Development Operations Specialist

Development Operations Specialist

Who We Are + What We Do

The Land Institute co-leads the global movement for perennial, diverse, regenerative grain agriculture at a scale that matches the enormity of the intertwined climate, water, and food security crises. An independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit founded in 1976, the organization seeks to reconcile the human economy with nature's economy, starting with food. The transdisciplinary team of scientists, together with global partners, is developing new perennial grain crops, like Kernza©, and diverse cropping systems that function within nature's limits while researching the social transformation required for a just, perennial human future.

Why This Job Exists

The Land Institute is leading a global movement to advance perennial grain agriculture and transform food systems. As our Development and Communications programs grow, we need strategic development operations to support meaningful donor relationships, strengthen decision-making, and sustain organizational growth.

As the Development Operations Specialist, you will ensure the daily operations of our fundraising systems run accurately and efficiently. You will process gifts, maintain constituent records, support reporting, and help administer the systems that enable philanthropy and community engagement.

At The Land Institute, we believe durable, ethical systems create the foundation for meaningful, reciprocal relationships. We seek a detail-oriented, collaborative professional who enjoys solving problems, improving processes, and delivering consistently excellent work.

Primary Responsibilities + Expectations

Gift Processing and Constituent Records (40%)

• Process charitable contributions accurately and promptly
• Maintain complete, accurate constituent records in the CRM
• Reconcile gifts with Finance to ensure financial accuracy
• Generate gift receipts and supporting documentation
• Maintain campaign coding structures within the CRM

CRM Administration and Data Quality (30%)

• Maintain data quality through routine quality assurance, ongoing data hygiene, and larger-scale data clean-up
• Import, export, and update constituent data while following established governance standards
• Troubleshoot routine CRM issues and escalate complex issues when appropriate
• Support system administration and documentation

Reporting and Administrative Support (20%)

• Prepare recurring reports for Development, Finance, audits, and organizational leadership
• Support donor segmentation, mailing lists, event and form registrations, and campaign administration
• Assist with data requests and operational support across Development and Communications

Team Collaboration (10%)

• Partner with colleagues across Development and Communications to support fundraising and constituent engagement
• Identify opportunities to improve recurring processes and share recommendations with the Development Operations Manager
• Contribute to a collaborative, creative culture focused on better supporting our colleagues and our community

What Success Looks Like

• Accurate, timely gift processing that inspires confidence across Development, Communications, Finance, and our donor community
• Complete, reliable constituent data that supports informed decision-making and meaningful donor engagement
• Consistent execution of recurring operational processes, reports, and administrative responsibilities.
• Responsive operational support that supports Development and Communications colleagues to do their best work
• Continuous improvements that strengthen data quality, simplify workflows, and enhance the constituent experience

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of experience in development operations, nonprofit administration, CRM administration, database management, or a related field
• Experience in maintaining accurate data and managing administrative processes
• Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while producing accurate, timely work
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to learn new technologies and adapt to evolving systems and processes
• Preferred: Experience with fundraising CRM platforms
• Preferred: Experience processing charitable gifts or supporting fundraising operations
• Preferred: Experience working in a nonprofit organization
• Preferred: Experience using new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve workflows

Hours

Generally available to work forty hours per week, primarily during 8 am-5 pm Central Time on weekdays when most of our staff and collaborators are working. Some evening and weekend working hours may be needed.

Location + Travel

This role has a flexible base location, but will require occasional travel for events and meetings. Primary travel will take place in the United States. Estimated travel is less than 5% of the time.

Environmental + Working Conditions

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer and phone
• Travel in varying conditions (≤5%)

Organizational Competencies

• Mission Driven: You are passionate about the mission of The Land Institute and are interested in aligning your skills and personal genius to benefit this work.
• Courageous: You do not retreat or shy away from hard things. You face challenges and conflict with professionalism, grace, and resolve.
• A Boundary Spanner: You bring an interdisciplinary skill set, and you model self-awareness in your own preferences. You are motivated to continually learn, and you adapt to span boundaries with people from diverse perspectives.
• Inspiring and Inspired: You are inspired by the people around you, finding and harnessing the genius in your colleagues to meet the organizational objectives, and you are inspiring others through example, and your own genius applied.
• Growth Mindset: You have the vulnerability to know what you don’t know, admit your flaws, and learn from others to grow and develop yourself and the organization.
• A Creative Collaborator: You believe in the power of a diverse collective to generate ideas and solutions. You excel at strategic thinking, being open to new perspectives, and managing innovation. You bring a playful and positive approach to the work, enjoying meeting new people and deepening connections with those you already know.
• Excited by change: You embrace nascent and evolving situations and enjoy engaging new people, ideas, and possibilities. You think about change holistically: internal, external, organizational, and cultural. You like iterating systems, building efficiency, and operationalizing design. You are willing to jump in and contribute to new projects as needed.

Compensation + Benefits

The Land Institute offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary commensurate with experience.

The annual salary range for this position is $57,000 - $71,000

• Remote-friendly work environment
• Paid parental leave
• Competitive, equitable compensation
• 403(b) Retirement
• 403(b) Employer contributions
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employer-Provided Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Accidental Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid holidays
• Generous paid time off
• Complete laptop workstation and set up for remote work

The Land Institute is an equal opportunity employer and embraces the opportunity to provide employment to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. We are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.