Development Operations Specialist

Development Operations Specialist

Reporting to the Corporate Partnerships and Events Manager, the Development Operations Specialist serves as the subject matter expert for development operations, fundraising systems, donor data management, reporting, and business processes that support Brighton Center's fundraising, stewardship, and engagement efforts.

This position is responsible for the administration, optimization, and continuous improvement of the organization's fundraising technology platforms and development operations processes. The Development Operations Specialist exercises independent judgment in analyzing fundraising data, identifying trends and opportunities, recommending operational improvements, and implementing solutions that enhance donor engagement, operational efficiency, and revenue generation.

The Development Operations Specialist works collaboratively with Development, Marketing, Finance, Executive Leadership, and Board stakeholders to support strategic fundraising initiatives through data analysis, reporting, system administration, and operational oversight. This role serves as a key resource to leadership by providing insights and recommendations that support organizational decision-making and fundraising effectiveness.

This position requires face-to-face interactions with staff, board members, vendors, donors, and the general public on a daily basis to accomplish all essential functions of the position. The Development Operations Specialist must independently manage complex, multi-platform operations while collaborating cross-functionally across the organization. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Development Operations & Systems Management (55%)

• Serve as the primary administrator and subject matter expert of all Development databases and fundraising technology platforms.
• Develop, maintain and implement data governance standards, procedures, and best practices to ensure data accuracy, consistency and compliance across all systems. Design and execute complex queries, imports, exports to support appeals, stewardship campaigns, event communications, and marketing outreach.
• Evaluate system functionality and identify opportunities for operational improvements, process enhancements, and technology optimization. Develop, maintain, and distribute the Development Performance Dashboard and operational reports on a regular basis to inform leadership decision-making and departmental planning.
• Analyze donor giving trends to identify lapsed donors, changes in giving levels, acquisition opportunities, and other patterns; present findings and recommendations to leadership.
• Lead data integrity initiatives, including routine audits, duplicate management, quarterly National Change of Address (NCOA) updates and quality assurance processes.
• Manage all third-party employee giving platforms, including updating Brighton Center information and capturing donor data, gift amounts, and acknowledgment details.
• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies, fundraising tools and operational practices that may improve donor engagement, reporting capabilities and organizational effectiveness.

Development Operations Strategy, Analytics & Reporting (20%)

• Analyze donor giving trends, campaign performance, stewardship outcomes, and constituent engagement data; provide recommendations to support fundraising effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve donor retention, operational efficiency, and overall fundraising performance through data analysis and trend evaluation.
• Evaluate development workflows and operational processes and recommend improvements that enhance efficiency, compliance, and donor experience.
• Lead special projects related to fundraising operations, process improvement initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Establish and maintain development operations standards, reporting methodologies, and database management procedures to support organizational goals.
• Independently implement approved operational improvements that enhance fundraising effectiveness and data integrity.

Department Operations & Executive Support (5%)

• Coordinate departmental administrative processes, including financial documentation, invoice routing, budget tracking support, and vendor coordination.
• Assist with meeting coordination, preparation of materials, presentations, and departmental communications.
• Support internal staff engagement activities, team meetings, and department initiatives as assigned.
• Serve as a resource for operational logistics that support the effectiveness of the Development and Marketing teams.

Events & Stewardship Operations (15%)

• In addition to two signature fundraising events, Brighton Center's Development and Marketing teams manage volunteer, employee, media, and stewardship events monthly. The Development Operations Specialist provides operational leadership and oversight to ensure efficient execution, accurate reporting, and exceptional constituent experiences.
• Oversee operational planning and support for assigned fundraising, stewardship, volunteer, and donor engagement events.
• Manage event registration systems, guest participation records, donor tracking, attendance management, and related data collection activities.
• Coordinate event-related operational needs, including vendor communication, supply management, facility requests, event setup coordination, and execution support.
• Ensure accurate capture and maintenance of constituent information resulting from fundraising and stewardship activities.
• Manage stewardship processes to ensure timely acknowledgments, donor recognition activities, and accurate constituent engagement records.
• Support donor cultivation and stewardship efforts through operational planning, tracking, and cross-functional coordination.

Resource Committee Support (5%)

• The Resource Committee is an integral component of the Brighton Center Board of Directors and includes current board members, major donors, and prominent community leaders. The Development Operations Specialist serves as the primary operational liaison and provides strategic administrative support to ensure effective committee operations.
• Coordinate Resource Committee logistics in collaboration with the CEO, CDO, and CMO.
• Prepare all meeting materials, agendas, and presentation packets.
• Support leadership in monitoring committee initiatives, fundraising activities, and strategic priorities.
• Facilitate communication and information sharing between committee members and organizational leadership.
• Maintain records, action-item tracking, follow-up communications, and committee documentation.

Qualifications

Required: Bachelor's degree in business administration, Nonprofit Management, Public Administration, Marketing, Communications or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in development or fundraising operations, database management, or business operations, preferably in a nonprofit development environment. Experience administering donor management systems (Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, eTapestry, or equivalent). Experience developing reports, dashboards, data analyses and operational metrics.

Necessary Skills

• Advanced database management and data Governance expertise.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to independently prioritize, plan, and execute multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
• Strong business process improvement and problem-solving skills. Expertise in reporting, dashboard development, and operational analysis. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate professionally with donors, board members, staff, and community partners.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with staff, donors, board members, volunteers, vendors and community stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple priorities and complex projects. Ability to exercise sound independent judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Commitment to Brighton Center's mission, vision, values, and programs, with the ability to articulate these to motivate donors and prospects.

Mental & Physical Demands

• Ability to analyze complex data sets, compute, and compile reports with accuracy and timeliness.
• Ability to independently manage high-volume workloads and competing priorities while maintaining quality and composure under pressure.
• Ability to use critical thinking and problem-solving skills for effective decision-making and independent judgment.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress and empathize with staff, leadership, vendors, funders, board, and families served.
• Ability to ensure personal accountability and ownership of outcomes.
• Ability to multitask across dual-monitor screens and multiple software programs simultaneously.
• Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends as required.
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 40 lbs.
• Ability to drive a personal vehicle on occasion and maintain personal auto liability insurance.

Top Competencies

• Project Management & Independent Execution
• Database Management & Data Integrity
• Digital Affinity & Systems Proficiency
• Written & Verbal Communications
• Organizational Agility
• Managing Relationships
• Integrity and Trust
• Analytical Thinking & Adaptability
• Organizing / Planning
• Priority Setting & Independent Decision-Making