Senior Director of Data Management and Strategy

What You'll Do

The Senior Director of Data Management & Strategy (SDDMS) will establish UDAR's division-wide data governance and strategy to uplift fundraising, alumni relations, and institutional advancement efforts. This individual will lead the collection, integration, and quality assurance of complex data sources—ensuring systems and analytics tools are optimized and embedded across units. Through strategic insights, the SDDMS will enhance donor and alumni engagement, inform leadership decisions, and shape data-driven culture. This leader's contributions will directly support UDAR's mission to deepen relationships and secure resources that power NYU's academic excellence and global impact.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Data Strategy & Governance

• Lead the development and implementation of data governance frameworks and high-quality data strategies across UDAR
• Design backup/recovery protocols, resource capacity planning, and data warehouse integrations
• Identify and resolve data integrity issues through proactive audits and discrepancy management

Staff Education & Cultural Change

• Launch data literacy programs, including workshops, seminars, and digital modules for UDAR staff and leadership
• Establish feedback systems to refine learning initiatives and grow cross-functional data fluency
• Develop tools and workflows to enhance donor and alumni engagement insights
• Oversee performance tuning, system testing, and seamless data import/export operations across platforms
• Administer diagnostics, data cleansing, and validation activities supporting fundraising pipelines

Team Leadership

• Manage a team of Data Stewards: hiring, training, performance reviews, and career development
• Oversee data services budget; propose funding for data-related projects and monitor expenditures

Policy, Compliance & Security/Risk Management

• Review, update, and enforce data policies and standard operating procedures
• Schedule routine data integrity checks, system upgrades, and oversee information security compliance
• Implement risk identification, assessment, and vendor risk reviews
• Deliver security awareness training and lead remediation of identified and emerging risks

Who You'll Work With

• You will report to the Associate Vice President, Advancement Services and Analytics.
• You will supervise one direct report (Data Steward) plus two indirect team members.
• You will frequently collaborate with: UDAR Senior Leadership to shape division-wide data and analytics strategy; Peer IT/Data teams to align architecture, integrate systems, and ensure shared standards; External vendors (e.g., CRM, API providers) to assess tools, ensure data security, and manage vendor relationships.

• 7+ years working with CRM systems (Blackbaud, Raiser's Edge), relational databases, SQL, and Microsoft Office (Excel, Access)
• Experience implementing data governance, quality management, and backup/recovery protocols
• Proven team leadership and professional development experience
• Strong track record of developing and improving processes and procedures
• Experience managing complex projects with ambitious timelines and involving multiple stakeholders
• Ability to manage budgets, plan capacity, and deliver on multi‑stakeholder data initiatives
• Excellent interpersonal and training skills with demonstrated ability to foster a data-driven culture
• Strong written verbal communication; able to translate technical insights into strategic recommendations
• Deep knowledge of data privacy/security protocols, risk assessment, and vendor oversight processes
• Master's degree or advanced certification preferred
• 10+ years in academic or nonprofit advancement; experience with MS Dynamics, Blackbaud CRM, Banner, API platforms, and advanced Excel preferred

Location and Work Environment

New York, NY; UDAR encourages work-life integration for all employees, therefore this position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement.

Compensation

In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is USD $150,000.00 to USD $190,000.00. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. This pay range represents base pay only and excludes any additional items such as incentives, bonuses, clinical compensation, or other items.

NYU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, or current employment status.