Senior / Executive Director of Development Operations

Iowa State University - Ames, IA

Full-time - Senior

Ames, IA

Educational Services

About the position

The Senior/Executive Director of Development Operations at Iowa State University Foundation is a leadership role focused on overseeing development operations, ensuring strategic goals and metrics are met. This position acts as a liaison between the chief development officer and various stakeholders, managing both day-to-day operations and long-term initiatives. The director will be responsible for project management, budget oversight, and performance reporting, while also supporting the development leadership team in achieving organizational objectives.

Responsibilities

• Act as project manager to ensure major initiatives remain on track and goals are achieved.
• Serve as a member of the development leadership team and provide leadership in the absence of the chief development officer.
• Collaborate with other development unit leads to make decisions regarding operational activity and strategic goals.
• Identify meetings to attend on behalf of the chief development officer and facilitate completion of action items.
• Measure and report on key performance metrics of the development team, developing dashboards and reports.
• Support the chief development officer in creating presentation materials and maintain post-meeting debriefs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree; advanced degree or professional certification preferred.
• 7+ years of professional experience related to employment area.
• Experience in project management required.
• Fundraising experience is strongly preferred.

Nice-to-haves

• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated written and oral communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to collect and analyze data and produce reports and recommendations.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM systems (Ascend on Salesforce preferred).
• Knowledge of university system and/or non-profits preferred.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• Professional development opportunities