Sr. Director, Foundation Operations

Overview

The Sr. Director, Foundation Operations leads the operational systems, processes, controls, and administrative infrastructure that support the Central Health Foundation.  Reporting to the Foundation Chief Executive Officer, the Sr. Director serves as the Foundation’s senior operational leader and translates approved strategies and leadership decisions into practical workflows, procedures, systems, controls, and service expectations. The position leads the Foundation’s coordination with Central Health shared-service partners and represents the Foundation in operational, financial, compliance, technology, procurement, and administrative processes.

The Sr. Director has direct responsibility for Foundation-owned operational functions, including donor and gift administration, pledge and fund accounting coordination, grant accounting and monitoring, donor records, Foundation CRM ownership, Board administration, operating procedures, and related controls and reporting. The position also leads the Foundation’s role in budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, audit readiness, contracts, procurement coordination, and shared-service management.  The Sr. Director leads the Foundation Operations function and is accountable for maintaining and strengthening the operational infrastructure, workflows, systems, controls, and team capacity required to support the Foundation’s long-term growth.

 

This is a hybrid position.  Individuals in this position may work both at an approved off-site location and onsite at a primary location or multiple locations based on business needs

Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

 

Foundation Operations and Administration:- Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of Foundation operating procedures, workflows, calendars, controls, and administrative processes.- Translate approved Foundation strategies and leadership decisions into coordinated operational plans, timelines, responsibilities, and implementation requirements.- Exercise direct responsibility for operating procedures and workflows within the Foundation’s assigned operational scope.- Establish clear workflows, decision pathways, service expectations, and escalation processes among Foundation staff, Central Health departments, consultants, vendors, and external partners.- Identify operational barriers, dependencies, risks, resource needs, and process gaps and recommend practical solutions to the Foundation CEO.- Maintain current operational documentation, procedures, delegated authorities, reference materials, and service expectations.- Coordinate implementation of new or revised systems, policies, processes, controls, and operational practices.- Support consistent execution across Advancement, Strategy, Grants, Communications, Strategic Alignment and Impact, and Central Health partners.- Lead the Foundation’s operational response to emerging needs, implementation challenges, and cross-functional issues.- Lead and continuously strengthen the Foundation Operations function to support organizational needs and approved staffing plans.Financial Administration, Accounting Coordination, and Controls:- Lead the Foundation’s role in annual budgeting, forecasting, expense monitoring, financial reporting, and long-term operational planning in partnership with the Foundation CEO and Central Health Finance.- Serve as the Foundation’s primary operational lead for financial workflows, reporting requirements, issue resolution, and coordination with Central Health Finance.- Direct Foundation processes related to pledge accounting, fund accounting, grant accounting, restricted and unrestricted funds, gift administration, and related financial documentation.- Establish and maintain operational controls for Foundation revenue, expenditures, purchasing, contracts, gifts, grants, delegated approvals, and financial reporting.- Coordinate accurate and timely reconciliation of gifts, pledges, grants, funds, donor records, and financial information.- Maintain processes that support compliance with donor intent, gift restrictions, grant agreements, fund requirements, and stewardship obligations.- Partner with Finance, Legal, Grants, Advancement, and program leaders to support accurate establishment, administration, and reporting of restricted and unrestricted funds.- Coordinate supporting documentation for audits, tax filings, financial reviews, regulatory reporting, and corrective-action activities.- Identify, investigate, and escalate material financial, reconciliation, control, accounting, or fund-administration concerns.- Support implementation and administration of approved gift-acceptance, spending, investment, procurement, and financial-control policies.- Monitor operational and financial processes and recommend improvements to strengthen accuracy, accountability, efficiency, and sustainability.Gift, Donor, and Grant Administration:- Own the Foundation’s operational processes for gift processing, donor-record administration, acknowledgments, documentation, reconciliation, and reporting. - Establish and maintain consistent standards for donor records, gift documentation, restricted funds, pledge tracking, and stewardship-related information. - Coordinate closely with Advancement, Grants, Finance, Legal, and program leaders to ensure donor and funder commitments are accurately documented and administered. - Lead monitoring and tracking processes for grants, restricted funds, agreements, reporting requirements, and compliance obligations. - Partner closely with the Director of Foundation Grants Strategy on integrated grant workflows, monitoring, reporting, and issue resolution. - Maintain appropriate documentation and controls for gifts, grants, donor restrictions, fund agreements, and reporting commitments. - Identify and resolve gaps, inconsistencies, or risks in donor, gift, grant, and fund administration. - Ensure operational practices support donor trust, financial integrity, and compliance with organizational requirements.Governance, Compliance, and Records:- Lead the administrative operations supporting the Foundation Board and its committees.- Maintain Board and committee calendars, meeting schedules, agendas, materials, action logs, minutes, resolutions, approvals, and follow-up documentation.- Partner with the Foundation CEO, Board leadership, Legal, and appropriate staff to ensure meeting materials and governance records are complete, accurate, and timely.- Maintain Board rosters, terms, attendance, orientation materials, disclosures, policies, charters, and related records.- Coordinate Foundation compliance activities with Central Health Legal, Compliance, Finance, Internal Audit, Information Security, and other subject-matter experts.- Maintain an inventory and review schedule for Foundation policies, procedures, agreements, delegated authorities, required filings, and governance documents.- Support audits, monitoring reviews, compliance activities, and corrective-action plans and track operational follow-up.- Ensure Foundation records are organized, retained, secured, and accessible in accordance with applicable requirements.- Maintain administrative governance support while preserving the Foundation CEO’s responsibility for Board strategy, relationships, and executive accountability.CRM, Systems, Data, and Reporting:- Serve as the business owner for the Foundation CRM and donor-management systems.- Establish priorities, workflows, access controls, documentation, data standards, reporting requirements, integrations, and system-governance expectations.- Lead Foundation CRM implementation, configuration, testing, training, vendor management, upgrades, security coordination, and issue resolution.- Ensure donor, gift, grant, fund, financial, and operational information is accurate, timely, secure, and appropriately accessible.- Coordinate donor, financial, grant, reporting, and collaboration systems with Foundation functional leaders and Central Health Information Technology, as applicable.- Establish and maintain data-quality expectations, standard operating procedures, access controls, and reporting practices.- Develop and maintain operational dashboards, reporting tools, and performance measures.- Ensure Foundation-owned systems and records are appropriately maintained separately from Central Health systems where required.- Evaluate technology needs and recommend systems, enhancements, integrations, or vendor support necessary for Foundation operations.Shared Services, Contracts, and Procurement:- Serve as the primary operational liaison between the Foundation and Central Health shared-service departments. - Coordinate Foundation interactions with Finance, Human Resources, Payroll, Legal, Compliance, Information Technology, Procurement, Internal Audit, Communications, Facilities, and other departments. - Clarify and document service responsibilities, approval pathways, escalation processes, service expectations, contacts, and deliverables. - Monitor the effectiveness of shared-service arrangements and recommend improvements when gaps, duplication, delays, or accountability concerns are identified. - Coordinate Foundation contracts, vendors, consultants, procurement activities, and delegated approvals through Central Health processes, except where Foundation-specific arrangements are approved. - Directly manage Foundation-specific vendor and system relationships, including the Foundation CRM and related donor-management infrastructure. - Maintain appropriate documentation for contracts, procurement actions, vendor performance, service expectations, and delegated authority. - Escalate significant service, contract, procurement, compliance, or operational issues to the Foundation CEO.Operational Performance and Project Leadership:- Establish and monitor operational metrics, service standards, dashboards, reporting processes, and performance expectations.- Evaluate the timeliness, accuracy, consistency, efficiency, compliance, and effectiveness of Foundation operations.- Lead complex cross-functional operational projects, system implementations, and process-improvement initiatives.- Establish project objectives, timelines, roles, decision rights, dependencies, risks, and accountability.- Coordinate assigned vendors, consultants, contracts, and temporary resources within delegated authority.- Prepare operational updates, issue summaries, financial and performance information, and recommendations for the Foundation CEO, Foundation Board, and other appropriate audiences.- Facilitate resolution of cross-functional operational issues and escalate significant concerns when necessary.- Promote consistent documentation, accountability, continuous improvement, and effective use of Foundation resources.- Evaluate future operational staffing, technology, vendor, and resource needs and recommend investments necessary to support Foundation growth.Team Leadership and Development:- Recruit, develop, coach, and evaluate assigned employees within the Foundation Operations function.- Establish clear roles, performance expectations, priorities, and accountability for employees and other assigned resources. - Promote collaboration, professional development, cross-training, and operational continuity. - Ensure staff understand Foundation requirements, Central Health processes, donor and financial controls, governance expectations, and shared-service relationships. - Evaluate organizational capacity and recommend staffing, role, and structure changes as Foundation responsibilities expand. - Lead employees, consultants, vendors, and temporary resources in a manner consistent with organizational policies and delegated authority.

Qualifications

Education:

 

Bachelor's Degree (higher degree accepted) in public policy, public health, business, nonprofit management, healthcare administration, finance, accounting, or a related field. - Required

Master's Degree (higher degree accepted) in public policy, public health, business, nonprofit management, healthcare administration, finance, accounting, or a related field. - Preferred

 

Work Experience:

 

8 years of progressively responsible experience in foundation operations, advancement operations, nonprofit administration, healthcare administration, finance, accounting, business operations, grants administration, or a related field. - Required

5 years Experience leading complex operational functions involving finance, accounting coordination, controls, systems, data, compliance, governance, gift administration, grant administration, or shared services. - Required

5 years Experience developing and improving policies, procedures, workflows, controls, systems, and operational reporting. - Required

5 years Experience partnering with executive leaders and cross-functional departments such as Finance, Legal, Compliance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Procurement, and Internal Audit. - Required

Experience managing complex projects, vendors, contracts, systems, budgets, or organizational resources. - Required

Experience using operational and financial information to identify risks, resolve issues, and improve processes. - Required

Experience leading employees, consultants, vendors, project teams, or other resources and establishing clear goals and accountability. - Required

 

Experience within a healthcare foundation, health system, public-health organization, public hospital district, or similarly complex nonprofit organization. - Preferred

Experience with gift processing, restricted funds, pledge accounting, fund accounting, donor databases, grants administration, or fundraising operations. - Preferred

Experience serving as a business owner for a donor CRM or comparable enterprise system. - Preferred

Experience coordinating shared services between an affiliated foundation and a parent or supported organization. - Preferred

Experience supporting a governing Board or Board committee. - Preferred

Experience coordinating audits, compliance reviews, financial reviews, or corrective-action activities. - Preferred

Knowledge of Central Health systems, policies, departments, and operating processes. - Preferred

 

 

Travel Requirements:

 

Estimated Amout 10%.  Regular local travel may be required for Central Health meetings, Board and committee activities, vendor meetings, operational coordination, and Foundation events. Occasional regional travel and periodic evening or weekend commitments may be required.