Director of Development Operations

Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc.•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

For over 90 years, the Apollo has been a global center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, New York City, and the world, known for discovering artists and launching movements. The organization is currently undergoing a historic "Culture in Motion" expansion, including a transformational renovation of its Historic Theater, set to reopen in Fall 2026 as a complete cultural campus with six distinct venues. The Apollo is a vibrant non-profit organization rooted in the Harlem community, committed to celebrating, creating, and presenting work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora, and serving as a catalyst for social and civic advocacy. It is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity. The Director of Development Operations is a newly created leadership role responsible for building and leading the operational infrastructure to support a high-performing development organization. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this position translates fundraising strategy and goals into disciplined execution through strong systems, data intelligence, financial rigor, and operational excellence. This entrepreneurial leader will design and implement processes, policies, technologies, and team structure for the Apollo 2.0 campaign and future fundraising growth, overseeing gift processing, donor relations, and prospect management. The role involves close partnership with the Chief Development Officer and fundraising leadership to drive forecasting, pipeline management, performance tracking, and cross-channel integration across various fundraising strategies. It is a highly collaborative, cross-functional leadership role for a strategic operator focused on analytics, process design, team leadership, and systems thinking, requiring a builder’s mindset, strong project management skills, and a commitment to sustainable philanthropic growth.

Requirements

Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in development operations, fundraising operations, gift processing, or advancement services.
At least 2–3 years of staff management experience, with demonstrated success leading teams and developing talent.
Demonstrated experience managing fundraising systems, donor databases (CRM), and operational processes that support revenue growth.
Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting fundraising performance metrics, financial data, and revenue forecasts.
Proficiency with CRM systems, financial systems/ERPs, reporting tools, and advanced Microsoft Excel; strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, balance competing deadlines, and drive projects to completion.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical, financial, and data concepts for fundraising and executive audiences.
Strong organizational and operational mindset with attention to both strategic priorities and operational detail.
Proven ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across departments and with distributed teams.
Demonstrated problem-solving skills, sound judgment, and a proactive, solutions-oriented approach.
Commitment to the organization’s mission, with the ability to quickly develop a strong understanding of its programs, strategic priorities, and fundraising goals.
Strong people leadership skills with the ability to coach, develop, and motivate high-performing teams.
Strategic thinker with a focus on continuous improvement, operational excellence, and data-informed decision making.
High level of initiative, curiosity, and a growth mindset.
Strong systems thinker with the ability to connect processes, people, technology, and outcomes.
Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
High degree of integrity and commitment to confidentiality and ethical data management practices.

Nice To Haves

Experience working closely with or within a Finance department, including contributed revenue reconciliation and audit support.
Experience supporting complex fundraising campaigns or multi-channel development programs.
Experience with business intelligence and data visualization tools.
Direct experience with platforms such as Raiser’s Edge or Raiser’s Edge NXT, or similar fundraising and financial systems.
Experience in a cultural institution, nonprofit, higher education, or similarly complex development environment.

Responsibilities

Lead and continuously improve the development operations infrastructure, including CRM/database management, gift processing, reporting, compliance, and operational workflows.
Establish best-in-class operational standards, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and accountability across the Development department.
Build, manage, and mentor a development operations team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
Manage the accurate and timely processing, recording, acknowledgment, and reconciliation of all philanthropic gifts.
Ensure adherence to organizational policies and donor stewardship standards for gift acknowledgment and reporting.
Partner closely with Finance to reconcile revenue, support audits, track restricted funds, and ensure accurate financial reporting.
Maintain compliance with donor restrictions, legal requirements, and nonprofit best practices.
Serve as the primary owner of the Development CRM, ensuring data integrity, security, usability, and consistent adoption.
Establish and set data governance standards, including data entry protocols, privacy practices, and ongoing data maintenance.
Coordinate with IT and vendors to implement new technologies and optimize system functionality.
Oversee donor segmentation, portfolio management, and prospect tracking in partnership with fundraising teams.
Develop and implement data analytics strategies to strengthen fundraising performance and decision-making.
Produce regular and ad-hoc reports on revenue, donor trends, campaign performance, and fundraising outcomes.
Build dashboards and performance metrics for senior leadership and Board reporting.
Provide actionable insights and forecasting analysis to support strategic planning.
Translate annual and multi-year fundraising goals into operational plans, performance tracking systems, and measurable benchmarks.
Lead monthly revenue forecasting, pipeline analysis, and variance tracking across all fundraising channels.
Identify risks to revenue goals and recommend proactive mitigation strategies.
Support development leadership with data-driven planning and resource allocation.
Build the operational infrastructure supporting Apollo Rising 2.0 campaign.
Align annual fundraising plans with campaign strategies and long-term development goals.
Ensure campaign reporting, stewardship fulfillment, and donor engagement processes are well coordinated.
Support prospect management and portfolio strategy to strengthen donor pipeline development.
Support donor relations through reporting, and tracking for communications and stewardship activities.
Develop reports and briefing materials for major donor cultivation and leadership engagement.
Partner with donor relations teams to ensure timely and meaningful stewardship reporting.
Strengthen operational support for donor engagement strategies across all giving levels.
Design and implement policies and procedures related to gift processing, data governance, and development operations.
Train and support Development staff on CRM usage, reporting tools, and operational best practices.
Lead process improvement initiatives that increase efficiency and allow fundraisers to focus on relationship building.
Establish performance metrics, portfolio standards, and reporting discipline across the development team.