Director Development Operations

Philadelphia Ballet•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Director of Development Operations builds and optimizes a comprehensive prospect development and research program to drive sustainable philanthropic growth and serve as the operational engine for the Development function. The role oversees prospect research and analysis, fundraising tracking and reporting, quarterly impact reporting, and pipeline performance analysis. The Director strengthens development systems, workflows, data practices, gift processing, donor stewardship, and recognition operations. This role maintains the integrity of the donor CRM, produces fundraising reports and dashboards for organizational leadership and the Board, and partners with Finance to integrate fundraising and payment-processing technology. The Director also leads Development Operations staff, supports fundraisers and program teams with data-informed planning, and represents Development Operations in cross-departmental planning across Philadelphia Ballet.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant work experience.
At least 8 years of experience in development operations or CRM administration.
At least 2 years of direct experience leading a team or department.
Demonstrated experience supporting grant-funded programs and partnering with Finance on gift processing and reconciliation.
Deep working knowledge of donor CRM systems such as Tessitura, Salesforce, or Raiser's Edge, and online giving platforms.
Experience managing or supervising a team.
Strong analytical and systems-oriented mindset, including comfort evaluating and implementing fundraising technology.
Excellent cross-functional communication skills and ability to work with program leadership, fundraisers, and Finance.
Demonstrated ability to coach and develop staff.
Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships in a diverse and multicultural environment.
Commitment to maintaining a safe, respectful, and professional environment in accordance with organizational policies.
Must provide satisfactory background checks and child abuse clearances as may be required for the role.

Nice To Haves

Experience in nonprofit performing arts.

Responsibilities

Assess and strengthen development systems, workflows, and data practices to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and alignment across teams.
Lead and develop prospect development and research staff, foster accountability and innovation, and provide data-informed recommendations to leadership to guide fundraising strategy.
Support program and department staff teams in setting measurable goals, gathering appropriate data, and preparing reports; serve as a connection to Finance on budget or restricted-fund questions.
Oversee gift processing to ensure gifts are entered, acknowledged, and receipted accurately and on time, in coordination with Finance.
Maintain donor CRM/database integrity, including data governance standards and user protocols.
Build and manage stewardship and donor recognition workflows, including acknowledgments, gift agreements, impact updates, and recognition programs.
Produce accurate, timely fundraising reports and dashboards for organizational leadership and the Board, including pipeline and portfolio reporting.
Support prospect research and management by working with fundraisers to identify and qualify prospects and maintain current portfolios and pipelines in Tessitura.
Supervise Development Operations staff, providing coaching, workflow oversight, professional development, and portfolio management support.
Partner with Finance to integrate Tessitura, Donate2 online giving, and payment-processing systems into a cohesive fundraising technology stack.
Monitor sector trends and recommend tools or processes that increase efficiency and giving capacity.
Represent Development Operations in cross-departmental planning across Philadelphia Ballet functional areas.
Perform other duties as required.