Development Operations Manager

Adler Planetarium

Manager of Development Operations at Adler Planetarium overseeing donor and fundraising data integrity. Leading membership strategy and collaborating with IT, Finance, and Marketing teams on data projects.

Posted 5/1/2026full-timeChicago • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $67,000 - $75,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Design, implement, and oversee donor and fundraising data integrity for the Development office, including reporting, analytics, and integration of data from other databases.
Manage staff responsible for gift processing, membership processing, membership communications, membership programs, online gifts, development reporting, gift acknowledgment, financial reconciliation, and special projects.
Lead and design membership strategy alongside Associate Director of Institutional Giving, VP of Advancement, and external consultants.
Maintain accurate donor and member data, including data entry, gift processing, list generation, statistical reports, analysis, and donor acknowledgments.
Support the organization with detailed analysis and concise reporting/dashboards, leveraging multiple data sets.
Build relationships and work with Marketing, IT, and Finance team members and other Museum teams on data projects and systems.
Review gift reconciliation between Development and Finance teams weekly, identifying and following up on discrepancies.
Develop and maintain dynamic team-based and database policies and procedures for membership and fundraising.
Collaborate with IT to manage system configuration, maintenance, and security, and maintain vendor relationships.
Ensure compliance with Adler's PII and data security policies regarding donor data.
Oversee electronic filing systems related to database records, including gift collateral and membership documentation.
Serve as a contact for internal and external sources for gift transactions and development reporting functions.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s Degree or five or more years of professional work experience
Experience distinguishing between various donor and gift types.
Ability to build complex reports in Salesforce or comparable CRMs and databases.
Familiarity with development-specific data, including understanding of gifts, memberships, queries, and exports.
Experience working in a variety of fundraising systems required; knowledge of Salesforce required
Strong Google Suite skills, including expert-level spreadsheet capabilities.
Experience in designing and managing membership program acquisition, fulfillment, and renewal strategies and accompanying databases, reconciliation of member accounts, and the amortization process of member revenue
Experience in designing campaign systems that allow for the retrieval of performance data.
Strong reporting and analytical skills in measuring the effectiveness of fundraising campaigns and membership campaigns.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Work-Life Balance 35-hour workweek
Eligible to accrue up to 18 vacation days per year to start
3 sick days as of date of hire (can accrue up to 6.5 days per year)
7 Adler paid holidays
4 Personal Holidays (Prorated for new hires starting after January 1st)
Flexible Work Arrangements
Paid Family Bereavement Leave & Jury Duty
Paid Parental Leave
Competitive Health Coverage
Medical, Dental, & Vision insurance
Healthcare, Dependent Care & Commuter flexible spending accounts
Adler Paid Short-Term Disability insurance
Retirement Savings Plan 403B plan with Adler match
Adler's match is 100% vested immediately
Eligible to enroll as of the date of hire
Network of Support through our EAP programs
Resources to help address emotional, legal, and financial issues
Face-to-face, telephonic, and web-based services
Free subscription to the Calm Premium app
Employee Loan Program
Discounted Onsite Parking Program
Free Entrance to Chicago area museums and cultural institutions

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

data integrityreportinganalyticsdata entrygift processingmembership communicationsfinancial reconciliationdata analysisSalesforcefundraising systems

Soft Skills

leadershiprelationship buildingcollaborationcommunicationproblem-solvingattention to detailorganizational skillsstrategic thinkinganalytical skillsproject management

Certifications

Bachelor’s Degree