Advancement Operations Manager

Apply Job Type Full-time Description Term of Employment: Full-time, exempt Reports to: Development Director Location: Remote (U.S.-based) Who We Are: The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. The Animal Legal Defense Fund accomplishes this mission by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, providing free legal assistance and training to prosecutors to assure that animal abusers are held accountable for their crimes, supporting tough animal protection legislation and fighting legislation harmful to animals, gathering data about and advocating for effective regulation of animal exploitative industries and providing resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the emerging field of animal law. Role Description: The Animal Legal Defense Fund's Advancement Operations Manager is the Development team's senior data and systems expert and a pivotal force in how ALDF thinks about and executes its fundraising operations. This role owns the infrastructure, processes, and partnerships that power ALDF's fundraising and engagement, and actively shapes the strategic direction of Advancement Operations as both a service provider and a thought partner to the organization. This is a hands-on strategic management role. The Advancement Operations Manager doesn't just set the strategy — they build the systems, run the analysis, and ensure day-to-day operations run without disruption. They supervise one Associate-level team member, setting the standards that define excellence across all team functions, and step in where needed to keep operations moving. They also serve as a critical bridge between Development and Finance, ensuring accurate reconciliation, timely reporting, and a reliable operational relationship between the two teams. The Advancement Operations Manager is a proactive, solutions-oriented data expert who doesn't just manage what exists — they build what's needed. Equally comfortable setting a long-term roadmap as working in the details, they bring deep CRM expertise, a track record of building systems and processes from the ground up, and the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights that move the mission forward. How You Will Make a Difference: Team Leadership and Operations Supervise one Associate, providing day-to-day direction, coaching, quality oversight, career development and performance management across all functional areas — including gift processing, data entry, and supporter communications — and establishing the best practice standards that define excellence in each area Work with Advancement leadership to establish and track KPIs, SMART goals, and performance benchmarks that drive accountability and support team growth Develop, maintain, and regularly update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across data and systems operations and donor services, ensuring consistency, accountability, and service quality across both functions Serve as the primary escalation point for gift processing issues, data backlogs, and vendor concerns Proactively engage with departments across the organization, including Finance and Programs, to understand their data and reporting needs and develop Advancement Operations solutions that serve the full organization Provide backup coverage for Associate functions — including customer service and gift processing — during absences or otherwise as needed to maintain continuity without disruption to operations Strategy and Planning Develop and execute a data quality roadmap that optimizes people, processes, and technology to advance data maturity — making Advancement data more accurate, reliable, and actionable for decision-making and operational effectiveness Design data strategies that drive audience engagement and fundraising revenue, including list segmentation, qualified list generation, and highly customized acquisition, solicitation, and stewardship campaigns Build the data infrastructure to enable mid-level donor segmentation, moves management, and prospect research Identify and implement database automations and AI integration opportunities to improve efficiency and streamline workflows; proactively monitor industry trends to continuously elevate data practices Design and deliver data training for Advancement Team members, equipping staff to leverage data for decision-making and revenue growth within their respective areas Lead large-scale data projects under the direction of the Development Director, as needed Data Management Lead regular database clean-up projects, establishing and enforcing best practices in donor database health and data hygiene Develop and maintain reporting infrastructure, delivering complex CRM reports to Advancement and Finance stakeholders on a routine and ad hoc basis Develop, test, and validate data deliverables — including reports, segmented lists, and data projects — ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with organizational needs Lead the production and delivery of recurring revenue and donor performance reporting for Development leadership Proactively identify philanthropic opportunities through ongoing analysis of data trends, and surface and resolve advanced donation and data issues before they escalate Ensure team adherence to policies and procedures for data management, maintaining data quality, security, and compliance with CAN-SPAM, PCI, and internal policies governing the use, storage, and handling of confidential donor and financial information Systems Management Manage the Advancement Team's use of the organization-wide CRM, including configuration, integrations with third-party fundraising tools and other platforms, and ensuring accurate tracking and timely reporting of deliverables Manage key Development Team vendor partnerships, such as the CRM and caging vendor, providing strategic oversight to ensure alignment with organizational goals, drive performance, resolve issues, and optimize systems for long-term efficiency and impact Serve as the Advancement Team lead for ALDF's migration from ROI to Salesforce. Responsibilities may include: Audit and clean existing database structure and records, including any required structural remediation, to prepare for migration Conduct thorough post-migration testing to validate data accuracy, completeness, and system integrity Design and deliver a CRM training plan tailored to Advancement Team members across all experience levels Finance and Reconciliation Maintain strong partnership with Finance Team, ensuring consistent communication, mutual accountability, and adherence to agreed-upon turnaround times for all requests and deliverables Manage the weekly batch summary submission process and monthly processing closeout summaries to Finance, ensuring accuracy and on-time delivery Maintain and document the weekly reconciliation cadence between the donor database and Sage Intacct, ensuring both the Development and Finance teams have the information they need and discrepancies are identified and resolved promptly Please note, this job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position, which are subject to change in order to best advance ALDF’s strategic objectives and mission. Requirements We Are Looking for Candidates With: A bachelor's degree in a related field is preferred. In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 5 years of fundraising experience may be considered equivalent Minimum of 5 years of nonprofit development operations or data management experience, with experience in a $20M+ revenue fundraising operation preferred Minimum of 3 years of direct supervisory or team management experience Salesforce CRM expertise with deep, hands-on platform experience across reporting, data management, and fundraising workflows Direct experience leading at least one full CRM migration, including data mapping, cleaning, and stakeholder coordination Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools, with the ability to manage and interpret complex datasets Comfort handling direct donor and supporter contact via phone and email Proven experience managing external vendor relationships, including enforcing adherence to SOPs, contracts, and performance expectations Strong written communication and ability to translate data insights for non-technical stakeholders Demonstrated ability to think strategically, prioritize competing demands, and independently manage multiple concurrent projects with exceptional attention to detail and consistent adherence to deadlines Working knowledge of IRS regulations governing charitable contributions, donor data, and gift processing An understanding of and demonstrated commitment to the mission of the Animal Legal Defense Fund Ability to travel for occasional staff meetings and retreats, estimated 1-2 trips annually We Offer Competitive Compensation with Excellent Benefits, Including: Starting annual salary of $95,100 for most geographic locations For candidates located within 25 miles of Washington D.C., Cotati, CA, and Los Angeles, starting pay is $100,105 For candidates located within 25 miles of New York City and San Francisco, starting pay is $105,110 To ensure salary equity, we do not negotiate salary outside of the published starting rate. Rate is determined by role, using set geographical factors. Comprehensive health care, dental, life and vision benefits (100% employer paid); Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Account (DCA) are also available 192 hours of PTO 19 paid holidays 1-month paid sabbatical after 5 years of continuous employment 16 weeks paid parental leave 401k plan with a maximum 5% employer contribution match after one year of employment Alternative work schedules (at manager’s discretion) One time remote work allowance of $750 Annual professional development reimbursement of up to $1,000. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is a core value for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Additional Information: This is a U.S. based position. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is an equal opportunity employer and committed to providing an employment environment which is welcoming of persons from diverse backgrounds and free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, and in which all legal rights of our employees are recognized and protected. ALDF conducts all internal and external operations, programs, and employment-related decision making (including hiring decisions) without regard to actual or perceived race, ancestry, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, political affiliation, disability or medical condition (including physical, intellectual, or psychiatric), sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, age, or other protected category, and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws. Consistent with the organization’s mission, our offices and events are free of animal products and byproducts.