Director of Advancement Operations

Universities of Wisconsin • Kenosha, WI

2d

About The Position

Provides operational leadership for University philanthropy processes and the University Foundation. Working closely with the Vice Chancellor for Advancement, university leadership, Foundation Board of Directors, and campus partners, this position ensures the effective administration of charitable giving, financial stewardship, donor information systems, compliance, and Foundation operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• 3-5 years of leadership experience in nonprofit, business operations, higher education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff and building high-performing teams.
• Experience working with governing boards, finance committees, or executive leadership.
• Knowledge of nonprofit accounting principles, fund accounting, and charitable gift administration.
• Experience with financial management systems, donor databases, and enterprise software.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This organization will not sponsor employment visas for this position now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• MBA, Certificate of not-for-profit leadership, or other relevant professional certification.
• Experience working within a university foundation or institution of higher education.
• Familiarity with endowment management and investment reporting.
• Experience supporting fundraising operations and advancement services.

Responsibilities

• Provide management to the development team, conducting regular one-on-one meetings, supporting professional development, monitoring performance metrics outlined in foundation development plan.
• Oversee gift processing, deposits, acknowledgements, estate gift administration, complex gift acceptance and donor fund administration.
• Coordinate annual audits and serve as liaison for financial reporting and audit activities.
• Liaison with accounting partners on monthly fund reconciliations and financial reporting through Foundation financial systems.
• Coordinate investment reporting and serve as liaison with investment managers and financial partners.
• Oversee IRS Form 990 preparation, state charitable reporting, and other regulatory requirements.
• Administer Foundation budgets, financial reviews, and annual operational planning.
• Coordinate UW System Foundation agreements, reporting, and institutional requests.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, fund compliance, and financial record integrity.
• Scholarship administration, including annual scholarship fund allocation.
• Develop stewardship, impact, and program outcome reporting for donors and Foundation leadership.
• Serve as administrator for the Foundation's Raiser's Edge database and related advancement technologies.
• Establish and maintain standards for data governance, quality assurance, and database integrity.
• Maintain constituent records, donor histories, board records, and alumni information.
• Provide reporting, analytics, mailing lists, and data support for fundraising, communications, events, and university initiatives.
• Coordinate data imports, exports, system integrations, and database maintenance.
• Conduct wealth screening research and prepare prospect reports and analytical dashboards.
• Analyze fundraising activity and constituent engagement metrics to support strategic fundraising decisions.
• Develops and monitors unit budget and approves unit expenditures
• Identifies, promotes, and maintains external partnerships
• 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
• Directs strategic planning initiatives and establishes unit objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources and alignment with the strategic plan
• Delivers directed program messaging to internal and external audiences
• 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

Benefits

• The Universities of Wisconsin serve approximately 161,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the Universities of Wisconsin is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state Universities of Wisconsin graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree – with a median salary of more than $66,000. The Universities of Wisconsin provides a 23:1 return on state investment. The Universities of Wisconsin also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy. The Universities of Wisconsin and its employees are purpose-driven, people-focused, and committed to stewardship.

What This Job Offers

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