UW-Eau Claire Foundation: Chief Operating Officer

Universities of Wisconsin • Eau Claire, WI

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) provides strategic and operational leadership for core functions that enable fundraising success, donor stewardship, and organizational effectiveness. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the COO ensures alignment between strategy and execution across the Foundation. The COO oversees prospect research and management, data and database administration, and fundraising reporting and analytics, while also providing strategic oversight of affiliated enterprise functions, including Blugold Real Estate. Serving as a trusted advisor to the President, the COO translates vision into action through data-informed decision-making, operational excellence, and the development of systems, talent, and processes that support sustainable growth and donor confidence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required, degree in business administration, management, or a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated progressively responsible leadership in operations, administration, or a related field
• Strong background in data management, analytics, and systems oversight.
• Experience managing complex real estate partnerships or affiliated entities preferred.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to operationalize complex initiatives.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments, including university leadership, municipal partners, and boards.
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience leading and developing multi-functional teams.
• Proven ability to execute strategy across an organization.
• Proficiency with CRM systems (e.g., Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge or similar).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate across diverse stakeholders.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and commitment to the Foundation’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the President and executive leadership team on operational, financial, and enterprise-wide initiatives.
• Act as a primary liaison to the President, ensuring alignment of priorities, communication, and execution across functions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams across research, data, and analytics.
• Establish and monitor performance metrics aligned with strategic goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Provide strategic and operational oversight of affiliated entities, including Blugold Real Estate.
• Serve as the Foundation’s primary liaison to Blugold Real Estate and related boards.
• Oversee real estate activities, including property management, development initiatives, partnerships, and investments.
• Partner with external vendors, legal counsel, and university leadership to ensure strong governance, compliance, and performance.
• Monitor financial performance, risk, and long-term sustainability of real estate assets.
• Evaluate and support execution of real estate opportunities aligned with institutional priorities.
• Oversee prospect research, portfolio management, and donor pipeline development.
• Ensure accurate tracking and reporting of donor and prospect activity to support fundraising strategy.
• Provide strategic oversight of the Foundation’s CRM/database (e.g., Raiser’s Edge), ensuring data integrity, security, and accessibility.
• Establish and enforce data governance policies and compliance standards.
• Partner with IT and internal stakeholders to implement technology solutions that enhance efficiency and engagement.
• Lead development of reports and dashboards to monitor fundraising performance and donor trends.
• Deliver actionable insights to inform leadership, development staff, and university partners.
• Oversee quarterly and annual reporting of development activity against goals.
• Coordinate reporting to the Foundation Board, auditors, and institutional stakeholders.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets and resource allocation.
• Establish and maintain operational policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Identify opportunities for efficiency, scalability, and continuous improvement.
• Support strategic planning, campaign readiness, and organizational alignment.
• Serves as the unit liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups providing organizational information on university business-relations issues, opportunities, and activities, and representing the interests of the unit
• Directs strategic planning initiatives and establishes unit objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources and alignment with the strategic plan
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Develops and monitors unit budget and approves unit expenditures
• Delivers directed program messaging to internal and external audiences
• Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager