Associate Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives (Development Operations Director, I)

RAND•Santa Monica, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

RAND has an exciting opportunity for a d evelopment professional who is looking to use their expertise in a highly collaborative and mission-driven organization. This position, Associate Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives , will contribute to the organization's fundraising objectives by strategically managing aspects related to philanthropic cohort engagement and associate d program ming . It will also have a dotted line to stewardship activities, including preparing endowments reports. Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives, this role will serve as a bridge between fundraising and operations, developing both external and internal relationships while providing strategic oversight of board meeting logistics , communications, and documentation. The successful candidate will advance key donor cohort relationships and contribute to achieving the department's philanthropic objectives through exceptional project management and stakeholder engagement.

Requirements

Previous experience in the fundraising or non-profit sector
Demonstrated event planning and project management experience that demonstrates attention to details, an ability to plan, organize and work on multiple projects
Demonstrated experience interacting with donors, advisors, and other key external stakeholders
Demonstrated experience analyzing data and providing data-backed recommendations
Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills with a proven track records of the ability to interact effectively and diplomatically with donors and staff  and collaboration effectively across varying stakeholders
Demonstrated problem-solving skills and decision making skills, ability to meet deadlines under general guidance and supervision in a dynamic and ever-changing environment, resourcefulness, curiosity, openness to learning and flexibility
Ability and eagerness to quickly learn new software and systems
Ability to work evenings and weekends for events
Ability to travel regularly, approximately 15-20 %
Bachelor's degree required.
A minimum of 1- 2 years of relevant experience required.

Nice To Haves

Experience using a CRM or donor database

Responsibilities

Assisting with project management for engagement activities with key donor cohorts, including philanthropic advisory boards, developing timelines and managing deliverables including invitations, research coordination, presentations, and print materials.
Supporting the coordination of comprehensive program materials, logistics , and leadership briefings to ensure seamless donor experiences and stakeholder preparedness.
Partner ing with the Executive Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives and Executive Managers to develop and maintain funding relationships by cultivating goodwill through a consistently positive, proactive, and accountable management relations process.
Assist ing with key communications and written materials to aid in Development's efforts , including support of impact reporting, such as managing the endowment reporting process in partnership with the Senior Director of Stewardship.
Facilitating the design and delivery of onboarding materials for new board members and internal staff supporting board operations.
Ass isting with m anaging and analyzing prospect and donor engagement data, preparing regular reports on key performance indicators, and recommending data-driven improvements to strategy.
In partner ship with Executive Managers, assisting in d evelop ing , documen t ing , and continuously improv ing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for donor cohort management, donor stewardship, and event logistics .
Supporting project - related work of Development Coordinators assisting in donor and cohort activities.
Supporting the maint enance and implementation of technology solutions to support board operations, donor management, and event planning, including applications such as Asana, Salesforce, Workday, and internal programs.
Collaborating with internal colleagues across the organization to effectively communicate the impact of philanthropic funding to donors and grantors while serving as a liaison for cross-divisional projects.