Data and Records Specialist - University Advancement

Scheduled Hours

37.5

The Data and Records Specialist is part of the Advancement Services department of University Advancement (UA) at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). The incumbent is responsible for the research, analysis and processing of complex donor biographic and demographic information according to departmental and university policies and guidelines, and must possess an enhanced level of problem‑solving, process management and leadership skills.

The duties of the Data and Records Specialist impact the integrity of the university’s donor, alumni and prospect information, requiring both accuracy and confidentiality. The position reports to the Senior Associate Director of Records Management.

Primary

Duties & Responsibilities:

Records Management

• Research constituent data and apply problem‑solving and critical thinking skills to ensure data thoroughness and accuracy in the University Advancement CRM, ARCH
  • Append, merge and purge donor, alumni and prospect records.
• Maintain donor biographic and demographic information in CRM in compliance with industry regulations and university policies.
• Manage complex requests, inquiries, issues and information via assigned ARCH Case requests that require in‑depth independent research and problem‑solving skills.
• Assist supervisor with tracking department metrics.
• Execute, review and edit tax receipts for contributions; produce custom receipts as appropriate.
• Coordinate alumni survey response intake; using analytical abilities, assist team in updating records per survey responses.
• Scan and index gift and biographic documents; oversee the secure storage and proper destruction of Advancement Services physical and digital gift documentation in compliance with regulations and policies.
• Undertake more complex assignments to improve data integrity.
• Review and clear audit reports at assigned intervals in support of data quality efforts.
• In conjunction with supervisor, develop proactive strategies and processes to improve CRM data integrity.
• Team leader for duplicate , duplicate records resolution and development of methods to proactively prevent their creation.
• Document and report functionality issues discovered in CRM; identify opportunities for enhanced functionality in future phases.

Operations

• Perform daily operational functions while maintaining separation of duties risk controls including direct mail and correspondence intake.
• Organize check gift documentation for batches and log.
• Maintain scanning stations and troubleshoot.
• Track major projects and ARCH Cases, assign to other team members, monitor progress, and follow‑up as needed.
• Take a lead role in writing and maintaining process documentation for Records Management responsibilities and step‑by‑step tutorials ensuring efficiency and continuity in operational processes.

Data Hygiene

• Complete advanced biographical data hygiene projects that may require research, analysis of data integrity, documenting research results and accessing third‑party systems.
• Oversee high level processes related to data integrity and quality including, but not limited to, regular audit report cleanup maintenance, NCOA process management, duplicate record merging and using tools to check for internal staff errors.
• Perform established risk controls for validating donor contact information changes and preferences including use of third‑party vendors (e.g. Lexis Nexis).

Teamwork and Collaboration

• Establish and maintain strong team coordination within Advancement Services.
• Provide back‑up to Gift Operations (gift processing) and Central Files (electronic imaging and indexing) during peak seasons, requiring competency in core duties and responsibilities in both areas.
• Partner with Office of the Chancellor on high‑profile constituent updates that include Board of Trustee records.
• Interface with other WashU departments, as needed, including Office of the University Registrar and WU IT, to align data points across WashU and University Advancement systems.
• Collaborate with ARCH team on system challenges, future phases, user acceptance testing, training and post‑conversion projects.
• Coordinate the consistent and timely…