Director of Advancement Operations

Description

Eastern Illinois University invites applications for Director of Advancement Operations. This position, reporting directly to the Vice President for University Advancement (VPUA) and serving on the EIU Advancement leadership team, is responsible for strategic enablement and advancement operations. This role acts as an internal consultant and partner across the division, ensuring that systems, data, and processes are human-centered and designed to maximize the capacity of our organization and our people. The successful candidate will be a collaborative, innovative, detail-oriented and data-driven advancement professional who will establish new operational standards and participate in the creation of new fundraising strategies as we prepare to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign. This position will also serve as our key data, metrics, and analytics strategist and will play a key role in the management of our new CRM.

This position is responsible for the development and execution of organizational strategy and advancement procedures including, but not limited to, data integrity and translation, data-informed performance analytics and goal setting structures, systems to support campaigns and moves management, counting and reporting standards, and operational effectiveness. In collaboration with the VP and Advancement Leadership Team, this position also serves as the point person for people and culture work within advancement, including oversight of advancement onboarding and professional development initiatives.

Job Duties

• Develop, implement, and maintain advancement operational policies, procedures and resources, including process documentation, prospect management, fundraising and records management policies, job aids, strategic plans, proposal templates, resources for colleges and other stakeholders, and more
• In partnership with the Advancement Stewardship Committee and the Director of Strategic Communications, design and facilitate a gift acknowledgement ecosystem that ensures high-impact donor recognition
• Help establish and provide oversight for annual advancement goal setting, metrics and analysis, portfolio performance evaluation, fundraising campaigns, and centralized and unit-specific annual planning
• Center the individual contributor experience in the creation of new workflows and CRM features, ensuring that technology serves as a catalyst for performance and collaboration
• Serve as a proactive problem-solver who identifies operational bottlenecks and works collaboratively across the division to implement solutions that enhance organizational capacity
• Serve as lead advancement CRM manager and data strategist, overseeing our CRM, data requests and projects, data reporting and analysis, data utilization for actionable insights, CRM partner solutions, and the implementation of new CRM features and solutions
• Oversee the creation and implementation of advancement hiring, talent management, and professional development strategies
• Establish centralized systems focused on comprehensive advancement and campaign goal setting and tracking, strategic and innovative short- and long-term planning, and operational needs and best practices
• Provide budgetary and business operations oversight for all areas of advancement
• Supervise and support the Advancement Operations team

Beneifis Overview

 Eastern Illinois University is proud to offer an excellent benefits package designed to support our employees' well-being and career goals. This position is eligible for the following benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical Coverage: Competitive employee insurance premiums with flexible plan options.
• Vision Insurance: Vision coverage is included with medical at no cost.
• Dental Insurance: Dental plans available to meet your needs.
• Retirement Benefits: Participation in the State University Retirement System, which includes medical insurance benefits upon retirement.
• Tuition Waivers: Opportunities to pursue educational goals through tuition waivers for employees and dependent children.
• Generous Paid Time Off: Up to 12 paid holidays annually, plus earned vacation and sick time.

For more information on our employee benefit programs, please visit EIU Employee Benefits webpage.

The University and Community

Celebrating more than 130 years of excellence, Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a fully accredited, comprehensive regional residential institution located in Charleston, Illinois—ideally positioned between Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. The Unive