Data Services Manager

New England Aquarium•Boston, MA

57d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Data Services, is a member of the New England Aquarium's (NEAq) IT Department and will oversee the transition of the team's fundraising database (Raiser's Edge NXT) as it is implemented across the organization to become the organization's CRM. The position will be responsible for administering the application, ensuring data integrity, integration with other systems and delivering reporting and analysis. Additionally, they will oversee the development and implementation of standard operating procedures related to NXT, supporting the organization's fundraising, constituent engagement, and communications goals. This role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, working closely with colleagues across departments to ensure smooth coordination, shared problem-solving, and alignment on organizational priorities. This is a full-time regular position offering a comprehensive benefits package. The schedule will be Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm with the option for a hybrid schedule, working some days on-site and some days remotely. Remote days are only available for residents of MA, RI, NH, ME, NY and VT.

Requirements

A Bachelor's Degree required, preferably with a focus in Information Technology or a related field.
Five years of experience, including a minimum of three years' experience managing Raiser's Edge for an organization, Demonstrated proficiency using data querying tools with large data sets required; candidates should be able to use data analysis to troubleshoot issues as well as identify trends and provide actionable business intelligence.
Experience troubleshooting applications and providing end-user support.
Project Management Experience.
Experience managing vendor relationships.
Strong writing skills.
Strong analytical, communication, and collaboration skills.
Excellent understanding of non-profit fundraising processes, including donor management, gift processing, membership, stewardship, and reporting.
In-depth knowledge of database management principles, including governance, dashboards, data quality assurance, and data security, best practices.
Understanding of best practices in granting access to sensitive donor information, and familiarity configuring access levels preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience creating and documenting standard operating procedures and providing training to staff preferred.
Experience with Omatic's tools available with Raiser's Edge preferred.
Familiarity with payment processors such as Blackbaud Merchant Services preferred.
Experience with Luminate Online or similar online database, including HTML, CSS skills a plus.
Experience with RE NXT standard reports, Insight Designer, and Microsoft's Power Platform (Power Automate, Power BI) is preferred.
Familiarity with the inner workings of Aquariums, Zoos, Museums or other similar cultural institutions preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as primary system administrator and product owner of Raiser's Edge NXT (Customer Relationship Management Application)
Oversee the integration of Raiser's Edge NXT with key organizational applications-including ACME, Luminate Online, and Dexibit-through API management and synchronization processes (ImportOmatic), ensuring NXT functions as the organization's primary Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
Collaborate with all NEAq teams to ensure data is being captured in the new platform to drive strategy and ensure donor, prospect, and membership activity is accurate, up to date and consistent between RE NXT, ACME, and additional systems.
Responsible for system administration of NXT, including management of accounts, security permissions, pricing, donor prospecting, system documentation, training, troubleshooting, and reporting APIs upgrades
Establish and oversee data governance policies and procedures to ensure the accurate collection, entry, and maintenance of data. Governance practices should comply with all applicable laws and regulations and align with best practices in the non-profit industry.
Maintain relationships with Blackbaud and other vendors to support the product, implement enhancements, and manage feature upgrade projects.
Work with internal departments and individuals to troubleshoot issues.
Analyze data, generate necessary reports and dashboards for stakeholders. Use data to drive strategy, aligning outcomes with Development, constituent, and organizational objectives.
Create and maintain documentation, knowledge bases, and training materials.
Create documentation including training materials for stakeholders; Train new staff that use the system. Assess current and future training needs by engaging with end users and compiling feedback to improve the configuration of RE NXT, Luminate Online and related platforms.
Promote a data-driven culture across the organization by encouraging the strategic use of data in decision-making and operations. Coordinate with external vendors (e.g., Blackbaud, DNL OmniMedia, ACME, Omatic) to troubleshoot issues, perform NXT and Luminate Online maintenance/upgrades, and implement strategic enhancements to identify strategic opportunities and optimize system capabilities.
Work closely with the AVP, IT, the Director, Development Operations and the IT Systems Analyst to design, test, deploy, run and analyze reports and create dashboards.
Manage queries and list pulls for direct mail, online fundraising, events and communications.
Prepare visual presentations of data for leadership and other organizational stakeholders and ensure that data being reported is accurate and up to date.
Conduct research and prepare for presentation using dashboards and visually dynamic reporting tools.
Provide data for development of KPI's and metrics for the Development team.
Coordinate with the Donor Engagement Team to capture data efficiently and provide analysis and reporting.
Partner with Marketing and Communications to align data strategies within NXT and Luminate Online with email marketing and engagement objectives.
Manage, optimize, and troubleshoot data imports and exports between ACME and Raiser's Edge NXT using ImportOmatic, ensuring data integrity and seamless integration.
Partner with the Financial Planning and Analysis team to interpret data trends and contribute to data-informed forecasting and budgeting efforts.
Work closely with the Development Operations on donation processing, data collection, membership processing, and acknowledgements workflows in order to advise on best practices to create effective data sharing and centralization on NXT.
Provide reporting and/or analysis as requested by the Finance division on reconciliations and transaction processing.