About University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation
Established in 2003, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF), a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, exists to raise philanthropic funds in support of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s mission and highest aspirations. Located on the Amherst campus and wholly dedicated to supporting the University’s mission, UMAF is a separately governed nonprofit organization with its own health, wellness, and retirement benefits. UMAF serves the University of Massachusetts Amherst community by serving as a best practices resource for fundraising strategy and implementation.
About the role
The Senior Director of BI & Analytics sits within the Advancement Operations division and reports directly to the Associate Vice President of Advancement Operations. The role is part of a small team responsible for UMAF's data infrastructure, reporting, and business intelligence capabilities, built primarily on Snowflake, Tableau, and Salesforce Education Cloud (UMAX).
This person owns the end-to-end pipeline from data architecture to dashboard delivery. In partnership with the AVP, they set the team's technical direction, maintain data quality standards, and build the documentation and self-serve reporting layers that let Foundation staff act on data without requesting one-off pulls.
A strong Senior Director leaves UMAF with cleaner, better-documented data than they found it, and a team that can build and maintain reporting without constant escalation. Success looks like leadership routinely making decisions from dashboards rather than requesting custom pulls.
The right person connects business questions to data investigations, they don't wait to be handed a specification. They use AI tools as a natural part of their workflow, document as they go, and build things other people can open up and follow.
Location: This is a full-time hybrid position and is open to employees in select US states: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and New Hampshire.
What you'll do
Data Infrastructure & Architecture (30%)
- Designs, builds, and maintains Snowflake reporting views and data pipelines that serve as UMAF's trusted source of truth for advancement data.
- Partners with IT and UMAX (Salesforce Education Cloud) administrators to ensure reliable, auditable data flows between systems.
- Manages ETL processes and data warehouse architecture to support the team's reporting and analytics needs.
- Maintains data quality standards, including reconciliation processes that verify key figures against authoritative sources before any output is shared.
- Evaluates data tools and infrastructure against current and anticipated organizational needs.
- Uses AI tools actively in analytical and documentation workflows, and sets expectations for the team to do the same.
Reporting & Analytics (25%)
- Develops and maintains Tableau dashboards and reports that give leadership actionable, reconciled data on fundraising performance, donor engagement, and advancement operations.
- Builds and maintains the data dictionary and documentation layers that allow advancement staff to self-serve in UMAX.
- Responds to analytical requests from leadership and advancement teams, translating data findings into clear, audience-appropriate recommendations.
- Establishes and tracks KPIs and benchmarks for fundraising performance in partnership with leadership.
Team Leadership (20%)
- Serves as team lead for BI & Analytics, setting priorities, managing workload, and supporting professional development.
- Reviews team outputs for accuracy, logic, and documentation quality before delivery.
- Supports the AVP with hiring, performance management, and team planning.
- Builds a team culture where documentation is the default and numbers are reconciled before they leave the team.
Data Governance & Documentation (15%)
- Builds and maintains a comprehensive data dictionary enabling self-serve reporting across UMAF departments.
- Establishes and enforces data governance standards, including field definitions, data stewardship responsibilities, and change management processes.
- Documents all reporting logic so any team member can trace and reproduce a figure independently.
- Partners with Gift & Donor Services and Prospect Development to align data definitions and reporting standards across Advancement Operations.
Other Duties as Assigned (10%)
UMAF is building and growing, and this position will support those efforts with other duties and projects as assigned from time to time.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, data analytics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- 5+ years of experience in business intelligence, data analytics, or a closely related field.
- Strong SQL skills and hands-on experience with data warehouse platforms (Snowflake preferred).
- Experience designing and building Tableau dashboards and data visualizations.
- Experience with CRM systems and fundraising or advancement databases.
- Investigative mindset — moves from a business question to a line of inquiry to a finding, and knows when a number warrants a deeper look.
- Demonstrated habit of documenting logic and methodology so others can trace and reproduce the work.
- Active user of AI tools (such as Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or Cortex) as part of analytical and documentation workflows.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of reconciling data to trusted sources.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable translating data findings for both technical and non-technical audiences.
- High degree of integrity, demonstrating respect for individuals at every level of an organization.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.
Preferred
- Experience with Salesforce Education Cloud or a comparable higher education CRM.
- Prior experience in higher education advancement, nonprofit fundraising, or a mission-driven organization. Advancement domain knowledge is a plus; strong analytical instincts and documentation habits are weighted more heavily.
- Familiarity with Snowflake architecture, including views, schemas, and role-based access control.
- Experience building data dictionaries or self-serve reporting documentation.
- Experience managing a CRM migration or major data platform transition.
- Knowledge of data governance frameworks and master data management practices.
Note: We’re passionate about building a diverse team. If your experience is close, but not an exact match, please consider applying. Experience comes in many forms, and skills are transferable. We know that diverse teams make better decisions and deliver better results, which is why we’re committed to adding new perspectives and encourage everyone to apply.
BENEFITS
-
20 vacation days, 12 holidays, 12 sick days, 5 personal days, and 2 office closure days.
-
4-day summer work week.
-
401(k) plan. You contribute 5% and receive a 10% match.
-
Health insurance packages for medical, dental, and vision.
-
16 weeks of paid parental leave to use within 1 year of childbirth. An additional 6 weeks available for the birthing parent. Part-time work for full-time pay for the first 4 weeks post parental leave.
-
Learn more about our benefits.
Proposed Annual Salary Range:
$110,000 - $121,000
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
At the UMass Amherst Foundation, we understand the value that diversity, equity, and inclusion bring to our workplace, our constituents, and our community.
We welcome and value diversity in all its forms and recognize that a diverse and inclusive team strengthens our work and advances our mission. We recognize that the benefits of a diverse team are fully realized when people of all races, gender identities, ages, ethnicities, cultural heritages and nationalities; educational backgrounds; religious and political beliefs; sexual orientations; abilities; and socioeconomic and veteran status are valued, respected, and included at every level. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact [email protected] to request accommodation.
OUR VALUES
Connection • Build meaningful relationships rooted in trust, respect, and belonging.
Courage • Show up with integrity, embrace challenges, and lead through uncertainty.
Curiosity • Commit to learning—for yourself and others—and create a culture where everyone can thrive.
Questions regarding the position or anything else related to careers with UMAF may be directed to the People & Culture team at [email protected]
Compensation details: 110000-121000 Yearly Salary
PI8aeab5363875-25404-41052208
