Director of Advancement Services

The Director of Advancement Services at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) will be key in supporting the university’s fundraising and alumni engagement efforts. This position, based within the Office of Institutional Advancement, reports to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and serves as an essential member of the fundraising team.

The director will oversee all aspects of UMBC Advancement Services operations, including accepting and processing transactions through a centralized donor database (Ellucian Advance CRM), and tracking pledges and gift fulfillment. This individual will also provide leadership and supervision to maintain and leverage the database to support all alumni and donor engagement activities, including annual giving and major gift activities.

The director is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership to the team and will work closely with internal and external partners related to the work of Advancement Services in support of philanthropic engagement priorities of institutional advancement and UMBC. The director must be able to effectively and successfully organize and prioritize the work of multiple projects, maintaining focus on details, meeting appropriate deadlines, and maintaining a positive and professional customer service attitude. Specific duties include: 

Gift Administration & Processing

●     Provide leadership and management for all aspects of gift acceptance and processing, ensuring compliance with the University System of Maryland Foundation (USMF), IRS regulations, and industry best accounting practices.

●     Ensure all gift transactions are entered into the database following established policies and procedures, in a timely fashion with high accuracy and attention to detail which may include working additional hours during the end of the year or other significant gift processing events such as giving days.

●     Regularly update the UMBC Advancement Services manual, ensuring procedural operations for gift processing, data entry, and related functions are clearly defined and aligned with USMF, institutional, and regulatory standards.

●     Review and share gift reports with internal teams for accuracy ensuring transactions are processed according to established procedures.

●     Manage communications with USMF staff, addressing any financial matters or issues that may arise concerning gift acceptance or processing.

●     Work closely and collaboratively with the donor relations team to properly credit donors and ensure that all gifts are appropriately acknowledged

●     Ensure matching gifts that arrive by check or wire are properly credited to the appropriate sources which may involve additional research.

CRM Management & Reporting

●     Serve as the primary expert and administrator of the Ellucian Advance CRM, ensuring its effective utilization across all Advancement Services functions, including gift processing, donor tracking, and engagement.

●     Oversee the ongoing maintenance and management of the CRM ensuring that donor and alumni records are accurate, complete, and up-to-date.

●     Work collaboratively with Alumni and Development Communications and Marketing to ensure a seamless data connection between Ellucian Advance and Anthology Encompass, which hosts the alumni website, email, and registration tools.

●     Develop proactive strategies to improve data integrity, address accuracy issues, and ensure interconnectivity between UMBC, the USMF, and internal departments such as the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) and Institutional Research, Analysis & Decision Support (IRADS).

●     Ensure and maintain the highest standards of data integrity for over 250,000 alumni, donor, and other constituent records.

●     Maintain university policies and procedures for accessing alumni and donor data; collaborate with legal and compliance teams to ensure that data access and security protocols are continuously met.

●     Provide ongoing training and support to staff in the use of the CRM, ensuring that team members are proficient and able to fully leverage its capabilities.

●     Respond to requests for reports and constituent lists from internal stakeholders, such as institutional advancement, academic departments, and other campus units.

●     Provide accurate and timely reports to support fundraising efforts, donor engagement, and strategic decision-making.

●     Provide counts and statistics for external reporting, including to the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Voluntary Support of Education (VSE), and internally to IRADS and senior leadership.

●     Apply CASE standards to reporting, benchmarking, and strategic initiatives, ensuring that UMBC’s data and donor information meet national best practices and are presented accurately.

●     Lead the CRM migration efforts in the next 2-5 years, coordinating with relevant departments, external vendors, and stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition.

●     Oversee the planning, design, and implementation of the migration strategy, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations while ensuring the new system supports UMBC’s long-term fundraising goals.

Strategic & Operational

●     Provide strategic and operational leadership to enhance the effectiveness of the Advancement Services team.

●     Continuously assess workflows and practices to identify areas for improvement and implement solutions to streamline processes and enhance productivity; create workflows where none exist.

●     Provide recommendations on tools, technologies, and systems that would improve the quality and efficiency of Advancement Services operations while meeting archival and compliance requirements.

●     Organize and prioritize multiple projects, ensuring deadlines are met and tasks are completed on time.

●     Cultivate a professional and positive customer service attitude within the Advancement Services team, ensuring interactions with internal stakeholders, donors, alumni, and partners are handled professionally.

●     Serve as a resource to both internal teams and external stakeholders, fostering strong relationships based on trust, professionalism, and respect.

Supervisory & Management

●     Directly manage two development associates, overseeing their day-to-day tasks and ensuring they effectively support the team’s goals in gift processing, data entry, and donor engagement.

●     Set clear expectations for performance and hold staff accountable for meeting their responsibilities, ensuring they understand and align with UMBC's overall fundraising and engagement goals.

●     Cultivate a culture of teamwork and collaboration within the Advancement Services team, encouraging open communication, problem-solving, and mutual support.

●     Promote a work environment where team members feel motivated, supported, and recognized for their contributions to UMBC’s mission.

Required Qualifications

●     Bachelor’s degree required; Masters preferred

●     5 years of experience in a higher education fundraising environment or a relevant professional setting, with a strong understanding of advancement services, donor engagement, and fundraising operations.

●     5 years of supervisory experience with demonstrated skills in leadership and management.

●     Understanding of industry norms around gift acceptance, fundraising and foundation/IRS compliance.

●     Demonstrated proficiency in computer and software skills, particularly in fundraising databases, CRM systems, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word), and Google suites.

●     Strong data analysis skills and a demonstrated understanding of relational database structure.

●     Excellent writing, communication, and organizational skills.

●     In-person/on-site work.

●     A background check is required.

Preferred Qualifications

●     Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build, foster, and maintain positive professional relationships with colleagues and other constituencies.

●     Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team, prioritizing tasks efficiently and meeting deadlines while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor.

●     Capacity to thrive in a team-based environment, working cross-functionally with colleagues in Advancement and other university departments.

●     Strong organizational and time management skills, with a focus on attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.

●     The ability to carry out multiple activities/projects concurrently.

Salary: $116,000 - $124,000 depending on qualifications and experience.

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations.

The above salary range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

If interested in applying, please visit: https://listings.umbc.edu/cw/en-us/job/494841/director-of-advancement-services