Associate Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives (Development Operations Director, I)

Position Description

RAND has an exciting opportunity for adevelopment professional who is looking to use theirexpertisein a highly collaborative and mission-driven organization. This position, AssociateDirector of Development,Strategic Initiatives,will contribute to the organization's fundraisingobjectivesby strategically managing aspects related to philanthropiccohort engagementand associatedprogramming.It will also have a dotted linetostewardship activities, including preparing endowments reports.Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, Strategic Initiatives, this role will serve as a bridge between fundraising and operations, developing both external and internal relationships while providing strategic oversight of board meetinglogistics, communications, and documentation. The successful candidate will advancekey donor cohortrelationships and contribute to achieving the department's philanthropicobjectivesthrough exceptional project management and stakeholder engagement.

Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assistingwithprojectmanagementfor engagementactivities with key donor cohorts,includingphilanthropic advisory boards,developingtimelinesand managing deliverables including invitations, research coordination, presentations, and print materials.

• Supporting the coordination ofcomprehensiveprogram materials,logistics, and leadership briefings to ensure seamless donor experiences and stakeholder preparedness.

• Partneringwith the Executive Director of Development, Strategic Initiativesand Executive Managersto develop andmaintainfunding relationships by cultivating goodwill through a consistently positive, proactive, and accountable management relations process.

• Assistingwithkey communications and written materials to aid in Development's efforts, includingsupport of impact reporting, such asmanaging the endowment reporting process in partnership with the Senior Director of Stewardship.

• Facilitating the design and delivery ofonboarding materials for new board members and internal staff supporting board operations.

• Assistingwith managing and analyzingprospect anddonor engagement data, preparing regular reports on key performance indicators, and recommending data-driven improvements to strategy.

• Inpartnership withExecutive Managers, assistingindeveloping,documenting, and continuously improvingstandard operating procedures (SOPs) fordonor cohort management, donor stewardship, and eventlogistics.

• Supporting project-relatedwork of Development Coordinatorsassistingin donor andcohortactivities.

• Supporting the maintenance and implementation of technologysolutions to support board operations, donor management, and event planning, including applications such as Asana, Salesforce, Workday, and internal programs.

• Collaborating with internal colleagues across the organization to effectively communicate the impact of philanthropic funding to donors and grantors while serving as a liaison for cross-divisional projects.

Qualifications

Required:

• Previousexperience in the fundraising or non-profitsector;

• Demonstrated event planning and project management experience thatdemonstratesattention to details, an ability to plan, organize and work on multipleprojects;

• Demonstrated experience interacting with donors, advisors, and other key external stakeholders

• Demonstrated experience analyzing data and providing data-backedrecommendations;

• Excellent written,verbaland interpersonal communications skills with a proven track records of the ability to interact effectively and diplomatically with donors andstaff andcollaboration effectively across varyingstakeholders;

• Demonstrated problem-solving skills anddecision makingskills, ability to meet deadlines under general guidance and supervision in a dynamic and ever-changing environment, resourcefulness, curiosity, openness to learning andflexibility;

• Ability and eagerness to quickly learn new software andsystems;

• Ability to work evenings and weekends forevents;

• Ability to travel regularly,approximately 15-20%

Preferred:

• Experience using a CRM or donordatabase

Education

Bachelor's degreerequired.

Experience

A minimum of1-2years of relevant experiencerequired.

Location

This position will be in the RAND Santa Monica office location with an option to work fully onsite or hybrid 2-3 days per week.

Salary Range:$64,400 - $96,100

RAND considers a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to, the specific role and associated responsibilities; a candidate's work experience, education/training, skills,expertise; and internal equity. Thesalary range includes base pay plus RAND'ssabbaticpay (which providesadditionalcompensation above base pay when vacation is taken). In addition, RAND provides strong benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, paid time-off and more.

Application Review Date

March 30th, 2026