Senior Director of Advancement Services

West Chester University Foundation 
Senior Director of Advancement Services

The West Chester University Foundation engages donors and other partners to drive student success. We secure funding that helps West Chester University students achieve more. More about the WCU Foundation can be found at https://www.wcufoundation.org/.

The West Chester University Foundation is currently looking for a Senior Director of Advancement Services  to join its dedicated, dynamic and collaborative team! The Senior Director of Advancement Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for advancement systems, data, reporting, and gift administration functions in support of the West Chester University Foundation’s fundraising and engagement goals. This role is responsible for setting the long-range vision and short-term operational strategy for the Advancement Services department to strengthen alumni engagement and increase philanthropic support of the West Chester University Foundation.

Serving as a key member of the leadership team, the Senior Director partners closely with the senior Foundation and advancement leadership, Finance, campus partners, and external vendors to ensure that systems, data, and processes effectively support fundraising priorities and organizational growth.

As the Foundation prepares to support West Chester University’s largest comprehensive fundraising campaign in history, the Senior Director will play a critical role in ensuring that advancement systems, data, reporting, gift administration, and operational processes are scalable, accurate, and aligned to support the increased activity and complexity associated with a transformational campaign.

Essential Job Functions:

• Leadership and Strategic Oversight
  • Lead and guide the Advancement Services department, setting strategic priorities and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
  • Develop and execute long-range plans for systems, processes, reporting, and analytics that support organizational fundraising goals.
  • Partner with senior leadership to assess operational needs, align resources, and ensure data and systems strategy supports institutional priorities.
  • Evaluate existing systems and emerging technologies to enhance data quality, accessibility, integration, reporting, and overall operational effectiveness.
• Advancement Services & Data Management
  • Provide strategic oversight for the administration, optimization, and governance of the Foundation’s advancement systems.
  • Define and enforce policies, standards, and workflows to ensure data integrity, system effectiveness, and compliance with industry and institutional standards.
  • Drive initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, reporting, and analytics capabilities.
  • Collaborate with Finance, Development, and other stakeholders to ensure accurate gift processing and reporting.
  • Partner with Donor Relations to ensure accurate data and reporting that support stewardship communications and donor recognition.
  • Oversee the development and maintenance of documentation, reporting frameworks, and system protocols to support staff performance and organizational growth.
• Prospect Strategy & Data Support
  • Lead the prospect management function through strategic oversight of data, reporting, and system support.
  • Collaborate with Development leadership to align prospect-related workflows and reporting tools with fundraising priorities.
  • Establish standards and frameworks that ensure accurate tracking and actionable insights for portfolio management and campaign planning.
  • Provide guidance to staff on effective use of prospect-related data to support donor engagement strategies.
• Reporting, Analytics & Systems Strategy
  • Lead the development of advanced reporting, dashboards, and analytics to inform strategic fundraising decisions and operational planning.
  • Translate complex data into actionable insights that support performance tracking, opportunity identification, and continuous improvement.
  • Oversee technology platforms and integrations that support advancement operations, ensuring systems are efficient, scalable, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Compliance, Training & Best Practices
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, CASE, and other applicable industry standards for gift acceptance, processing, and reporting.
  • Advise leadership on trends, risks, and best practices to support policy development and strategic decision-making.
  • Oversee the design and delivery of training to ensure staff competency and adherence to standards.
  • Develop and recommend policies, protocols, and procedures that ensure accurate and efficient gift acceptance and data management and research to enable the Division to make data-based decisions related to its fundraising and engagement efforts.
  • Partner with Finance and other stakeholders to maintain effective data governance, reconciliation, and control processes.
• Collaboration & Communication
  • Serve as a senior liaison across the Foundation, promoting effective communication, alignment, and collaboration between departments.
  • Support leadership in campaign planning and execution by providing strategic insights, historical data analysis, and operational guidance.
  • Facilitate cross-functional initiatives to enhance fundraising effectiveness and operational efficiency.
• Other projects and responsibilities may be added at the Executive Director’s discretion.

Job Requirements/Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree with 7–10 years of progressive experience in advancement services, fundraising operations, or related nonprofit administration along with relevant certifications and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Proven experience managing advancement systems, including CRMs (preferably Raiser’s Edge).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• System experience with data management software for import/export list management and integrations.
• Deep understanding of CASE guidelines and IRS Rules and Regulations governing charitable gifts.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement policies, procedures, and training, translating complex technical concepts for diverse audiences.
• Experience leading high-performance teams.
• Strong communication, organizational, analytical, and project management skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership, university administration faculty, alumni, and fundraising staff.
• Ability to align systems, processes, and data strategy with institutional fundraising goals.
• Experience developing dashboards, KPIs, and data insights for leadership decision-making.

Typical Work Conditions:  

• Work is performed in an office and/or remote environment (40%) based on manager discretion.
• Extensive time sitting at a computer.
• May work additional hours as needed.
• Use of personal devices (cell phone, personal computer, etc.) may be necessary on occasion to maintain business operations.

Typical Physical Demands: 

• Regular use of hands to manipulate office tools and equipment, phones and computer keyboard.
• May lift and move office supplies up to 20 pounds.  
• May stand, reach with hands and arms, stoop, and squat to file.
• Sit for extended periods of time.
• See to read a variety of materials.
• Hear and speak to exchange information.

We are pleased to offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience and ability and includes full benefit package such as paid time off, medical, dental and life insurance, and  9.29% employer contribution to retirement plan.  For details on available benefits, please refer to the Benefits Summary on our website https://www.wcufoundation.org/page/careers. No relocation assistance is available for this position.

To be considered for this position you will need to apply via our website, https://www.wcufoundation.org/page/careers. Applicants are encourage to include:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• Professional Portfolio of marketing and social media projects

• Three (3) professional references including name, email address and work relationship

West Chester University Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants for positions are considered without regard to race, creed, color, country of origin, sex, age, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristics established by law.