Director, Advancement Technology

JOB PURPOSE

The Director of Advancement Technology serves as a strategic and mission-centric technology partner to Advancement, guiding the design, implementation, and stewardship of systems that support fundraising, engagement, and donor relations. The role operates in a highly collaborative and relationship-driven environment, requiring a leader who works effectively across teams, builds trust with users and stakeholders, and champions scalable and sustainable solutions and shared services that strengthen operational effectiveness, user experience, and data integrity. The Director proactively ensures that the Advancement technology ecosystem remains reliable, scalable, and aligned with divisional goals, while fostering a culture of service, continuous learning, and accountability.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Reporting to the Executive Director of Advancement Services, the Director works independently and collaboratively to design, build, and implement Advancement technology-based solutions and shared services. The Director proactively performs the following essential duties and responsibilities:

Technology Ecosystem Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for the Advancement technology environment, ensuring Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, OnBase, Gearset, OwnData, and integrated platforms operate reliably and support Advancement’s operational goals.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and vendor enhancements for alignment with divisional strategy, data integrity standards, and long-term scalability.
• Maintain an inventory of Advancement technologies and monitor contract terms and budgetary impacts.

Release, Deployment, and Quality Assurance Governance

• Oversee release management for all Advancement systems, including impact assessment, coordination of user acceptance testing, and communication of changes to stakeholders.
• Manage deployment and change control processes using Gearset or similar tools, ensuring all updates follow structured QA practices and are documented for reproducibility.
• Maintain a sustainable sandbox, regression testing, and data integrity strategy across systems.

System Administration, Configuration, and User Support

• Administer, configure, and document Advancement systems, including data structures, workflows, integrations, permissions, and authentication.
• Monitor system performance and coordinate issue resolution with vendors and campus ITS.
• Provide user support and troubleshoot complex system issues, ensuring timely and accurate resolution.
• Oversee technology onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring appropriate system access, documentation, and training in coordination with campus ITS.

Incident Response, Continuity Planning, and System Reliability

• Lead incident response and system continuity processes, including triage, escalation, coordination with vendors and ITS, communication to stakeholders, and documentation.
• Analyze incident resolutions to reduce repetition of issues and refine mitigation strategies.
• Maintain and refine emergency and continuity protocols to ensure readiness and consistent execution.

Project Management and Business Analysis

• Create, lead, test, and implement multi-phase technology projects and end-to-end implementation plans from initiation through deployment, including discovery, scope definition, requirements gathering, timelines, documentation, testing, deployment, and communication to various users and levels of stakeholders.
• Analyze business processes and user needs to design effective technology solutions and recommend improvements to workflows and system change management practices.
• Develop and maintain project, change management, and system process documentation such as charters, requirements, user stories, decision logs, and testing plans, among others.
• Assist project sponsors in identifying budget, scope, requirements, and constraints that would inform and/or impact project completion, working collaboratively with the College’s ITS Technology Solutions Group and other stakeholders as assigned.

Training, Documentation, and User Adoption

• In partnership with Advancement Services staff, develop and deliver training, documentation, knowledge resources, and communication materials to support effective adoption of Advancement systems and related updates.
• Promote user self-sufficiency through clear documentation, training guides, and best-practice recommendations.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervise and mentor the Advancement Technology Systems Analyst and support additional temporary or contract staff as needed:
• Must complete the bi-annual AB 1825 Sexual Harassment Prevention Training as required by the State of California.
• Cultivate a collaborative, service-oriented, and learning-oriented environment aligned with Advancement’s values and goals.

Other Duties:

• Keep current on emergent technology and Advancement systems trends and capabilities; attend training and conferences as requested in order to maintain technical expertise.
• As needed, participate in the assessment, evaluation and selection of vendor products.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in management of information technology systems, computer science or business administration. Master’s degree in business administration, management of information technology systems or project management strongly preferred. Project Management Professional (PMP), ProSci Change Management, Salesforce, and other technology system certifications strongly preferred.
• Experience: Three years of project management and business process redesign experience, preferably related to Advancement-related systems within higher education. Advanced business analysis and technical skills, strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written; ability to interact effectively with a wide array of users and vendors; ability to work independently and direct a project team as well as the ability to lead and direct effective meetings and work sessions. Must have a comprehensive understanding of complex relationships and possess an ability to demonstrate influence within such an environment.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND CRITICAL SKILLS: This position must possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the job or must be able to demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed (with or without reasonable accommodation) using other knowledge, skills and abilities not listed below.

• Use exceptional organizational, time management, planning, and analytical skills to complete work with exceptional accuracy and keen attention to detail with frequent interruptions in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
• Define and prioritize realistic and specific goals and objectives, perform multiple projects and tasks; meet deadlines, timelines and schedules; proactively triage and solve problems; respond to others in a timely manner; and work both independently and as a collaborative member of the College with a high standard of integrity and ethics in support of the Advancement’s strategic vision and the department’s annual goals.
• Demonstrate effective, accurate and clear communication with excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, reading, phone, and customer service skills. Follow all written and verbal instructions, asking questions as needed for clarification of projects/tasks/duties/assignments.
• Operate computers proficiently with basic Microsoft Office software (such as Word, Excel, Outlook) and associated professional software. Use assigned technology/devices/equipment to achieve annual goals and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong experience with business analysis and process design.
• Working knowledge of report design methodology and continuous process improvement.
• Handle all activities and highly confidential information with patience, discretion, good judgment, courtesy, tact and sensitivity while working with colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds and professional experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical users.
• Proven skill in developing documentation including business requirements, process maps, testing plans, training materials, and release notes.
• Ability to manage incident response activities including triage, vendor escalation, documentation, and communication.
• Ability to manage user access provisioning, deprovisioning, and permission audits across integrated systems.
• Experience administering or configuring Salesforce; Marketing Cloud experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with deployment and release management tools such as Gearset.
• Experience with data integrity, backup, and sandbox management tools such as OwnData.
• Familiarity with API-based integrations, Advancement CRM environments, online giving systems, financial systems (Workday), and other higher education fundraising systems.
• Ability to supervise, coach, and support the development and performance of a direct report.
• Demonstrated skill in leading through influence by building trust, guiding decisions, and encouraging alignment across Advancement units and campus partners.
• Proven judgment in navigating ambiguity, setting expectations, and ensuring accountability for timelines, quality, and technology adoption.

REQUIRED HOURS: The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Holiday, weekend and evening work hours may be required. Travel will be required. Regular hours may vary due to needs of the College or division. Upon completion of one month of on-site work and at the discretion of the supervisor, a 3-2 hybrid schedule may be approved permitting the employee to work on-site 3 days a week and remotely 2 days a week.

ADDITIONAL POSITION DETAILS: The rate for this role is between $122,573.13 - $125,000 with a competitive benefits package. The specific factors that the College will consider when offering a salary to an individual will include, but not be limited to: education, training, relevant prior experience, and performance in prior roles. All staff positions are ineligible for visa or permanent resident card sponsorship. As a California employer, Pomona College requires all employees to be residents of California.