Vice President of Philanthropic Operations

This search will be led by DSG | Koya, please apply for this role by filling out this Talent Profile for DSG, not through the College Track Website.

The Opportunity

College Track seeks a Vice President of Philanthropic Operations to play a critical leadership role in ensuring the successful implementation of the organization’s 10-Year Promise through systems-level strategic and cross-functional alignment.

Reporting to the Chief of Philanthropy and serving as a key member of the Philanthropy Leadership Team, the Vice President of Philanthropic Operations will operate as the chief architect of strategic planning, effectiveness, and priority alignment across the Philanthropy division and its intersection with all central teams. By driving strategic coherence, thinning operational complexity, and fostering transformational partnerships across the organization, the Vice President of Philanthropic Operations will ensure that systems, structures, communication and people are aligned to deliver measurable outcomes for scholars.

This role requires a visionary strategist with exceptional systems-thinking capability, change management expertise, and the ability to lead through influence at the highest levels of the organization.

Candidate Profile

The Vice President of Philanthropic Operations will be responsible for the following:

Organizational Strategy & System Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of College Track’s annual Philanthropy Division strategic planning process, ensuring tight alignment with organizational priorities and financial revenue fiscal realities.
• Establish and oversee knowledge management infrastructure, including Salesforce governance, impact metrics capture, technology resources, and organizational style standards that ensure data integrity and consistent donor messaging.
• Design and implement strategies for priority alignment for philanthropy revenue and cross-functional collaboration, ensuring Education, Operations, Finance, Data, IT, and Communications operate in concert to achieve key revenue outcomes.
• Develop and manage a strategic framework for the handoff between different phases of philanthropy, ensuring seamless transitions, clear accountability at each milestone, and proper oversight of revenue budgets.
• Facilitate the development and execution of a clear revenue planning process that reduces operational complexity and enables effective execution of core functions.

Strategic Infrastructure & Knowledge Systems

• Design and advance fundraising systems and operational frameworks that enable scalability, reduce organizational complexity, and position the team for sustainable growth.
• Drive innovation in technology, data solutions, and operational best practices; lead strategic evaluation and implementation of tools that enhance fundraising effectiveness and institutional learning.
• Build enterprise knowledge management infrastructure—including Salesforce governance, impact measurement systems, technology ecosystems, and communication standards—that ensures data integrity, accessibility, and strategic donor intelligence.

Revenue Strategy & Financial Sustainability

• Facilitate annual strategic planning and ongoing budget oversight for the Philanthropy Division, connecting fundraising activity to organizational growth objectives and financial sustainability.
• Partner with Finance to ensure compliance frameworks, gift processing systems, and revenue forecasting align philanthropic strategy with fiscal reality.
• Design revenue planning processes that create clarity, establish accountability, and enable data-informed decision-making across fundraising verticals.

Leadership Coordination & Executive Team Support

• Design and facilitate the Philanthropy Leadership Team's strategic planning calendar, including Philanthropy Leadership retreats and quarterly forecasting frameworks.
• Establish meeting structures, communications, and rhythms across the Philanthropy Division that foster alignment, data-informed decision-making, and accountability toward revenue and engagement goals.
• Provide strategic leadership to a high performing operations team: Philanthropy Operations Manager, Grants and Impact Manager, and contract grant writers.

Systems Effectiveness & Operational Excellence

• Partner with the Chief of Philanthropy to assess and refine team structures, ensuring that staffing and leadership capacity align with College Track’s 10-Year Promise and financial sustainability.
• Create frameworks for donor movement across fundraising phases with clear ownership, smooth transitions, and revenue accountability.
• Establish shared success metrics and feedback loops to continuously assess the effectiveness of cross-functional initiatives and operational strategies.

Change Management

• Lead assessments of philanthropy systems, processes, and team capacity to identify barriers to revenue growth, donor engagement, and operational effectiveness; design and implement solutions to strengthen fundraising performance and donor experience.
• Guide strategic communications and change management efforts across the Philanthropy team to ensure new fundraising initiatives, systems, and structures are clearly adopted, consistently executed, and aligned with revenue goals and stewardship standards

Above all, the Vice President of Philanthropic Operations will be a passionate advocate for College Track’s mission to equip scholars facing systemic barriers with the support to earn a bachelor’s degree and pursue a life of opportunity, choice, purpose, and power.

The ideal candidate will bring a deep commitment to educational equity, along with the following experience, skills, and mindset:

• 8+ years of relevant experience in philanthropic strategy, operations, or organizational effectiveness, ideally within complex, mission-driven organizations
• Master’s degree strongly preferred, though not required
• Deep expertise in strategic planning, systems design, and change management
• Demonstrated excellence in mentoring and coaching staff, fostering leadership growth, and building inclusive, high-performing teams
• Strong data analysis and visualization skills; able to translate complex information into actionable insights for diverse audiences
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale initiatives that require cross-functional alignment and cultural transformation
• Exceptional relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust, credibility, and collaboration across internal and external stakeholders
• Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends, based on program and organizational needs
• Physical Requirements: Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting, standing, typing on a keyboard, manipulating a mouse to use a computer's operating system/internet. Ability to move around an office environment and communicate with stakeholders

Compensation and Benefits

This position is full-time, exempt, with a salary range of $165,000-$225,000. Exact compensation will depend on experience. However, as someone new to the role, you can expect an offer around $180,000-$194,999 to ensure internal equity while leaving room for salary growth during your time in the position.

College Track provides access to extensive benefits centered around three core areas of wellness: health care, work-life balance, and financial security. We believe time off is essential to success and provide up to 27 discretionary time off days (Sick and Vacation) in addition to 28 paid office closure and holiday days in your first year of employment. Learn more about benefits here.

This is a hybrid position based in Oakland, CA at the local College Track Site. Travel may be requested to support events.

While we hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, we especially encourage applicants who identify as first-generation college graduates to apply for open opportunities.

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Trevor Hooper. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

College Track is an equal-opportunity employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. College Track does not discriminate based on race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

About DSG | Koya

DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.