Washington University in St. Louis

Senior Associate Director Of Gift Operations - University Advancement

166 Red St, Clayton, MO 63105

Full-time · $78k–$88k (as posted)

First seen by offpeak October 4, 2026

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Location

SAINT LOUIS, MO 63105

Scheduled Hours

37.5

Position Summary

The Senior Associate Director of Gift Operations is a leadership role in the Advancement Operations area of Advancement Services in University Advancement (UA) at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). The incumbent is responsible for providing direction and guidance to the Gift Operations team, and all charitable gifts and donors to WashU. Leads and develops a team of FTEs that includes the Gift Operations Analyst, Gift Operations Specialists and Gift Operations Coordinators. This position reports to the Executive Director of Advancement Services.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

GIFT OPERATIONS

Organize, prioritize, assign, and audit workflow in Gift Operations.
Engage in all Gift Operations functions including the accurate and timely processing of gifts and commitments in the University Advancement CRM, ARCH; ensure transactions are processed in accordance with documented donor intent and in compliance with relevant IRS, CASE, university, and departmental guidelines.

Manage daily gift entry audits and approval of gift batches for bank deposits and reporting to WashU Gift, Endowment & Investment (GEI) Accounting

Manage the complex function of processing gift and commitment voids and adjustments in CRM.
Partner with the Gift Operations Analyst as the escalation point to address UA and university partner questions and concerns.
Monitor UA staff requests and inquiries received via Salesforce Cases in CRM, assign ownership to team members and ensure successful and timely completion.
Review, analyze and process legal documents and gift agreements to ensure university processing and audit standards are met while maintaining donor integrity, confidentiality, and security.

Key contact with WashU partners and UA staff on Gifts-in-Kind process, documentation, and value determination to ensure adherence to IRS guidelines.

QUALITY & PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

Develop and maintain quality controls and lead continuous improvement efforts related to donation processing in the CRM to ensure adherence with donor intent, university and department policies and industry best practices; address inconsistencies and errors with staff to improve outcomes.

Develop, monitor, and maintain key metrics dashboards to evaluate team effectiveness across the department.

Lead continuous improvement efforts plus leverage best practices and staff talents to increase efficiencies; identify opportunities and develop improved operational processes to gain greater efficiency.

Maintain appropriate separation of duties per the university’s Guide to Internal Controls.

Ensure team members use Cases to report and track ARCH database concerns, issues, and suggestions.

Participate in ARCH discussions and planning sessions to address functionality issues and future phases while being an advocate for Gift Operations/Advancement Operations/Advancement Services.
Assess Gift Operations policies and procedures; update as needed.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE

Collaborate with Gift Operations Analyst and Gift, Endowment & Investment Accounting (GEI) on compliance, controls and implementation of procedures related to processing gifts, gift reporting, daily balancing, and reconciliation.
Partner with WashU Treasury on banking relationships, credit card merchant processors, and PCI compliance.
Ensure departmental processes are documented, updated at regular intervals, and are being adhered to.

STAKEHOLDER & TEAM MANAGEMENT

Execute priorities established in conjunction with Advancement Services and University Advancement leadership.

Implement established policies and procedures.

Build strong relationships and collaborate with WashU and UA stakeholders to understand business needs, provide insightful leadership, and ensure teams align with UA goals and objectives.

Advocate for Gift Operations.

Partner with ARCH Third Party Systems to create and build relationships with external vendors and serve as a key contact to donation form developers, payment processors, lockbox services, data providers, etc.

Direct day-to-day operations and create an environment of accountability.

Recruit, onboard, supervise and mentor full-time department staff.

Identify and monitor progress toward clear individual and team goals while providing clear direction and encouraging individual thinking and innovation.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Job Location/Working Conditions

Normal office environment
Ability to travel to various on- and off-campus locations
Occasional evening or weekend hours may be needed

Physical Effort

Typically working at desk or table
Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement
Occasional lifting (25 lbs or less)

Equipment

Office equipment

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience:

Relevant Experience (5 Years)

Skills:

Not Applicable

Driver's License:

A driver's license is not required for this position.

More About This Job

Preferred Qualifications

Strong data management experience, knowledge of CASE and IRS guidelines on processing gifts and commitments, and experience managing gift processing functions with outstanding attention to detail and accuracy.
Demonstrated experience with nonprofit CRM platforms and fundraising technologies.
Leadership and team management experience in a higher-education or nonprofit environment, especially in a gift operations capacity.
Experience with Affinaquest.
Experience automating manual systems in a CRM.
Experience with data migration efforts and data quality efforts.

This position is located in St. Louis, MO and the targeted hiring range for this position is $78,000 - $88,000. Relocation assistance can be provided to candidates located outside of the Greater St. Louis region.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

No additional education unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Work Experience:

No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Skills:

Accounting Principles, Collaboration, Communication, Confidentiality, Critical Thinking, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Data Analysis, Data Interpretations, Data Management, Detail-Oriented, Fundraising Software, Interact with All Levels of Management, Leadership, Meeting Deadlines, Mentorship, Microsoft Office, Nonprofit Organizations, People Management, Prioritization, Process Improvements, Project Management, Records Management, Salesforce (Software), Sound Judgment, Working Independently

Grade

G13

Salary Range

$65,900.00 - $112,700.00 / Annually

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.

Questions

For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Personal

Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.

Wellness

Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!

Family

We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

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