Director for Advancement Operations, Parkland Foundation

About the role

The position is an on-campus, full-time, 12-month, exempt administrative appointment based in Champaign, Illinois with an annual salary in the range of $80,214.31-$100,267.88 dependent upon experience and qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Lead advancement operations including systems, processes, and workflow management
• Oversee advancement services, financial processes, scholarship administration, and donor data systems
• Supervise staff supporting advancement operations
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and accuracy
• Manage and analyze financial processes including endowments, receivables, payables, and reconciliations
• Prepare financial reports and analysis for leadership and board use
• Support budget development, fund management, and financial planning led by the AVP/ED
• Ensure accurate reporting, internal controls, and compliance in coordination with the Business Office
• Cookordination audit preparation and serve as primary operational contact for auditors
• Oversee donor database management, data integrity, and reporting
• Manage gift processing, acknowledgements, and stewardship tracking systems
• Ensure compliance with regulations and institutional policies
• Provide reporting and analysis to support fundraising performance
• Oversee scholarship processes including application, awarding, tracking, and compliance
• Manage scholarship budgets and reconciliation
• Coordinate with Financial Aid and Student Services
• Maintain compliance with donor intent and institutional policies

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• Five or more years of relevant experience in advancement operations, nonprofit administration, finance, or related field
• Experience with financial processes, fund administration, or similar operational work
• Experience with CRM or database systems and reporting
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or Office 365, including Teams and Outlook, and the ability to learn the Parkland systems and adapt to new programs as technologies are implemented

Qualifications

• Experience working in a higher education or nonprofit foundation environment
• Experience with advancement services functions, including donor database systems and reporting
• Experience supporting audits, financial reporting, or fund administration
• Experience with CRM systems such as Blackbaud Raiser's Edge, Salesforce, or similar platforms
• Experience leading or supporting system improvements or implementations
• Strong skills in data analysis and reporting tools such as Excel
• Experience supervising staff or leading cross-functional collaboration
• Familiarity with advancement, best practices, and donor data management