Database and Research Officer

Database and Research Officer

Contract: Permanent, Full time

Location: Canada, Remote - Preference will be given to candidates in Ottawa/Gatineau

Salary: $70,000 CDN per year with excellent benefits, depending on candidate experience

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. Water Aid exists to change that - for everyone, everywhere. Join us to help unlock people's potential and create a fairer future.

We're a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen. Water Aid Canada is an all-remote work environment, with our team located in various regions and time zones in Canada.

Senior leadership is currently based in Gatineau, Montreal, and Toronto. Philanthropy team members are currently based in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

About the role
:

This role reports to the Annual Fund Manager and is responsible for maintaining and managing the organization's database, ensuring data accuracy, and supporting fundraising and business development efforts. This is a technical role requiring strong judgment, initiative, and the ability to make evidence-based recommendations. This role will also be responsible for prospect research within the current database, identifying donors with the potential to move in the pipeline.

This person will embrace Water Aid’s mission and act as an ambassador for the cause.

• Act as Water Aid Canada's subject-matter expert for the fundraising database, with accountability for ensuring data integrity, analysis, and effective use.

• Ensure donor and gift data integrity, including data entry, gift processing (including recurring gifts), proper coding, donor contact preference updates, and data cleansing.

• Liaise with consultants and agencies as needed.

• Establish, document, and update data management standard operating procedures.

• Own and coordinate software development and upgrades, working with third-party vendors (e.g., Blackbaud) and internal stakeholders.

• Identify and resolve data entry issues and discrepancies.

• Research, apply, and ensure compliance with Canada Revenue Agency and regulatory guidelines (PCI, CASL) and internal policies with respect to privacy, data protection, implementing backup procedures, developing recovery plans, and data retention.

• Adhere to confidentiality protocols to safeguard donor information.

• Design, run and interpret queries and reports, providing high-accuracy analyses to support fundraising performance and decision making.

• Builds and maintains campaign, fund, and appeal structures to support fundraising and financial reporting.

• Conduct regular research within the donor database to identify prospects for the annual, major, foundation and corporate portfolios.

• Provide oversight and quality control for donation processing to ensure accuracy, compliance, and donor trust, while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort.

• Respond to and process donations received by phone.

• Ensure prompt receipting and documentation for all gifts.

• Manage the annual consolidated tax receipt process for monthly donors.

• Liaise with donors and prospects to ensure that inquiries and concerns are addressed quickly, and accurately, and that all pertinent information is recorded in the database.

• Picks up mail in central Ottawa (when required, typically on a weekly basis), and handoff to Finance Department.

• Work alongside Finance department to reconcile donations and resolve discrepancies on a monthly/yearly basis.

• Ensures cash deposits are made in accordance with internal controls (including in person deposits when required).

• Assists with the annual financial audit.

• Undergraduate degree or diploma in fundraising or database management

• Minimum…