Senior Director, Data Strategy and Marketing Technology

Department

ADV Analytics & Technology Solutions

About the Department

The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Advancement Technology team delivers the data, systems, tools, and technology strategy that power UChicago Advancement’s ambitious fundraising and engagement goals. Taking an enterprise approach to data and systems, the team develops and supports systems and tools that are consistent, scalable, and adaptable. In close collaboration with stakeholders across Advancement and the broader University, Advancement Technology translates program strategies into innovative, integrated solutions that enable, enhance, and accelerate fundraising and engagement outcomes. The team is committed to continuous innovation, centralized governance, and building partnerships that ensure technology investments are secure, future facing, and optimized for Advancement goals.

Job Summary

The Senior Director will lead a dynamic and growing team of data and technology professionals, to spearhead the development of reporting and data tools that equip UChicago’s 400+ fundraisers and Advancement professionals to meet the bold goal of raising over $1B annually. They will foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and accountability, empowering teams across a complex matrix organization to fully leverage data to engage more alumni, strengthen relationships, and increase philanthropic impact.

This role may manage multiple teams of managers and/or professional staff responsible for developing analytic programs and supporting the use of analytic platforms and administrative data across the University. Reviews administrative data for joint analyses across multiple domains. Partners with functional stewards, business units, and user partners to develop reporting and analytic solutions with appropriate data governance and secure access.

Responsibilities

• Under guidance and direction from the Executive Director of Advancement Technology, designs and proposes comprehensive vision and strategy for how new/improved reporting, data management, and marketing automations strategies can further Advancement goals.
• Champions and drives adoption of the data strategy and culture of data-driven decision-making, and innovation throughout the organization.
• Recruits, develops, and leads a high-performing team of technology professionals, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drives team success by ensuring work aligns with critical business initiatives, providing clear direction and prioritization of projects.
• Strengthens the team’s knowledge of Advancement business priorities and processes, fostering active engagement with colleagues across Advancement and the University community.
• Advances and sustains a developing data governance program that boosts data quality, speeds and standardizes data sharing, and ensures privacy and security across all systems and processes.
• Designs and executes strategies that equip Advancement business groups with timely, intuitive reporting solutions that enable smarter, data-driven decisions and maximize the value of technology tools.
• Launches and leads a marketing automation program that drives measurable results across multiple channels, leveraging controlled experiments, advanced segmentation, and attribution analysis to generate insights and increase conversion rates.
• Proactively engages with leaders of partner business units to understand their objectives and align data strategies with their needs and goals.
• Oversees a portfolio of projects to bring the vision and strategy to life. Drives planning, timelines, resource allocation, and clear communication with stakeholders.
• Monitors emerging technologies and leverages AI and automation to continually enhance efficiency and increase capacity.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions and with an eye towards broadly diversifying the advancement profession.
• Manages managers and professional staff. Establishes performance goals, allocates resources and assesses policies for direct subordinates.
• Develops departmental plans to maintain administrative data. Ensures that the data is accessible, easy-to-use, flexible, and suitable for various analytical purposes, including joint analyses across multiple domains and interactions across multiple systems.
• Develops additional data warehouse and reporting environments as needed. Manages relationships with the University's primary software suppliers for end-user data access, query, reporting, and display.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in information systems, business administration, finance, economics, mathematics, operations research, marketing, or a related field.
• Master's degree highly preferred.

Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in business intelligence, data analytics, or marketing research with at least five years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of managing data teams and delivering complex projects.
• Minimum one year of experience developing and monitoring budgets.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Strong project management skills, with an aptitude for leading end-to-end project delivery.
• Expertise in business intelligence, data visualization tools, SQL, and a deep understanding of database modeling concepts. Experience working in a Salesforce environment is strongly preferred.
• Work across various teams and projects simultaneously, advancing unified strategy.
• Knowledge of fundraising, alumni relations, and higher education not required but strongly preferred.

Preferred Competencies

• Exceptional skills in data analysis, interpretation, and the ability to drive business strategy through data-driven insights.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, and articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated, take initiative, and think strategically.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
• Comfortable with ambiguity.

Working Conditions

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)

Job Family

Information Technology

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$148,750.00 - $175,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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