"Executive Director, Business Operations"

Position Summary

The Executive Director, Business Operations is responsible for planning, developing, and maintaining the infrastructure of financial, administrative, computing, information, and talent management functions in support of the fundraising and engagement efforts of the Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division at Rice University. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Organizational Strategy and Business Operations, the Executive Director, Business Operations provides strategic, managerial, and technical leadership within the division and is also a liaison to other key administrative departments within the university, serving on campus committees and task forces. This individual serves on the team responsible for advancing the vice president's overarching strategic vision and divisional strategy, with particular emphasis on the execution and alignment of annual planning initiatives and goal achievement.

The ideal candidate is an excellent communicator and relationship builder, has the ability to both advise and maintain confidentiality on sensitive issues, has strong analytical skills, and is a strategic leader with demonstrated success in coaching, managing, and guiding teams to achieve goals that support the mission of the university.

Workplace Requirements

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.*

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree, with an emphasis on some phase of business (business management, finance, accounting, computing, etc.)
• Six or more (6+) years of related professional experience in administration, financial and budget management, information systems, and talent management, including experience managing teams, programs, and projects

Skills

• Demonstrated leadership, supervisory, planning and strategic management skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lead and motivate groups of diverse individuals
• Excellent attention to detail and data analysis skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Maturity in judgment and ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and integrity
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office suite

Preferences

• Master's Degree (preferably MBA)
• Nine or more (9+) years of related professional experience described above
• Previous work in a similar role at Rice University, or at another university or non-profit organization
• Experience in collaborating with executive level leadership
• Ability to translate executive leadership needs into understandable and actionable items
• Experience with advancement CRMs, preferably Blackbaud CRM
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably Oracle Cloud

Essential Functions

• Develops, implements, and maintains a comprehensive strategy for the financial, administrative, computing, information and talent management functions for the Development and Alumni Relations Division
• Oversees the following functional teams consisting of approximately 30 staff members: Division Administration and DAR IT, Development Information Services, and Talent Management
• Collaborates with senior staff members in preparing the annual budget for each unit within the division and subsequently compiles the divisional budget of approximately $21 million
• Develops processes and procedures for divisional personnel administration regarding position descriptions, performance appraisals, salary administration, and hiring procedures
• Manages the identification of computing needs on an ongoing basis and the implementation of technology solutions, including hardware and software installation, configuration, upgrades, conversions, data security, training, and troubleshooting
• Oversees the campus-wide advancement system (OwlConnect, powered by Blackbaud CRM), including implementation of standards to facilitate accurate data entry, gift processing, and reporting, and the use of features such as prospect tracking, proposal tracking, contacts, and general ledger interface
• Accountable for the professional development and performance of direct reports
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Participates in benchmarking efforts, including compilation of data for external surveys
• Participates in salary and wage administration efforts, including survey reviews and compensation/equity analyses
• Evaluates the effectiveness of business processes and facilitates revisions as needed
• Has extensive contact within the university at all levels, including frequent contact with staff members in the Development and Alumni Relations Division and with all levels of campus administration
• Has frequent contact with vendors and other groups related to contract negotiations and other business needs of the division and also has contact with colleagues at peer institutions

Special Instructions to Applicants

All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.