Development Operations Manager

Regular, Full-Time

The Vancouver Art Gallery believes creativity is fundamental to an open and engaged world. Bring your experience in fundraising operations, people leadership and administration to one of Canada’s leading arts institutions.

The Development Operations Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the department, ensuring its people, systems and processes effectively support fundraising and donor engagement. The Manager supervises the Administrative Assistant and Database Officer and oversees donor database management, gift processing, reporting, meeting preparation and event logistics.

As the Development Operations Manager, you will plan an important part in supporting annual fundraising and the capital campaign. You will establish priorities, coordinate workloads, strengthen administrative processes and ensure fundraising colleagues and Gallery leadership have the accurate information and operational support they need to build donor relationships and achieve departmental goals.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

People Management and Labour Relations

• Oversee and supervise the Administrative Assistant and Database Officer, setting performance expectations for direct reports, complete performance and probation reviews, and decide and monitor performance improvement plans.
• Make probation and promotion decisions within delegated authority and the applicable collective agreements.
• Review work for accuracy, consistency and timeliness, resolving competing requests for administrative and database support.
• Develop documented procedures and cross-training to maintain continuity during absences and periods of increased activity.
• Identify staff development needs and recommend improvements to processes, resources and departmental capacity
• Lead recruitment and onboarding processes, in partnership with People & Culture

Departmental Operations and Workflow Management

• Establish work plans, assign responsibilities and coordinate workloads to meet departmental priorities and deadlines across fundraising, stewardship, events and reporting; Set service priorities, standards and turnaround times
• Decide how Development Operations will resource competing requests and escalate trade-offs that affect department-wide commitments.

• Translate departmental priorities as established by the Senior Director of Development into clear tasks, timelines and deliverables.
• Work with other Gallery departments on cross-departmental needs.
• Lead preparation and monitoring of the Development operating budget; approve expenditures within delegated limits and escalate to the appropriate approval authority as required

Database Oversight and Reporting

• Oversee the administration of Raiser’s Edge/NXT, ensuring accurate, consistent and accessible donor, prospect, gift and pledge information.
• Establish standards for data entry, constituent records, gift coding, relationship tracking and documentation.
• Conduct regular reviews to ensure donor interactions, proposals, commitments and next steps are recorded consistently by the appropriate team members.
• Direct the preparation of queries, mailing lists, dashboards and reports that support fundraising planning, stewardship and leadership oversight.
• Monitor revenue, outstanding pledges, donor renewals, prospect activity and progress against fundraising goals.
• Coordinate database training, troubleshooting and process improvements with the Database Officer.
• Ensure appropriate controls and procedures for confidential donor information.

Gift Administration and Financial Coordination

• Oversee timely and accurate gift processing, acknowledgements and charitable tax receipts in collaboration with the Database Officer and Finance.
• Oversee the production and organization of proposals, gift agreements, sponsorship materials and presentations, working from content developed by the appropriate colleagues.
• Monitor pledge schedules, payment reminders, outstanding commitments and supporting documentation.
• Coordinate regular reconciliation between Development and Finance records and ensure discrepancies are resolved.
• Ensure administrative practices follow Gallery policies and applicable charitable receipting requirements.
• Coordinate the documentation and administrative requirements of gifts of securities, estate gifts and other contributions with Finance and relevant advisors.

Development Meetings and Events

• Set priorities and service standards for donor, prospect, Development Committee and campaign meetings, as well as donor cultivation and recognition events; Assign responsibility for planning, delivery and follow-through.
• Direct the preparation of donor briefings, committee and campaign reports, and event materials.
• Determine staffing and coverage needs for events and approve assignments within the approved budget
• Set expectations for guest experience, accessibility and event delivery; Resolve operational issues with Gallery teams, venues and suppliers
• Review event outcomes and expenses, verify that records and donor data are updated, and decide what to improve for future meetings and events.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE

Experience and Education

As the Development Operations Manager, you bring a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in development operations, fundraising administration, donor services or a related field. You also hold a post-secondary degree or diploma in an area such as business administration, or a combination of education and relevant experience.

• Demonstrated experience directly managing staff in a unionized environment, including selection, formal performance and probation reviews, corrective action, discipline and collective agreement administration; Experience handling grievances in partnership with Human Resources is an asset.
• Experience with gift processing, pledge administration, financial reconciliation and charitable receipting practices.
• Experience coordinating meetings, events and projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong proficiency with Raiser’s Edge/NXT or a comparable fundraising database, including reporting, queries and data management.
• Demonstrated ability to establish effective administrative systems and improve processes.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and sound judgment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the preparation of correspondence, reports and presentation materials.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive donor and financial information and confidential employee and labour relations matters.
• A collaborative, service-oriented approach and an interest in the Gallery’s artistic and public mission.
• Availability to support occasional evening and weekend events as needed
• Demonstrated ability to model respectful and inclusive workplace behaviour through a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, including Indigenous ways of being, ensuring these principles are embedded in all the work we do

COMPENSATION AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is an excluded (non-unionized), permanent full-time position based at the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver.

Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 annually, based on experience and education.

TO APPLY

Please submit your application through our career portal on our website. Please note that only applicants with Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or a valid work permit will be considered. This posting will be open until filled.

WHAT WE PROVIDE FOR YOU

The Vancouver Art Gallery wants you to be your best. We provide full-time and regular part-time employees with extended medical and dental coverage, long-term disability and life insurance, joint employer/employee pension contributions and generous vacation entitlements.

Our Values

The Vancouver Art Gallery commits to five core values that guide all that we do:

• We are respectful of the unceded Indigenous territory upon which we are situated
• We are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment
• We believe that curiosity is a pathway to innovation
• We establish clear goals and expectations to cultivate a culture of accountability
• We foster successful collaboration through thoughtful communication and active listening

The Vancouver Art Gallery is situated on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəyəm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations. We offer a welcoming, team-based office culture, and we are committed to providing equitable access to everyone. We actively support accessibility, anti-racism, LGBTQ2S+ inclusion, and encourage diversity in our staff, volunteers, visitors, and programming. We cultivate a safer space where all voices are heard, valued and represented.

More About the Vancouver Art Gallery

Founded in 1931, the Vancouver Art Gallery is recognized as one of North America’s most innovative visual arts institutions. The Gallery’s celebrated exhibitions, extensive public programs and emphasis on advancing scholarship all focus on historical and contemporary art from British Columbia and around the world. Special attention is given to the accomplishments of Indigenous artists, as well as to those of the Asia Pacific region through the Centre for Global Asias (formerly the Institute of Asian Art) founded in 2014. The Gallery’s exhibitions also explore the impact of images in the larger sphere of visual culture, design and architecture.

The Gallery’s new Richardson Family Art of Wellbeing Lab furthers its commitment to community by promoting the role of art in fostering health and wellbeing. Developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, researchers and Indigenous Elders, the lab creates opportunities for individuals to engage with art in ways that support mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is a charitable not-for-profit organization supported by its members, individual donors, corporate funders, foundations, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.