Development Operations Specialist Remote

Development Operations Specialist (Remote) at Susan G. Komen — Research Report

Introduction

The Development Operations Specialist (Remote) role at Susan G. Komen is a strong fit for candidates who want to combine nonprofit operations, fundraising support, and data accuracy in one career path. In practical terms, this job sits behind the scenes of revenue generation, helping the development team run cleaner systems, stronger donor workflows, and more reliable reporting. The internship/job period listed here shows Deadline: Not mentioned, so applicants should move quickly and check the posting for updates.

If you are looking for a role that builds transferable skills in CRM systems, donor operations, and cross-functional coordination, this position can be a smart entry point. It offers visibility into how a major mission-driven organization manages campaigns, gifts, and supporter relationships at scale. For job seekers interested in how to get hired at Susan G. Komen, this role is especially valuable because it blends technical detail with stakeholder communication.

Overview of Susan G. Komen

Susan G. Komen is one of the most recognizable breast cancer organizations in the United States, best known for funding research, education, screening, and patient support programs. Its mission is centered on saving lives by investing in breakthrough science and expanding access to care, which makes development operations essential to the organization’s broader impact. In a nonprofit like this, fundraising infrastructure directly supports program delivery, so the work is not administrative filler — it is revenue-enabling.

From an industry standpoint, Susan G. Komen operates in the competitive health-focused nonprofit space alongside organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and other regional and disease-specific charities. What sets Komen apart is its strong public brand, large donor base, and long-running national presence. That visibility matters because a well-known nonprofit typically handles a high volume of gifts, campaigns, events, and donor communications that require disciplined operations.

The organization’s work includes grantmaking, advocacy, community health initiatives, and public education, all of which depend on coordinated fundraising systems. A Development Operations Specialist helps make sure those systems are accurate, timely, and scalable. People want to work here because mission alignment is real, and the opportunity to support a nationally recognized health cause can be meaningful for early-career professionals and experienced operators alike.

Development Operations Specialist Role

Role Overview

The Development Operations Specialist supports the fundraising engine behind the organization. Day to day, this usually means keeping donor records clean, assisting with gift processing, maintaining CRM data, pulling reports, and helping the development team stay organized across campaigns and stewardship work. The role affects business outcomes by improving donor retention, reporting accuracy, and the speed at which development staff can act on fundraising insights.

For a Susan G. Komen internship or full-time remote role in development operations, the biggest value comes from precision. Even small data issues can affect donor acknowledgments, campaign metrics, and executive reporting. That means the specialist role is both operational and strategic.

Detailed Responsibilities

• Process donor gifts and acknowledgments accurately and on schedule.
• Maintain clean records in the CRM and fundraising database.
• Support data imports, exports, segmentation, and list hygiene.
• Prepare recurring reports for fundraising, stewardship, and leadership teams.
• Track campaign performance and reconcile donor records against finance or gift logs.
• Assist with event registration data, sponsor records, and pledge tracking.
• Troubleshoot data discrepancies and flag issues for resolution.
• Coordinate with development, finance, and communications teams on shared workflows.
• Help document procedures and improve operational processes.

Day-to-Day Workflow

A realistic day in this role often starts with checking overnight gift batches, inbox requests, and CRM tasks that need immediate attention. Mid-morning may involve cleaning spreadsheets, updating constituent records, or preparing a report for a development manager. Later in the day, the specialist might verify campaign codes, reconcile totals, or support a team member preparing donor lists for outreach.

Because the position is remote, a large part of success depends on responsiveness and process discipline. You will likely spend time in scheduled check-ins, then shift into independent execution for data entry, QA, and reporting. The best performers are usually the ones who can move quickly without sacrificing accuracy.

Tools and Technologies

The exact stack can vary, but development operations roles at nonprofit organizations commonly rely on tools like Salesforce, Blackbaud, Raiser's Edge, Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace, and reporting dashboards. You may also touch email platforms, donor acknowledgment tools, and file-sharing systems used by cross-functional teams. If the organization uses automation, familiarity with workflow rules, imports, exports, and validation checks becomes especially helpful.

Strong spreadsheet skills matter more than many applicants expect. Functions such as VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, pivot tables, filters, conditional formatting, and duplicate detection are often part of daily work. Experience with CRM data integrity and basic reporting logic can make a candidate stand out immediately.

Skills and Requirements

Technical Skills

This role usually expects comfort with donor databases, spreadsheet management, and basic reporting workflows. Applicants should understand how to enter, verify, and reconcile records without creating downstream errors. Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising operations, CRM segmentation, and data cleanup is especially useful.

It also helps to know how to build simple trackers, interpret campaign metrics, and manage recurring processes. If you have experience with Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or similar systems, that experience should be emphasized clearly on your resume. Even if you have not used a nonprofit CRM, transferable experience with operations data, CRM cleanup, or reporting support is highly relevant.

Soft Skills

Hiring managers typically look for candidates who are organized, reliable, and comfortable asking clarifying questions. Communication matters because development operations sits between front-line fundraising and back-office accuracy. You will need to follow procedures carefully, coordinate with multiple teams, and handle sensitive donor information responsibly.

Problem-solving is another major skill. When records do not match or a campaign export looks wrong, the specialist needs to investigate rather than guess. The strongest candidates are calm under deadlines and consistent in their follow-through.

Experience Expectations

For an entry-level or specialist role, employers often prefer candidates with internships, campus work, administrative experience, or nonprofit exposure rather than years of advanced fundraising operations experience. A strong project portfolio can help, especially if it shows spreadsheet reporting, database organization, or workflow improvement. GPA may matter less than proof that you can handle detail-heavy work accurately.

If you are applying for a remote role, demonstrate that you can work independently and manage deadlines without close supervision. That matters as much as technical ability. Clear examples of process ownership will often outweigh a generic list of software tools.

Salary and Benefits

For a remote Development Operations Specialist at Susan G. Komen, a realistic U.S. market-based salary range is often around $48,000 to $68,000 annually, depending on location, nonprofit experience, and whether the role leans more administrative or analytical. In higher-cost markets or for candidates with deeper CRM expertise, compensation can run somewhat higher. If this opening is structured more like an internship or temporary post, compensation may be hourly rather than salaried.

Benefits in nonprofit roles often include remote flexibility, paid time off, health coverage for eligible full-time staff, retirement contributions, and mission-driven work experience that can accelerate career growth. Some organizations also offer training support, conference exposure, or internal mobility into development, donor relations, or fundraising analytics. Full-time conversion opportunities depend on budget and headcount, but strong operators are often noticed quickly because the work is immediately useful.

Susan G. Komen Hiring Process

Step-by-Step Hiring Stages

1. Application
2. Screening
3. Assignment
4. Interviews
5. Offer

The first screen is usually focused on experience fit, software familiarity, and whether your background matches nonprofit operations. If the team likes your profile, you may get a recruiter or hiring manager conversation followed by a practical assignment. Final rounds often test communication, accuracy, and your ability to handle donor-facing operational work.

Application Timeline

Because the deadline is not mentioned, applicants should assume the role may move on a rolling basis. In many nonprofit hiring cycles, screening starts within one to two weeks of application, with interviews following soon after if the team is actively hiring. The full process can take two to five weeks, though remote roles sometimes move faster when the team has an immediate operational need.

Screening Methods

Applicant tracking systems usually scan for terms like donor operations, CRM, Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, data entry, reporting, gift processing, stewardship, and nonprofit administration. A tailored resume should show exact matches where possible, especially if you have spreadsheet reporting or database management experience. Portfolios are not always required, but a sample dashboard, process document, or reporting project can strengthen your case.

Interview Preparation

Example Interview Questions

• How have you handled large datasets or donor records with accuracy under deadline pressure?
• Tell us about a time you improved a process, report, or workflow.
• What experience do you have with CRMs, spreadsheets, or data cleanup?
• How do you manage confidential information in a remote environment?

How to Answer

The STAR method works well here: explain the Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Keep your answers concrete and metric-driven when possible. For example, describe how you corrected data errors, reduced turnaround time, or improved report quality rather than speaking in generalities.

Because this is a detail-heavy role, recruiters want to hear how you think through mistakes and prevent them from recurring. If you solved a messy records problem, explain the exact steps you took. That kind of answer signals maturity and process discipline.

What Recruiters Evaluate

Recruiters usually evaluate accuracy, accountability, software fluency, and communication style. They also want evidence that you can work independently in a remote setup without dropping tasks. In a mission-driven nonprofit, cultural fit matters too, especially if you can speak thoughtfully about breast cancer advocacy or donor impact.

How to Get Selected

Practical Tips

Tailor your resume to mirror the language of the posting and highlight CRM, reporting, and gift-processing experience. Quantify your work where possible, such as the number of records managed, reports produced, or process improvements completed. If you have nonprofit, development, finance, or admin experience, position it as operational support rather than generic office work.

Write a focused cover letter that shows you understand why development operations matters to fundraising outcomes. Hiring teams like candidates who connect accuracy to mission impact. That framing is especially effective for a Susan G. Komen job, where donor stewardship directly supports programs and research.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Submitting a generic resume that does not mention CRMs or reporting.
• Overstating experience without being able to explain the workflow in detail.
• Ignoring the nonprofit mission and treating the job like a generic admin role.
• Failing to proofread, which is a red flag for a detail-focused position.
• Giving vague interview answers with no real example or measurable result.

How to Stand Out

To stand out, show proof of operational thinking. A simple spreadsheet dashboard, sample reconciliation workflow, or CRM cleanup project can help more than a long list of buzzwords. Networking also matters; if you can speak with current or former nonprofit development staff, you will better understand the day-to-day realities of the role.

Applicants who mention donor privacy, data quality, and process improvement tend to look more prepared. If you have cross-functional experience, highlight it. Development operations teams love candidates who can work smoothly with fundraising, finance, and communications without creating bottlenecks.

Final Thoughts

The Development Operations Specialist (Remote) role at Susan G. Komen is a strong opportunity for candidates who want meaningful nonprofit work with real operational responsibility. It offers a path into fundraising operations, donor data management, and remote collaboration inside a nationally recognized mission-driven organization. If you are serious about how to get hired at Susan G. Komen, focus on precision, process, and proof that you can support teams that depend on accurate information.

Your next step should be straightforward: tailor your resume, prepare a concise mission-aligned cover letter, and be ready to explain how your organizational skills translate into donor impact. If you can show that you make systems more reliable, you will already be speaking the language this role rewards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Salary Range

The estimated salary for a Development Operations Specialist (Remote) at Susan G. Komen is typically around $48,000 to $68,000 per year, depending on experience and scope. Internship-style or temporary roles may be paid hourly instead.

Hiring Difficulty

It is moderately competitive to get hired at Susan G. Komen because the organization attracts mission-driven candidates with nonprofit and operations experience. Applicants who show CRM fluency, reporting skill, and a strong fit with the mission usually have a better chance.

Top Skills Needed

The most important skills are CRM management, Excel proficiency, data accuracy, donor operations knowledge, and clear communication. Remote work discipline and confidentiality are also critical for success in this role.