Director of Development Operations

Location: Silver Spring, Maryland

Supervisor: Vice President of Development

Status: Full-time, Exempt, Two direct reports

About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Founded in 2000, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, is the national nonprofit partner to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS). Together, we work to protect America’s most treasured ocean and Great Lakes areas — places of extraordinary biodiversity, maritime heritage, and community value.

Guided by our commitment to Waters for All, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation connects people to the ocean and Great Lakes through education, conservation, and community engagement.

As the official nonprofit partner of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, we support 18 marine environments from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. We protect these iconic places, care for marine wildlife and habitats, honor our nation’s maritime heritage, and promote the enjoyment of public waters by all Americans.

Through public fundraising and partnerships, we invest in community stewardship and engagement, on-the-water conservation and restoration, education and outreach in visitor centers and gateway communities, and cutting-edge scientific exploration.

For more than 25 years, we’ve strengthened people’s connections to our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes—our shared history, culture, and maritime heritage—and built partnerships with coastal communities and businesses tied to over 629,000 square miles of public waters that belong to all Americans.

About the National Marine Sanctuaries

America’s national marine sanctuaries are living classrooms, laboratories, and community assets that protect the waters shaping our shared future. Managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), this network of 18 marine protected areas is multi-use by nature and spans more than 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes — from coral reefs and kelp forests to historic shipwrecks and whale migration routes.

In partnership with marine research institutions, universities, and private-public partnerships, activities in each sanctuary are sources of solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Sanctuaries safeguard marine biodiversity, sustain fisheries, power coastal economies, and inspire stewardship through science, education and outreach, and outdoor recreation from boating to fishing. Many sanctuary gateway communities include visitor centers and community partnerships with zoos, aquariums, and museums that extend this impact — serving as hubs for conservation, innovation, commerce, and tourism where people engage directly with the ocean and Great Lakes.

Together, these sites demonstrate how healthy waters and thriving communities are inseparable — and why protecting them is essential.

What We Need

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, is seeking a Director of Development Operations, who will be responsible for working alongside Development Leadership to implement the new strategic plan, Voyage 2029: Safeguarding our Shared Waters; an operational strategy to drive donor investment and engagement with the Foundation. This is achieved through customer relationship management, software utilization, development of stewardship initiatives, organization of donor engagement opportunities, and a focus on continuous improvement of key metrics and process effectiveness through data collection and analysis.

The person in this role will lead and oversee daily operations for Development staff, implementing and improving donor management systems, developing operational strategies to support fundraising goals, implementing direct fundraising operations and strategy, and managing budgets and resources, tools and processes for the department spanning individual, sustainer, and major donor giving for the national organization. The Director of Development Operations, will have proven experience, strong leadership, analytical skills, and financial management skills to ensure the Development team can effectively execute its mission. This role reports directly into the VP of Development and manages two reports.

What You’ll Do

Lead Development Operations

• Identification and Pipeline Management– Partner with Development team members to identify major gift and institutional funding opportunities, refine cultivation strategies, and track progress. Build and maintain a clear, accurate Salesforce pipeline that illustrates projections, supports management, and informs strategic decision-making.
• Reporting, Analytics & Performance Insights– Develop dashboards, reports, and longitudinal analyses that track team and individual performance, reveal trends, and identify inefficiencies or opportunities for improvement. Provide timely, actionable reporting for Development leadership, board committees, and key stakeholders to demonstrate progress and impact.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Operational Strategy– Work closely with Development leadership and colleagues across Marketing and Communications, Finance, and Program Operations to develop and execute an integrated fundraising strategy. Ensure seamless coordination so frontline fundraisers can maximize donor cultivation and revenue generation.
• Process Improvement & Workflow Optimization– Evaluate and enhance development processes by implementing technology, tools, and standardized workflows that improve efficiency, strengthen data utilization, and elevate the donor journey. Drive continuous process innovation with a proactive, solutions-focused approach.
• Budget, Vendor & Resource Management– Manage departmental budgets and resource allocation to support strategic priorities. Build and maintain strong vendor relationships to ensure high-quality, cost-effective products and services. Align operational goals and systems across departments to support organizational objectives and fundraising success.

Database & Customer Relationship Management

Oversee and optimize the Foundation’s donor management systems (Salesforce, etc.).

• Ensure accurate and efficient gift entry, data integrity, donor acknowledgment, and the creation of notes, actions, and dashboards that support real-time fundraising insights.
• Develop and implement standardized yet customizable workflows for a segmented national donor portfolio, ensuring a consistent, high-quality donor experience across all touchpoints.
• Build systems for regular data evaluation and hygiene, configure automated interactions to increase reach and efficiency, and equip the VP of Development and frontline fundraisers with the tools, reporting, and strategy needed to drive effective moves management and sustained donor engagement.

Direct & Digital Fundraising Operations

Lead operations supporting an integrated direct response fundraising program—including both print direct mail and digital campaigns—with a strong emphasis on operational execution, systems management, and data-driven decision-making.

• Manage the operational workflow for multi-channel fundraising campaigns (print and digital), ensuring accurate data pulls, segmentation, tracking, and donor record management within a CRM environment (Salesforce preferred).
• Work with external vendors and internal teams to coordinate production and delivery of direct mail packages, digital appeals, renewal series, stewardship communications, and year-end campaigns.
• Strategize, design and implement segmentation strategies, testing plans, and automated donor journeys that improve retention, sustainer conversion, and lifetime value.
• Build dashboards, reports, KPIs, and performance analyses that inform fundraising strategy for individual giving, sustainer programs, and major donor pipelines.
• Utilize CRM and digital fundraising tools to streamline campaign execution, track donor behavior, and identify opportunities for improved ROI and efficiency across channels.
• Ensure data hygiene, audience accuracy, and consistent donor experience across print, email, SMS, social, landing pages, and integrated giving platforms.
• Support the VP of Development and frontline fundraisers in moves management by providing insights from direct response performance, donor analytics, and behavioral trends.
• Translate complex campaign results into actionable improvements in process, technology, stewardship, and budget planning.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher with a minimum of six to ten years’ experience; extensive work experience in operations.
• Mission-driven with strong leadership, analytical, interpersonal, management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven track record of Development Operations campaign and systems management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with database management, particularly donor management systems and CRMs, direct (digital and print) fundraising tools and campaign familiarity.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, contractors, and resources effectively.
• Proven ability to analyze, visualize, and communicate data and create actionable insights for a wide audience.
• Experience with strategic planning and process improvement initiatives.
• Ability to lead and mentor a team.
• Ability to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• Assist in the development of annual performance and professional development goals, support and monitor progress towards goals, and conduct annual performance evaluations.
• Approve travel requests, timecards, and time off requests.
• Regular attendance required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to travel up to 15%

Why You Will Love Us

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (“Foundation”) is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, working with communities to conserve and expand those special places for a healthy ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The Foundation works in close partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to increase stewardship of our ocean and Great Lakes through on-the-water conservation projects, education and public outreach activities, and by support for research. Together, we safeguard species and the places they call home and support coastal communities and economies.

• Dedicated and passionate staff committed to marine and Great Lakes Conservation
• Generous leave policy, plus paid time off the week between December 25 and January 1; and 12 paid holidays
• Health benefits: Medical with an FSA option; dental, and vision
• Foundation paid Life and Disability Insurance
• Preparing for the Future: 403(B) with employer contribution after one year of service
• Commuter Benefits

Compensation and Benefits: $95,000 - $110,000/year based on experience. The Foundation offers a competitive benefits package.

Apply through the Foundation's online portal. A cover letter, resume, and three professional references are required with your application. Applications received by February 6th, 2026 will be preferred.

Location: Washington, D.C. (Silver Spring HQ office location), with an ability to work on a hybrid schedule.

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The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This commitment applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, and training. The Foundation makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

• Dedicated and passionate staff committed to marine and Great Lakes Conservation
• Generous leave policy, plus paid time off the week between December 25 and January 1; and 12 paid holidays
• Health benefits: Medical with an FSA option; dental, and vision
• Foundation paid Life and Disability Insurance
• Preparing for the Future: 403(B) with employer contribution after one year of service
• Commuter Benefits