Advancement Operations Manager; Hybrid

FTE: 1.0 FTE

Appointment Year: Full Year

Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt

Lakeside School seeks a collaborative and detail-oriented Advancement Operations Manager to lead the systems, data, and reporting infrastructure that supports the school's philanthropic work. The role ensures the integrity and strategic use of advancement data in support of fundraising, stewardship, engagement, pipeline visibility, and fundraising performance tracking. Reporting to the Director of Institutional Philanthropy, the Advancement Operations Manager oversees the advancement database, reporting, dashboards, and gift processing functions, supervises the Fundraising Data Specialist, and supports data-informed advancement strategy and process improvement.

• Serve as the primary administrator and strategic owner of Donor Perfect, ensuring data integrity, usability, and consistency
• Maintain data standards, policies, and procedures for Advancement.
• Oversee database maintenance including imports, updates, and data integrity.
• Conduct periodic data audits, identify root causes of recurring inconsistencies, and improve the workflows that create them.
• Maintain appropriate data governance and confidentiality practices for constituent, donor, and gift information.

• Develop and maintain reports and dashboards that improve visibility into pipeline health, fundraising performance, participation, and donor engagement.
• Translate advancement needs into clear, actionable insights that support fundraising decision-making and portfolio management.
• Provide reporting for the advancement team as needed.
• Compile up-to-date results and donor information for donor listings and communications.
• Identify recurring reporting needs and implement more automated solutions where needed.
• Develop and monitor key advancement performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly communicate results to Advancement leadership.

• Oversee gift processing procedures and ensure accurate recording of philanthropic contributions.
• Maintain documentation related to gift entry, acknowledgments, and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies and industry standards.
• Support pledge reminder process.
• Partner with Finance and other internal stakeholders to support reconciliation, internal controls, and audit-ready recordkeeping practices.

• Manage advancement technology systems and related integrations.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, reporting capabilities, operational efficiency, and cross-system coordination.
• Manage data imports from Greater Giving, Veracross, Donor Search, and other software into Donor Perfect.
• Partner with school technology staff and external vendors as needed.

• Supervise the Fundraising Data Specialist.
• Partner with colleagues to translate data into actionable insights, supporting evidence-based fundraising strategies, informed resource allocation, and continuous improvement of advancement operations and business processes.
• Provide training, documentation, and support to advancement staff on database use, dashboards, and reporting tools to strengthen adoption and consistency.
• Help advancement staff use data more effectively in day-to-day planning, tracking, and decision-making.
• Develop prospect profiles, briefing materials, and analytical tools that support donor strategy and relationship management.

• Three or more years of progressively responsible experience in advancement services, fundraising operations, database management, CRM administration, or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing and maintaining constituent databases and ensuring data integrity, accuracy, and consistency.
• Experience developing reports, dashboards, and data analyses to support fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and organizational decision-making.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize competing deadlines, and execute with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Experience documenting workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing process improvements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong working relationships and collaborate effectively across teams.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and exercising discretion when handling sensitive constituent and organizational information.

• Experience in independent schools, higher education, or nonprofit fundraising environments.
• Experience with advancement CRMs such as Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT, Donor Perfect, Salesforce, Ellucian, or similar constituent relationship…