Manager of Advancement Services & Data

Job Details

Manager of Advancement Services & Data

Empire State University, Office for Advancement, seeks a full-time Manager of Advancement Services and Data at our Saratoga Springs, NY location. The Manager of Advancement Services & Data provides leadership for the systems, data, and operational infrastructure that underpin Empire State University's advancement efforts. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Advancement, this role oversees the day-to-day and strategic functions that ensure accurate data, effective systems integration, and meaningful reporting in support of fundraising, alumni engagement, and donor stewardship.

This position manages a small but essential team - including an Office Assistant and a Prospect Research Analyst - and serves as a key partner to Advancement colleagues, Foundation Finance, and Information Technology. The Manager of Advancement Services & Data is responsible for ensuring that data integrity, processes, and technologies work together to enable informed decision-making and scalable advancement success.

A critical focus of this role is the ongoing transition from Advance to Slate as the Office for Advancement CRM. The successful candidate will step immediately into this implementation, helping to guide configuration, data governance, training, and long-term system optimization.

Core Responsibilities

Advancement Systems and CRM Leadership

• Provide leadership and strategic oversight for Advancement's suite of technologies, ensuring systems are integrated, complementary, and purpose-driven in support of fundraising, donor engagement, alumni relations, and stewardship.
• Serve as the steward of Advancement's evolving technology ecosystem, including the CRM (Slate), online giving, digital engagement, email, and emerging virtual engagement tools, with responsibility for cohesion, scalability, and long-term value.
• Serve as the functional lead for the Advancement CRM (Slate), ensuring effective implementation, configuration, maintenance, and ongoing optimization.
• Guide the transition from Advance to Slate, working closely with IT, Advancement stakeholders, and external partners as needed.
• Ensure that Advancement systems support fundraising, alumni engagement, donor relations, stewardship, prospect management, and reporting needs.
• Maintain a holistic understanding of how Advancement platforms—including online giving tools (e.g., GiveCampus), email and engagement tools, and reporting systems—integrate with the CRM.
• Monitor system performance and recommend enhancements or process improvements to improve usability, efficiency, and outcomes.

Data Integrity, Governance, and Reporting

• Oversee the entry, integrity, and maintenance of alumni and donor data, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to best practices.
• Develop and maintain data standards, business rules, and documentation to support high-quality data collection and usage.
• Manage data imports, record coding, system audits, and regular quality assurance processes.
• Fulfill and prioritize requests for reports, dashboards, mailing lists, and data extracts to support fundraising, stewardship, communications, prospect research, and alumni engagement.
• Translate accurate data into meaningful output by supporting Advancement colleagues in understanding and using data effectively.

Gift Processing and Financial Coordination

• Supervise gift processing and data entry activities in coordination with Foundation Finance, ensuring timely and accurate recording of gifts, pledges, and acknowledgements.
• Oversee basic bookkeeping functions within Advancement as they are phased into the role of the Office Assistant.
• Partner closely with Foundation Finance to ensure alignment between Advancement systems and financial records.
• Support compliance with institutional, SUNY, and Foundation policies related to gifts and data.

Prospect Research and Pipeline Support

• Supervise the Prospect Research Analyst, ensuring effective prospect identification, screening, research, and portfolio support.
• Collaborate with development staff to align prospect data, moves management, and reporting with fundraising strategies.
• Ensure systems and data processes support accurate tracking of prospect activity and outcomes.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervise and support the professional development of: Office Assistant (data entry, gift processing, bookkeeping); Prospect Research Analyst
• Foster a collaborative, detail-oriented, and service-focused team culture.
• Act as a key member of the Advancement team, working closely with fundraising, communications, events, alumni engagement, and donor relations colleagues.
• Serve as a liaison to IT for system support, enhancements, and troubleshooting.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Champion a mindset that values accurate input as the foundation for meaningful output, while remaining open to experimentation and improvement.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve reporting, and enhance user experience within Advancement systems.
• Balance adherence to best practices and data governance with creativity and flexibility in addressing evolving advancement needs.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of four (4) to six (6) years of experience in advancement services, advancement operations, CRM administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience working extensively with a fundraising or alumni CRM.
• Proven understanding of advancement data, gift processing, stewardship, prospect management, and reporting.
• Experience supervising staff or managing work across functional areas.
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to understand how multiple tools and platforms integrate.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data integrity.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Open-minded, problem-solving orientation with the ability to think creatively within structured systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with CRM implementation or migration projects; hands-on experience with Slate strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with online giving platforms (e.g., GiveCampus) and engagement tools.
• Higher education or nonprofit advancement experience.
• Experience training users or supporting system adoption.

Special Information

• This position is located in Saratoga Springs, NY.
• Occasional travel may be required to fulfill department and university-wide commitments.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.

Additional Information

Rank/Salary: Senior Staff Assistant, SL3 / $70,000-$75,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.

SUNY Empire is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. The University actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the University.