Manager, Operations & Research

CALSTART is now Catalyst Mobility. We are a mission-driven industry organization focused on transportation decarbonization and clean air for all. For over 30 years, it's been Catalyst Mobility's mission to develop, assess, and implement large-scale, zero-emission transportation solutions to mitigate climate change and support economic growth. Catalyst Mobility works with businesses, organizations, governments, and communities to create real-life impact toward clean air and equitable access to clean transportation for all.

Catalyst Mobility provides scientific, technical and policy support for regulatory development and clean technology and infrastructure acceleration.

The Manager, Operations & Research serves as the operational and analytical backbone of Catalyst Mobility's philanthropy function. This role ensures the systems, processes, financial planning, data management, and prospect intelligence necessary to support sustainable philanthropic growth and high-performing fundraising operations. Reporting to the Head of Philanthropy & Private Funding, this position is responsible for forecasting, budgeting, CRM administration, pipeline management, reporting, prospect research, and fundraising analytics.

The role works closely with the Manager, Emerging Partnerships & Growth and the Manager, Engagement & Stewardship to provide the infrastructure, information, and operational discipline needed to strengthen fundraising performance. This position combines philanthropy operations, business planning, financial management, and prospect intelligence into a single function focused on enabling growth, improving decision-making, and strengthening organizational effectiveness.

Build and maintain the systems, data, processes, and market intelligence necessary to support philanthropic growth.

• Develop and maintain philanthropy revenue forecasts, pipeline projections, and fundraising performance models.
• Coordinate grant budget development and philanthropic financial planning processes.
• Track progress toward annual fundraising goals and revenue targets.
• Develop financial reports and analyses to support leadership decision-making.
• Support annual planning, portfolio reviews, and departmental performance tracking.
• Monitor portfolio health and identify revenue risks and growth opportunities.
• Partner with Finance to support forecasting, grant budgeting, revenue tracking, and financial reporting.

• Serve as primary administrator of philanthropy CRM systems and related reporting tools.
• Maintain data integrity, portfolio tracking systems, fundraising records, and pipeline management processes.
• Develop and manage dashboards, reporting systems, and performance metrics.
• Establish and maintain operational procedures, workflows, templates, and documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability across philanthropy operations.
• Coordinate operational processes across philanthropy, finance, communications, and program teams.
• Ensure leadership has accurate, timely, and actionable data to support decision-making.

• Conduct research on foundations, corporations, family offices, donor-advised funds, and individual giving prospects.
• Identify, qualify, and prioritize prospective philanthropic funding opportunities.
• Build and maintain prospect pipelines aligned with Catalyst Mobility's strategic priorities and growth objectives.
• Monitor philanthropic trends, funding opportunities, and emerging funders.
• Develop prospect profiles, briefing materials, relationship maps, and funder intelligence reports.
• Support cultivation planning through targeted research and opportunity analysis.
• Partner with the Senior Manager, Emerging Partnerships & Growth to identify and advance high-potential opportunities.
• Conduct portfolio gap analyses and recommend prospecting priorities.
• Maintain prospect and opportunity dashboards, tracking tools, and pipeline reports.
• Support development of annual prospecting goals, pipeline targets, and revenue growth strategies.

• Analyze fundraising performance, pipeline health, and portfolio trends.
• Develop reports and presentations for leadership, executive audiences, and board reporting.
• Track key fundraising performance indicators and organizational metrics.
• Identify trends, opportunities, and…