The British Academy
Development Operations Manager
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The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences
The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Development Operations Manager to join our team in Fellowship and Development directorate, responsible for managing our important systems infrastructure to aid in successful fundraising.
ROLE PURPOSE
The Development Operations Manager is a new role within the British Academy's Development Team, responsible for managing the systems, data and insight that underpin successful fundraising. As we prepare for our 125th Anniversary Campaign in 2027 and the next phase of philanthropic growth, the postholder will ensure colleagues have the tools, information and support they need to manage donor relationships, stewardship activity and fundraising performance.
The postholder will lead on Salesforce and other fundraising systems, championing data quality, reporting and operational best practice across the team. They will work closely with colleagues to strengthen processes, improve the use of data and provide the insight needed to support fundraising decisions and long term relationship management.
We are looking for someone who is proactive, organised and solutions focused, with the confidence to translate complex information into clear and actionable insight. They will also bring strong CRM expertise and a commitment to continuous improvement.
This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the operational foundations of a growing fundraising programme and join the Academy at a pivotal moment in its development. We are seeking applicants with experience of CRM management, data analysis and fundraising or supporter focused operations, who are keen to make a lasting contribution to the Academy's future success.
OFFICE LOCATION
10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1Y 5AH
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
CRM and Fundraising Systems Management
- Act as the Development Department's lead user for Salesforce CRM and associated fundraising systems coordinating with the central Salesforce support Team.
- Develop, maintain and improve CRM processes, workflows, reporting and user guidance.
- Promote data quality, system adoption and operational best practice across the Department.
- Support Fellowship and awardholder alumni activity where shared data, communications or subscription processes intersect with Development operations (e.g. guest list, membership details, communications, etc.)
Fundraising Support, Donor Management and Operational Delivery
- Develop and maintain CRM structures that support donor journeys, research and pipeline growth and campaign delivery across all categories of donors.
- Enable effective stewardship through the accurate management of donor preferences, engagement history, interactions and recognition activity.
- Identify opportunities to improve supporter experience, fundraising effectiveness and operational.
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Data Management, Insight & Reporting
- Produce reports, dashboards and management information to support fundraising performance, Fellowship and awardholder alumni engagement for both the Directorate and senior leadership.
- Working with lead fundraisers, monitor fundraising performance, pipeline progression and donor trends, providing insight and recommendations where appropriate.
- Maintain reporting frameworks, data definitions and performance measures to ensure consistency and accuracy.
Gift Administration & Financial Reconciliation
- Oversee the accurate and timely recording of gifts, pledges, grants, subscriptions and other fundraising income together with related records (donor commitments, payment schedules and Gift Aid declarations).
- Manage fundraising payment platforms, including GoCardless, Stripe, CAF and future platforms.
- Work with the Finance Team to reconcile and report fundraising income.
Digital Fundraising Systems
- Support the Individual Giving Manager in enhancing the online donor journey and user experience.
- Coordinate with the Communications & IT Teams to improve digital fundraising performance and supporter experience.
- Gather and document business requirements for system developments and operational improvements across fundraising activities.
Governance, Compliance & Best Practice
- Maintain documentation, controls and audit trails across fundraising systems and processes.
- Support the development and implementation of operational best practice across the Development Team.
- Keep up to date with developments in fundraising operations, CRM systems and sector best practice.
General
- Work collaboratively across the Development Team and wider Academy to support shared objectives.
- Contribute to wider departmental and organisational priorities.
- Participate in occasional evening events or meetings as required.
- Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the role.
Key Stakeholders
- Internal: Development Team; Fellowship & Alumni Team; Finance Team; Central Systems / CRM Team; Communications Team, IT Team; Governance and senior stakeholders.
- External: Donors (as required for operational or donor care matters); suppliers and service providers (e.g. mailing houses, consultants).
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFICATIONS
- Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
- Works and communicates effectively
- Builds and maintains effective working relationships with colleagues and other stakeholders.
- Adapts communication style appropriately for different audiences and situations.
- Works collaboratively across teams, recognising and balancing competing priorities.
- Handles sensitive or challenging situations with professionalism, diplomacy and discretion.
- Demonstrates a customer focused approach when supporting colleagues, donors and other stakeholders.
- Promotes a positive and professional image of the Academy
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KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Demonstrates and develops appropriate knowledge and skills
- Strong CRM expertise, preferably Salesforce, including data management, reporting, workflow development and user support.
- Experience of fundraising operations, database administration or a similar operational role.
- Experience of producing reports, dashboards and data analysis to support decision making.
- Understanding of systems integrations, digital platforms and operational infrastructure.
- Sound understanding of GDPR, data protection and compliance requirements.
- Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy.
- Ability to explain technical and operational concepts clearly to non-technical audiences.
PROACTIVITY AND PLANNING
- Manages time and resources effectively in order to achieve own and organisational objectives
- Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage a diverse operational workload with minimal day to day supervision.
- Prioritises effectively across operational delivery, projects and competing deadlines.
- Takes ownership of responsibilities and proactively identifies opportunities for improvement.
- Monitors progress and adapt plans responsively in a changing environment.
PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
- Ensures good decisions are made through a rational and methodical approach
- Demonstrates a proactive and solutions focused approach to resolving issues.
- Uses data, evidence and analysis to support decision making and recommendations.
- Responds constructively to unexpected issues and adapts processes where necessary.
- Escalates risks and issues appropriately while taking responsibility for day-to-day resolution
LEADERSHIP
- Gives a clear sense of direction while inspiring others with vision and actions
- Acts as a subject matter expert in development operations, CRM systems and data management.
- Uses expertise to encourage good practice and operational consistency across the Development Department.
- Thinks beyond their immediate area of responsibility to contribute to wider departmental and organisational objectives.
- Champions continuous improvement and promotes efficient and effective ways of working.
MUST BE COMMITTED TO THE BRITISH ACADEMY'S WORKPLACE VALUES OF:
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Empathy
- Excellence
- Integrity
- Resilience
- Respect
Role closes to applications on 12 October 2026
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