The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA) is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated exclusively to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. The Foundation has an opening for a full-time director of development analytics and operations.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Under the vice president, development, the director of development analytics and operations will develop and leverage data-driven insights to drive strategic decision-making and fundraising growth. This position leads a team of professionals who manage the back-office support for the broader development team including gift entry, stewardship implementation, database management and reporting and project management. The director of development analytics and operations is part of a high-performing team that implements a comprehensive development program of identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding annual, major and planned gift donors and prospects from the general community, as well as involvement with the Wendy’s corporate, franchisee, and in-restaurant campaigns, to support the needs of the Foundation’s mission.  

ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Lead the data science and donor analytics of the Foundation’s fundraising program to inform data-driven decisions 

• Develop and implement comprehensive data strategies for the department, aligning data initiatives with organizational goals and priorities; conduct advanced analytics, develop predictive models and generate actionable recommendations to increase donor lifetime value, improve donor retention and drive fundraising effectiveness and efficiency
• Oversee the tools and/or partners that perform advanced analytical models and algorithms to extract valuable insights from large volumes of donor data, such as segmentation, predictive modeling, donor lifetime value analysis and churn prediction
• Develop and maintain donor dashboards and reports that provide relevant and actionable information about donor file health, donor segment migration and donor lifetime value to inform fundraising and marketing strategy
• Partner with the development, partnership and finance teams to collect, analyze and interpret donor data to uncover actionable insights
• Build predictive models for Wendy’s (~25%) and non-Wendy’s (~75%) revenue

2. Lead and oversee the Foundation’s development operations team

• Provide strategic direction and leadership to the development operations team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement 
• Develop training, provide support and mentor staff
• Oversee the team’s responsibilities for managing gift entry, data hygiene and reporting and project management; establish and implement policies and procedures to ensure data integrity and privacy
• Oversee management and administration of the Foundation’s fundraising software, including Raiser’s Edge, PaperSave, LexisNexis, and IWave, 

3. Assume responsibility for professional growth, stay current on industry trends, best practices and emerging technologies in data analytics, and proactively recommend opportunities for data integrity, innovation and improvement

4. Perform other duties as assigned

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Knowledge and skill in data management, data analysis, development of statistical data reports and data visualization
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex analytical concepts and findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong leadership and project management skills, with the ability to effectively lead and inspire a team; strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a methodical approach to drive results through data-drive decision-making
• Ability to analyze and review operational procedures, identify problem areas and optimize performance through procedural changes
• Flexible and able to multi-task; can work within a fast-moving environment, while also driving toward clarity and solutions; demonstrate resourcefulness in setting priorities in goal- and evidence-based activities
• Values diversity and supports an inclusive culture 
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality with privileged information

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Undergraduate degree in a related field
• 7 + years of experience in data analytics, predictive modeling and data visualization, preferably in a fundraising or non-profit environment
• Background and/or experience with statistics or finance preferred 
• Experience working with donor segmentation, data mining and donor journey analysis preferred

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Limited to no travel required

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant based on race, color, religion, religious beliefs, political affiliation, creed, HIV/AIDS status, ethnicity, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, familial status, veteran/military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, prior arrest or any other category protected by applicable law. Any employee who engages in such conduct is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.