Director of Advancement Services
About The Position
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is a multidenominational, evangelical graduate school committed to equipping Christian leaders to think theologically, engage globally, and live biblically. With nearly 1,400 students across campuses in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, and online, Gordon-Conwell’s student body represents more than eighty-five denominations and fifty countries. The seminary offers master’s and doctoral programs—delivered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese—that combine academic excellence, spiritual formation, and a deep commitment to Scripture. Its 12,000 alumni serve Christ through ministry in the church, the academy, and the workplace. Gordon-Conwell is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, the New England Commission of Higher Education, and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Position Summary: Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, the Director provides strategic leadership for all development data systems, reporting, gift processing, and prospect research functions. Ensures data integrity, drives analytics that inform fundraising strategy, and builds a strong major donor pipeline in support of organizational revenue goals.
Requirements
- Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple and competing priorities in short-term and long-term objectives.
- Knowledge and Discernment: Must possess high ethical standards and use excellent discretion with confidential donor information. Must maintain high standard of professionalism and confidentiality.
- Cultural Intelligence: Commitment to collegiality, diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness. Demonstrated ability to collaborate and serve in a team environment that requires collegiality and regular collaboration across matrixed, multi-campus environment.
- Christian Higher Education: Must have familiarity with and experience working within the context of Christian higher education, preferably in graduate theological education. Must possess commitment to the mission, vision, and values of the Seminary.
- Communication and Interpersonal Effectiveness: Must have strong written and verbal communication skills. Must have the ability communicate complex data insights clearly to non-technical staff
- Technical Knowledge: Must have expert knowledge of CRM systems (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, DonorPerfect, Bloomerang, etc.), advanced Excel/Sheets and reporting skills (pivot tables, formulas, dashboards), and Experience with wealth screening or research tools (iWave, DonorSearch, ResearchPoint, etc.)
- Clear understanding of the mission of the Seminary and willingness to abide by the Statement of Faith and Community Life Statement of GCTS.
- Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred.
- 5–8+ years of experience in development operations, prospect research, donor analytics, or advancement services.
Nice To Haves
- Supervisory experience and knowledge of nonprofit accounting/gift processing preferred.
Responsibilities
- Advancement Services Leadership
- Oversee all donor database operations, gift processing workflows, and data hygiene standards
- Develop and enforce policies related to data entry, reporting, documentation, and donor privacy compliance
- Supervise or coordinate staff and vendors responsible for Blackbaud Raider’s Edge CRM, gift processing, or wealth screening tools
- Train development staff on CRM use, reporting, and donor segmentation best practices
- CRM Management & Data Integrity
- Ensure system accuracy for all donor and prospect records
- Oversee gift entry, coding, soft crediting, pledges, recurring gifts, and financial reconciliation with accounting
- Optimize CRM capabilities, workflows, and integrations with digital tools, giving pages, wealth screening platforms, etc.
- Analytics & Reporting
- Design dashboards and performance metrics for fundraising leadership, board reports, and campaign analysis
- Produce monthly and quarterly analytics (retention, LYBUNT/SYBUNT, new donor acquisition, major gift pipeline health)
- Provide data modeling and forecasting to support annual revenue planning
- Prospect Research Strategy
- Develop and manage a systematic prospect research program
- Conduct wealth screening, capacity ratings, philanthropic history research, and predictive modeling
- Assign qualified prospects to gift officers and senior leadership
- Build detailed research briefs for donor visits, campaign solicitations, and major events
- Pipeline & Portfolio Management
- Track movement through donor pipelines and ensure follow-up workflows are functioning
- Monitor metrics such as outreach activity, solicitations, and stewardship for major donor portfolios
- Identify upgrade opportunities for annual donors ready for major gift cultivation
- Cross-Department Collaboration
- Partner with Major Gifts, Annual Giving, Marketing, and Finance on campaigns, appeals, and reporting
- Provide data-driven recommendations to guide strategy and resource allocation
- Present analytics to leadership when needed
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
