MANAGING DIRECTOR, PM & MI, Advancement

Boston University•Boston, MA

10d

About The Position

Boston University Advancement is at a pivotal moment, guided by new leadership and a clear strategic framework for growth and impact. Our work is organized around three core priorities: securing $500 million in philanthropic annually; deepening relationships with a strategically defined segment of alumni and donors; and strengthening the organizational foundation while launching focused priority areas across the University. Advancement is evolving into a highly collaborative, matrixed model that integrates new University leadership, regional engagement, and the distinctive strengths of BUs schools and colleges. With more than 250 advancement professionals, the organization is building the capacity, partnerships, and culture required to deliver sustained philanthropic momentum and institutional impact. Managing Director, Program Management & Marketing Insights Boston University Advancement seeks a strategic and collaborative Managing Director of Program Management & Marketing Insights to establish and lead a centralized Program Management Office (PMO) and Marketing Insights function within Alumni Relations & Communications and Engagement (ARCE). This role will strengthen and scale alumni engagement by transforming how Advancement prioritizes, manages, and evaluates programs and projects. The Managing Director will bring clarity, consistency, and discipline to how work is selected and executed ensuring efforts reflect institutional priorities, support the Presidents vision, and maximize return on investment. The PMO will support and elevate project management already happening throughout Advancement. Rather than acting as a gatekeeper, it will provide structure, visibility, and tools that help teams move work forward more effectively. In parallel, the Managing Director will build a Marketing Insights function that translates data into actionable strategies for engagement. This team will complement the Business Intelligence team (BIPS) by focusing on interpretation and application of datanot duplicating reporting or infrastructure work. Together, these functions will position ARCE to operate at scale in support of a forthcoming $3B comprehensive campaign, with alumni engagement at the center.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of experience in program management, marketing operations, analytics, alumni relations, or a related field.
Experience building or leading a PMO or similar function.
Demonstrated ability to translate data into actionable strategy.
Experience leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed organization.
Strong process design skills with a focus on usability and adoption.
Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Familiarity with project management tools, CRM systems, and analytics platforms.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education, nonprofit, or advancement environments.
Knowledge of alumni engagement strategies, donor communications, and fundraising campaigns.
Experience working with business intelligence or analytics teams.

Responsibilities

Establish and lead a PMO that strengthens and standardizes project management practices while supporting team flexibility and autonomy.
Design clear, user-centered processes for: Intake of requests from Advancement colleagues. Documentation of self-initiated ARCE work. Project scoping, prioritization, and approval.
Introduce and implement a project management platform of record to support consistent intake, planning, execution, and tracking of work.
Provide transparency into project pipelines, timelines, and capacity to support better decision-making.
Develop frameworks for assigning staff and project managers based on expertise, workload, and priorities.
Define and manage project portfolios to balance effort, improve visibility, and focus on high-impact alumni engagement work.
Guide the flow of work through ARCE to improve coordination, speed, and accountability.
Partner with stakeholders to review and approve creative concepts and deliverables, maintaining quality and consistency in alumni-facing work.
Serve as a strategic partner to the University's central marketing and brand teams within External Affairs, ensuring Advancements engagement strategies and marketing insights align with institutional priorities, audience strategy, brand stewardship, and enterprise-wide communications efforts.
Help determine how staff and resources are aligned to key priorities, including school- and unit-based engagement strategies.
Refine project green light decisions to focus time and resources on the highest-value opportunities.
Implement practical methods to evaluate return on investment, including staff effort and budget.
Position ARCE to support campaign-scale activity, with strong, coordinated alumni engagement at its core.
Build and lead a Marketing Insights team focused on applying data to improve alumni engagement and marketing outcomes.
Partner closely with BIPS, with clear roles: BIPS provides data and reporting; Marketing Insights translates findings into strategy.
Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for engagement, communications, campaigns, and events.
Synthesize data to inform segmentation, targeting, and messaging decisions.
Oversee access to and organization of: Engagement and performance data o Survey results and audience research. Third-party benchmarking and market insight.
Equip teams with insights that support stronger connections with alumni, as well as parents, friends, and donors.
Partner closely with Advancement Marketing & Communications, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving, and Strategic Events.
Support coordinated planning and execution of campaigns, programs, and alumni experiences.
Promote shared ownership of outcomes and a consistent, high-quality experience for alumni.
Partner with team members to evaluate and select a project management platform of record for Advancement.
Streamline operations by reducing redundancy, simplifying workflows, and standardizing tools and processes.
Increase visibility into project pipelines, status, and outcomes to support transparency and decision-making.
Improve access to timely, integrated data to inform decisions.
Encourage effective use of systems to increase efficiency and impact.
Build and lead a high-performing team spanning program management and marketing insights.
Foster a collaborative, service-oriented culture grounded in partnership and shared goals.
Promote a learning organization mindset, encouraging testing, measurement, and continuous improvement.
Lead change management efforts to support new processes, tools, and ways of working.