senior Specialist and for other reports they will participate in data hygiene. 
• Statistical Insights: Utilize data models to track alumni giving trends, donor retention behaviors to directly inform fundraising strategies.
• Data Hygiene Auditing: Autonomously build and deploy complex queries and data exports to conduct gift data health audits, maintaining supreme data hygiene and compliance. 

Systems Innovation & Emerging Technology Implementation

• Systems Optimization & Automation Design: Research, engineer, and deploy advanced workflow automations to maximize operational efficiency, reduce manual friction, and scale gift-entry paradigms.
• AI Tool Integration: Participate in exploration, onboarding, deployment, testing and use of emerging technical integrations, such as the Blackbaud Development Agent.
• Cross-Functional Support: Provide advanced technical insight to campus partners and Institutional Advancement teams (Major Gifts, Annual Giving, Alumni Relations) to support coordinated, multi-channel fundraising campaigns and high-stakes events.

Technical Training & Collaborative Leadership

• Internal Teaching & Onboarding: Design training workflows and lead educational sessions to