Director, Development Operations

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Development Operations oversees the full gift lifecycle for Ronald McDonald House - New York, including gift processing, acknowledgments, gift officer portfolio assignments, revenue projections and analysis, matching gifts, prospect research, and the technology supporting special events and peer-to-peer fundraising. The Director leads the Development Operations team (a Manager and a Coordinator) and ensures that gifts are recorded accurately, acknowledged promptly, and reported consistently across Development, Finance, and other departments as needed. With the backing of the CDEO, and President & CEO, the Director sets and enforces organization-wide data standards for all teams that handle donor, revenue information and constituent data. The Director partners closely with Finance and IT on systems, integrations, reconciliation, and reporting. This is a senior, hands-on role for an experienced operations leader who can build durable processes and lead change in a complex fundraising program.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Development Operations team, including staff responsible for gift processing, data management, prospect research, and fundraising technology.
• Oversee the full gift lifecycle, entry, acknowledgment, receipting, pledge tracking, and stewardship triggers, to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and a strong donor experience.
• Lead change management for Development Operations, consolidating processes currently managed differently across teams into standardized workflows, and driving adoption through documentation, training, and ongoing stakeholder engagement.
• Own the integrity of the donor database (Salesforce), including data hygiene, deduplication, coding standards, and documentation of changes.
• Set and enforce organization-wide data standards and gift management policies, with the backing of the CDEO and CEO, across all teams that touch donor or revenue data.
• Manage gift officer portfolio assignments and the moves management infrastructure in partnership with frontline leadership.
• Creation of revenue projections, dashboards, and recurring reports for the CDEO, CEO, Finance, and the 
• Lead monthly and year-end reconciliation with Finance on gifts, pledges, and revenue recognition, ensuring alignment with audit and 990 reporting requirements.
• Coordinate of the matching gifts program, including vendor management, donor outreach, and revenue capture.
• Oversee prospect research, including portfolio analysis, wealth screening, events research, and pipeline development.
• Manage the technology stack supporting special events and peer-to-peer fundraising, including platform selection, integrations, and event-day operations.
• Partner with Development, Digital, and Marketing & Communications on list pulls, segmentation, and campaign performance reporting.
• Partner with IT and the Sr. Salesforce Director on system integrations, data security, and donor data governance.
• Develop standard operating procedures, training, and onboarding for users of fundraising systems across the organization.
• Lead Development Operations budget planning, vendor contracts, and procurement for fundraising technology.

QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

Education

Experience

• 8+ years in development operations or advancement services, including 3+ years supervising staff. 

Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrated ownership of the full gift lifecycle in a complex program with multiple revenue streams (individual, institutional, events, peer-to-peer).
• Advanced CRM proficiency, Salesforce strongly preferred, with deep knowledge of data hygiene, deduplication, and coding standards.
• Proven success leading change management, standardizing inconsistent processes and driving adoption through documentation, training, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience reconciling gifts, pledges, and revenue with Finance, including audit and Form 990 support.
• Strong analytical skills: revenue projections, portfolio and pipeline analysis, dashboards, and executive- and Board-level reporting.
• Familiarity with moves management, portfolio assignments, and prospect research methods including wealth screening.
• Experience selecting and managing fundraising technology for events, peer-to-peer, and matching gifts, including vendors and integrations.
• Excellent judgment with confidential donor and financial data; working knowledge of data security and donor data governance.
• Credible communicator able to set and enforce standards across teams without direct authority.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & TRAVEL

This role is based in a facility providing temporary accommodation to pediatric patients and their families. Work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office setting. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required during reporting periods, or board-related activities. Occasional travel may be required for meetings, conferences, or organizational events.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described herein are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• Work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office setting within a hospitality environment.
• This role requires extended periods of sitting, computer use, and engagement in virtual or in-person meetings.
• Occasional standing, walking, or light lifting may be required in support of routine office activities.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those encountered while performing the essential functions of the role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• This role is based in a facility that provides temporary accommodation to pediatric patients and their families. The environment is mission-driven and may include frequent interaction with families and staff.
• While no medical treatment is administered on-site, individuals who have undergone radiation therapy may be present. Radiation levels within the facility are monitored and remain within established public safety limits.
• The work environment is typically a standard office setting but may include moderate noise levels due to guest activity, events, or building operations.
• Occasional evening or weekend work may be required during peak periods such as reporting cycles, special projects, or board-related activities.

Travel

Ronald McDonald House New York believes that all employees are entitled to Equal Employment Opportunity.

We do not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic, while meeting the mental and physical requirements for the job.