Development Operations Manager

Washington National Opera•Washington, DC

14h

About The Position

The Development Operations Manager leads the systems, data, and processes that support Washington National Opera's fundraising. Working closely with the Director of Development and directly managing the Development Operations Coordinator, the Manager ensures the Development team has the infrastructure to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and meet and grow annual fundraising goals. The Manager serves as the Development team's subject matter expert for Tessitura, supporting its implementation and leading staff adoption to ensure the system is used consistently and efficiently. The role owns donor pipeline management systems and oversees data quality, reporting, moves management, gift processing, donor records, and the department's day-to-day administrative operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
4–6 years of experience in development operations, advancement services, or fundraising.
Advanced, hands-on Tessitura experience.
Experience leading or supporting a CRM implementation, migration, or major system change.
Ability to build reports, queries, and dashboards and translate data into clear recommendations.
Working knowledge of moves management, portfolio management, and pipeline reporting best practices.
Knowledge of gift processing, gift accounting, and IRS acknowledgment requirements.
Strong training and communication skills, including the ability to explain technical systems to non-technical colleagues.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and project management software and tools.
Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and lead as part of a team.
Clear understanding of Washington National Opera's mission.
Ability to manage relationships and personality types among internal staff and external constituents.
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed for donor events, performances, and meetings.

Nice To Haves

At least 1–3 years of supervisory experience.
Experience in a nonprofit or performing arts setting.
Knowledge of opera.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Development team's subject matter expert and primary point of contact for Tessitura.
Assist with the Development team's role in Tessitura implementation.
Partner with Tessitura administrators, IT, Ticketing, Marketing, and Finance to align system configuration, shared data standards, and cross-departmental workflows.
Establish and document data-entry standards, naming conventions, coding structures, and constituent record policies.
Design and deliver Tessitura training, create user guides, and onboard new team members.
Conduct data audits and hygiene projects, including duplicate merges, address updates, and record corrections.
Build and maintain lists, extractions, queries, and standard reports, and identify opportunities to automate recurring work.
Own systems and processes for tracking prospects and donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Maintain portfolio assignments, plans, steps, and contact reports in Tessitura, and promote timely, accurate data entry.
Produce pipeline, portfolio, and revenue reports and dashboards, including projections against annual goals.
Monitor donor retention, acquisition, upgrades, lapsed donors, and pipeline value, and flag trends and gaps.
Lead regular pipeline review meetings with gift officers and support moves management strategy.
Oversee prospect research and wealth-screening processes to identify and qualify new donors.
Track and report on donor cultivation events, campaigns, and stewardship activities to measure their impact on giving.
Supervise, train, and mentor the Development Operations Coordinator, set priorities, and support professional growth.
Oversee gift processing, acknowledgments, and donor recognition to ensure accuracy and timeliness.
Partner with Finance on monthly gift reconciliation and year-end reporting.
Ensure compliance with gift acceptance policies, donor privacy standards, and IRS acknowledgment requirements.
Oversee processes for donor ticket requests, performance seat book list pulls, and donor briefings.
Manage Development department operating budget tracking, purchase orders, invoices, and reimbursements.
Evaluate and improve team processes and workflows, documenting procedures and best practices.