Development Operations Group Leader

About the role

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA), the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for UW-Madison, is recruiting for an Operations Group Leader (OGL) to support the Campus-Wide Initiatives group. This exempt position requires significant self-directed work and the ability to exercise independent judgment in leading people and projects, while prioritizing responsibilities and communicating progress to team members. You will be part of a dynamic, fast-paced development team, where your organizational oversight, management, and leadership skills will be crucial in achieving team goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for campus units that either employ their own development staff or have no development staff, meeting their fund, gift, and other needs as they arise.
• Meet with external contacts, volunteers, and fundraising groups, such as the University League, to coordinate WFAA resources and teams for data compilation for strategic planning, donor recognition, and stewardship activities.
• Implement and oversee consistent standards for customer service to VIP donors and campus partners.
• Provide ongoing training and project management for donor-related initiatives.
• Coordinate with WFAA resources and teams to compile data for strategic planning, donor recognition, and stewardship activities.
• Manage internal coordination for campus-wide strategic fundraising initiatives in partnership with leadership.
• Facilitate education and understanding of strategic initiatives with colleagues and campus partners.
• Coordinate high-level meetings with campus and WFAA leaders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 5+ years of relevant professional work experience in a non-profit or fundraising environment.
• 2+ years of experience in a team lead or supervisory role.
• High degree of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
• Previous experience with database reporting and constituent relationship management software, along with a willingness to explore and engage with AI solutions.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to judge the relative importance of issues and act independently to address them, applying the appropriate level of urgency to achieve results.
• Self-motivation, a proactive nature, curiosity, persistence, flexibility, and dependability.
• Ability to work effectively with a team in an entrepreneurial environment and interact well with all internal and external constituents.

Skills

• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and constituent relationship management software.
• Experience with CRM systems and AI solutions.

Benefits

At WFAA, we are dedicated to creating an inspiring, creative, and respectful work environment for our employees. We offer competitive pay and an outstanding benefits program, including a generous 10% 401k contribution after just one year of service!