Manager, Operations & Research

Overview

This role serves as the operational and analytical backbone for the organization’s philanthropy function. The position supports sustainable philanthropic growth and high-performing fundraising operations by managing systems, processes, financial planning, data management, and prospect intelligence.

Reporting to the Head of Philanthropy & Private Funding, the Manager, Operations & Research 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.

Responsibilities

Planning, Forecasting & Budget Management

• 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.

Operations, CRM & Systems Management

• 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.

Prospect Research, Pipeline Development & Intelligence

• 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 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.

Portfolio Analysis & Performance Reporting

• 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 areas of risk across the philanthropy portfolio.
• Provide recommendations based on fundraising, prospecting, and portfolio data.
• Support continuous improvement efforts through analysis and performance measurement.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 5+ years of experience in philanthropy, fundraising operations, grant management, nonprofit administration, business operations, prospect research, or a related field.
• Experience managing CRM systems and fundraising databases.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, reporting, or financial planning.
• Experience conducting research and synthesizing information into actionable recommendations.
• Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional organizational and project-management abilities.
• Experience developing reports, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and functions.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, CRM platforms, and reporting tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems.
• Experience in foundation, corporate, individual giving, or institutional philanthropy.
• Knowledge of prospect-research methodologies and philanthropic landscape analysis.
• Experience with grant budgeting and financial management.
• Experience developing operational systems and business processes.
• Experience supporting executive decision-making through data and analysis.

Success Measures

Operational Excellence

• CRM data accuracy and integrity.
• Timely and accurate reporting.
• Adoption and effectiveness of philanthropy systems and processes.
• Quality and consistency of operational documentation.

Financial & Planning Performance

• Forecast accuracy.
• Budget accuracy.
• Quality of pipeline visibility and reporting.
• Leadership confidence in revenue projections and portfolio data.

Prospect Development

• Number and quality of qualified opportunities identified.
• Growth in prospect pipeline value and volume.
• Quality and usefulness of funder intelligence.
• Research support provided to cultivation efforts.
• Pipeline conversion and advancement metrics.

Organizational Impact

• Improved fundraising decision-making.
• Stronger cross-functional coordination.
• Increased fundraising efficiency and scalability.
• Enhanced ability to identify and pursue new revenue opportunities.
• Greater visibility into organizational fundraising performance.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $77,040 - $91,763.20 a year
• Pay for this role will typically be between $77,040 - $91,763 per year, based on factors including job-related skills, qualifications, experience, education, internal equity, and other factors relevant to the job.

Benefits for full-time employees include:

• 100% company-paid comprehensive health benefits for Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance
• Retirement plan with generous company contributions
• FSA for Health and Dependent Care
• 3 weeks of vacation time in the first year of employment
• 11 paid company holidays
• Paid sick time
• Paid family leave

Location

Not specified in the provided job description.