Development Operations Manager (Emily Dickinson)

Amherst College•Amherst, NY

About The Position

Amherst College and the Emily Dickinson Museum seek a Development Operations Manager to join a collaborative three-person development team. This full-time, year-round role supports donor appreciation and fundraising growth by optimizing the Museum’s data-management and administrative functions. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, the manager oversees the constituent database, develops reporting tools and models to inform fundraising strategy, manages gift processing and acknowledgments, and generates targeted lists for appeals, events, and stewardship communications. The role also coordinates grant administration, researches grant-making organizations, manages wealth screenings for individual prospects, and helps plan and produce donor programs and stewardship events. The Emily Dickinson Museum comprises two historic houses in Amherst, Massachusetts, associated with Emily Dickinson and her family. The Museum welcomes approximately 15,000 visitors annually, alongside virtual and in-person program participants and students, and stewards a collection of 10,000 Dickinson family objects. Its mission is to spark the imagination by amplifying Emily Dickinson’s revolutionary poetic voice from the place she called home. The Museum currently uses Veevart, a Salesforce-based CRM platform. The expected salary range is $60,000–$65,000 per year. Amherst College offers a comprehensive benefits package. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
At least 3–5+ years of experience in development operations or nonprofit administration.
At least 2–3+ years of experience working within a fundraising team.
Demonstrated proficiency in database administration and reporting.
Strong proficiency with spreadsheets, including Excel and Google Sheets.
Keen attention to detail and excellent organizational and time-management skills.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Knowledge of fundraising best practices, the donor lifecycle, and campaigns.
High degree of discretion and adherence to confidentiality and data-privacy policies concerning donor records and personal financial information.
Ability to work collaboratively and positively on a mission-driven team.
Commitment to an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful workplace.
Sincere interest in the arts and humanities, museums, history, and Emily Dickinson’s life and legacy.
Successful completion of required reference and background checks, including an acceptable CORI check.
Passion for the mission of the Emily Dickinson Museum.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with Salesforce and/or Workday.
Interest in current demographic and economic trends affecting charitable giving.
Experience with event planning and management.
Facility with presenting data and financial information and with data visualization.

Responsibilities

Oversee the management and maintenance of the CRM, currently Veevart, and serve as its primary system administrator.
Manage vendor relationships for development platforms, including KindSight (iWave).
Develop and deliver reports, dashboards, and analysis for fundraising strategy, prospect segmentation, donor stewardship, portfolio management, and progress tracking.
Maintain data integrity through quality-control activities, constituent-record updates, gift-accounting and crediting monitoring, and workflow audits.
Build and maintain integrations between the CRM and third-party platforms as needed, such as wealth screening, email marketing, and event platforms.
Monitor new and increased gifts, program and event participants, and responses to appeals and invitations to identify prospects for further cultivation and stewardship.
Process and record individual gifts and government and foundation grants; oversee timely and accurate gift and tax receipts, acknowledgments, and pledge reminders.
Monitor the development team’s general email account and respond to donor and prospect inquiries about invitations, appeals, gifts, and pledges.
Manage and improve gift administration and donor-recognition systems for donor-centered communications and impact reporting.
Ensure monthly, quarterly, and annual gift reporting and tracking is accurate and complete; reconcile monthly and annual gift and fundraising records with Amherst College’s Controller’s Office.
Collaborate with development colleagues on operational planning, prioritization, and departmental initiatives.
Prepare, upload, and review data files for wealth screening and prospect research.
Help research grant-funding opportunities; maintain the annual grants calendar and track application submissions and reporting.
Prepare donor briefings, prospect profiles, and research summaries on individuals and grant-making organizations to support cultivation, solicitation, events, communications, and donor visits.
Provide planning and logistical support for donor programs, stewardship events, board meetings, and volunteer activities; coordinate invitations, RSVPs, guest lists, and logistics.
Collaborate with staff, consultants, vendors, and external partners on fundraising operations and organizational initiatives.