Mercy For Animals

Lead and optimize advancement operations, donor experience, and technology infrastructure to support scalable fundraising growth. | Extensive experience in fundraising operations, proficiency with fundraising technology ecosystems, vendor management, and team leadership. | Senior Director, Advancement Services & Donor Experience Remote in United States & Canada Mercy For Animals aims to end industrial animal agriculture by constructing a just and sustainable food system. We envision a world where animals are respected, protected, and free. As a leading farmed animal advocacy organization, we know that achieving this goal requires a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative work environment—one that welcomes and sparks new perspectives and innovative ideas. If you are passionate about our mission, driven to make a big impact for animals, and eager to be part of a dedicated team, join us! We currently seek a Senior Director, Advancement Operations & Donor Experience to join our Development team. In this role, you will lead the systems, processes, and partnerships that enable scalable fundraising growth and a strong, consistent donor experience. This position is responsible for designing and strengthening advancement operations across all fundraising channels, ensuring reliable data, effective workflows, and operational accountability. The role works closely with internal teams and external partners to support revenue performance while keeping donor experience and compliance at the center. This is a senior, internal-facing role for a builder-operator—someone who can assess what’s working, identify where systems or processes need to evolve, and lead change at the intersection of strategy and execution. The Senior Director will help ensure Mercy For Animals’ fundraising infrastructure is equipped to support both long-standing supporters and new audiences critical to future growth. You will do invaluable work: • Design and Refine Advancement Operations & Donor Experience Architecture • Design and own end-to-end donor experience architecture across all giving levels • Build and operationalize stewardship strategy for giving societies • Lead the design and growth of planned giving infrastructure, including platform utilization, integration with direct response efforts, and alignment with major and principal gift strategies • Replace bespoke, manual, and relationship-dependent workflows with standardized, automated, and repeatable systems • Establish clear service models, decision rights, and accountability across advancement operations • Translate strategy into operational reality • Fundraising Technology & Vendor Strategy • Actively manage vendor relationships, including performance expectations, governance, and issue resolution • Assess tool adoption and ROI, and make clear recommendations about what to keep, optimize, replace, or retire • Build and maintain a multi-year fundraising technology roadmap • Lead formal platform evaluation and renewal processes • Partner closely with internal teams to drive implementation, integration, and change management • Ensure fundraising technology supports donor experience and team effectiveness • Prospect Development, Research, & Assignment Strategy • Design and oversee prospect research strategy, tooling, and workflows • Implement automated scoring, qualification, and assignment logic aligned with fundraising priorities • Establish and enforce portfolio construction, hygiene, and review standards • Own Board prospect intake, vetting, tracking, and follow-through processes • Ensure prospect development moves from ad hoc activity to a disciplined, repeatable system • Direct Response Fundraising Partnership Governance & Integration • Own and actively manage the external direct response fundraising partnership(s) • Lead onboarding, governance, and ongoing performance management of direct response vendors • Serve as the internal point of coordination • Ensure timely list coordination, content and analytics handoffs, and performance reviews • Integrate direct response efforts into the broader donor experience, ensuring consistency across channels • Treat direct response as a core growth engine • Budget, Capacity & Operational Risk Oversight • Lead development budget planning and ongoing monitoring in partnership with senior department leadership • Translate time freed through automation and system improvements into redeployed team capacity • Identify operational risk early and proactively recommend solutions • Support accurate forecasting, capacity planning, and resourcing decisions across fundraising programs • Team & Organizational Leadership • Manage and develop advancement operations staff • Elevate team members from task-based execution to end-to-end, systems-oriented thinking • Set clear priorities, expectations, and performance standards • Coach team members to diagnose problems, propose solutions, and execute with accountability • Foster a culture of continuous improvement, ownership, and cross-functional collaboration Your qualifications will take our Development team to the next level: • Seven or more years of experience in fundraising operations, advancement services, or revenue operations within a nonprofit or mission-driven organization • Demonstrated success designing and implementing scalable fundraising systems and processes • Deep experience with fundraising technology ecosystems, including CRMs (Salesforce preferred), prospect research and identification tools, and digital fundraising platforms • Strong track record managing vendors, technology roadmaps, and cross-functional implementations • Proven ability to simplify complex systems and lead teams through change • Strategic, systems-oriented thinker with strong execution instincts • Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills • Comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment with competing priorities • Commitment to Mercy For Animals’ mission and values • Commitment to continued personal and organizational growth in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles About Your Team Leader Amanda Rainey is chief philanthropy officer of Mercy For Animals, overseeing philanthropic relationships with individuals and organizations. Amanda leads the development of comprehensive, strategic fundraising plans and brings more than 20 years of dedicated leadership in the nonprofit sector, specializing in fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. She has expertise in capital campaigns, corporate partnerships, digital fundraising, and strategic partnerships and is known for tenacity and an unwavering commitment to driving long-term sustainability and impact. Amanda earned her master’s in education from Indiana University and her bachelor’s in education from Southeast Missouri State University. She has also earned the CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) credential. Compensation and Benefits (exempt) Earn an annual salary of $120,800 - $142,000, depending on qualifications, and enjoy a commute-free life as a remote team member. In addition to a collaborative and innovative work environment, you will be able to take part in our benefits package, including no- or low-cost health, vision, and dental insurance; generous paid time off and sick leave; and 401(k) retirement plan, with a dollar-to-dollar employer match of up to 3.5% of your annual earnings. Application Details We consider traditional and nontraditional qualifications and carefully review each application, resume, and cover letter. Feel encouraged to go outside a traditional cover letter and state how you would add to our culture; what we would gain from having you on our team; and how you align with our organizational vision, mission, and values. To ensure fairness in the hiring process, we request that all applicants refrain from submitting materials that are generated entirely by artificial intelligence tools. We recognize that such tools can be useful in refining tone, grammar, and clarity, but please ensure that your materials reflect your personal experience, qualifications, and authentic voice. Our Commitment to You Mercy For Animals is a globally minded organization. We are committed to the principles of equity and justice, and our culture celebrates authenticity—enabling every team member to shine. All employment decisions are based solely on individual qualifications, job needs, and job requirements, and potential team members of every color, orientation, age, gender, origin, veteran status, and ability are encouraged to apply. We strive to include candidates from historically marginalized communities and those from or in communities impacted by environmental, social, and economic injustice. In addition, please let us know if you have a reasonable accommodation request at any point within the hiring process. 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