VP of Membership & Development Operations

White Bear Lake, MN
Full Time
Business Development
Experienced
Application Deadline: October 26, 2026
Anticipated Start Date: January 2027

Position Summary: The Vice President of Membership and Development Operations leads the organization’s membership and annual giving strategy and establishes the development operations infrastructure, standards, and accountability needed to support fundraising growth across Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

This leader provides organizational oversight of membership and donor gift processing, supporter services, stewardship, data standards, and reporting. Working closely with the Chief Development Officer and cross-functional partners, the Vice President strengthens Development Team capabilities, guides operational investments, and supports the strategy and execution of organization-wide capital campaigns.

Primary Responsibilities:
Development Operations and Stewardship
  • Lead an integrated development operations strategy supporting membership, annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and capital campaigns, with clear ownership and accountability across teams.
  • Provide organizational oversight of membership and donor gift processing, including gift entry, designation, acknowledgments, receipting, pledge administration, recurring payments, and membership benefit fulfillment.
  • Establish organizational policies, standards, and accountability for development operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and consistency across fundraising programs. Partner with Development, Finance and Information Technology on reconciliation, gift acceptance, donor privacy, and data access.
  • Lead organizational stewardship and recognition strategies that protect donor intent, communicate conservation impact, and strengthen member and donor relationships.
  • Provide strategic oversight of supporter services and operational partnerships, aligning service quality, capacity, and investment with organizational needs while reducing administrative demands on fundraisers.
Membership and Annual Giving Strategy
  • Develop and oversee strategies for annual and life membership acquisition, renewal, retention, upgrades, and reactivation.
  • Lead annual giving and recurring giving programs that deepen engagement, attract new donors, and grow philanthropic support.
  • Provide strategic direction for coordinated direct mail, email, digital, and AutoPay initiatives, including segmentation, messaging, premiums, testing, and evaluation.
  • Collaborate with Development leadership to connect members and annual donors with major, planned, and campaign giving opportunities.
  • Provide strategic oversight of membership and annual giving activities at National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other priority membership and donor events.
Data and Reporting
  • Establish consistent data definitions, quality standards, and reporting practices that produce accurate, reproducible membership and fundraising results.
  • Guide development technology and reporting priorities in partnership with Development and Information Technology, ensuring systems support fundraising strategy and informed decision-making.
  • Oversee dashboards and analysis of membership, donor, campaign, and operational performance, translating findings into recommendations for strategy and resource allocation.
Team Leadership
  • Advise the Chief Development Officer and senior leadership on membership growth, fundraising infrastructure, operational risks, and investments needed to achieve organizational goals.
  • Lead and develop the Membership and Development Operations Team through clear priorities, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
  • Set the strategy for Development Team training and professional development, ensuring consistent application of fundraising best practices and organizational standards, including CRM use, gift documentation, reporting, and stewardship.
  • Develop and manage departmental budgets, revenue goals, staffing plans, and operational objectives aligned with organizational strategy.
  • Build effective cross-functional partnerships and communicate progress, challenges, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Perform other duties as assigned. Some travel is required including annual Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other members and donor related events.

Qualifications:
  • Commitment to the mission of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and an appreciation for conservation, hunting, and the outdoors.
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
  • At least seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising, membership, annual giving, or development operations experience, including staff leadership.
  • Demonstrated success growing membership or annual giving programs and leading gift processing, stewardship, or fundraising operations.
  • Strong knowledge of CRM systems, data management, and fundraising reporting; experience with Microsoft Dynamics is preferred.
  • Ability to translate data into strategic decisions, establish effective organizational practices, and lead staff training and development.
  • Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, with the ability to guide cross-functional initiatives and organizational change.
  • Sound judgment and a commitment to donor confidentiality and responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
  • Experience supporting capital campaigns, major gifts, or planned giving is preferred.
Compensation and Location: Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications. Range $100,000- $120,000. This position will be located at Pheasants Forever’s National Office in White Bear Lake, MN.

To Apply: Please combine your cover letter, resume and three references into a single Word document or PDF file before uploading as part of your application on our recruitment website at www.pheasantsforever.org/jobs.

For more information: Contact James Roberts, Pheasants Forever Chief Development Officer, at [email protected].
 
Pheasants Forever is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, disability status, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including but not limited to selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
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