Executive Director of CRM Strategy and Resources

Position Summary

The Executive Director of CRM Strategy and Resources serves as Hamilton College's campus leader for CRM strategy, architecture, and implementation. This role is responsible for driving the vision, roadmap, and execution of CRM solutions across the institution, with the Advancement division as the primary client. The Executive Director partners closely with Advancement leadership to ensure CRM capabilities align with fundraising and engagement priorities while also leading broader campus CRM initiatives under the direction of LITS. The position combines executive-level strategic thinking with hands-on technical capability, serving as both a strategic partner to institutional leadership and the College's foremost technical authority on CRM and Salesforce platforms.

The ideal candidate brings a proven track record of advising higher education institutions on CRM and Salesforce strategy, deep familiarity with Hamilton College's Advancement data environment and operational priorities, an established working relationship with Kindsight, and demonstrated hands-on expertise with the Ascend Salesforce application and its custom data model. This combination of institutional knowledge and technical authority is essential to the success of this role.

This is a full-time benefited, fixed term position ending June 30, 2031.

Essential Job Responsibilities

CRM Strategy and Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of the College's comprehensive CRM strategy, establishing a cohesive institutional roadmap that aligns technology capabilities with strategic goals.

• Serve as the campus authority on CRM best practices, emerging trends, and platform capabilities, advising institutional leadership on technology decisions that affect constituent engagement.

• Evaluate emerging CRM technologies and recommend solutions for campus-wide needs, including academic advising, communications, enrollment, and other enterprise functions.

• Manage (subject to executive approval) the CRM operating and capital budget, develop multi-year investment plans, and lead vendor selection, contract negotiations, renewals, statements of work, and service-level performance for Salesforce, implementation partners, and related platforms.

• Lead and align cross-functional CRM teams and partners (up to double digit FTE counts), setting priorities and driving outcomes through executive-level influence without direct supervisory authority.

Advancement CRM Operations (Minimum 50% Commitment)

• Serve as the senior CRM strategist and technical authority for the Advancement division, ensuring the Salesforce platform supports fundraising, donor engagement, and constituent relationship management goals.

• Apply deep familiarity with Hamilton College's Advancement data structures, giving history, major gift pipeline, event management, and alumni engagement workflows to drive CRM decisions that reflect the institution's operational realities.

• Manage and execute CRM implementation projects involving Advancement department team members, with priorities set by Advancement leadership.

• Partner with Advancement leadership to align CRM capabilities with campaign objectives, annual fund operations, alumni engagement, and stewardship programs.

• Lead and continuously enhance Hamilton's best-in-class community engagement portal, driving adoption, personalization, and seamless user experiences across mobile, desktop, and emerging platforms.

• Oversee the strategy and evolution of best-in-class Advancement solutions that directly enable fundraising performance and student career outcomes, ensuring integrated, high-impact experiences across all device channels.

Technical Architecture and Data Integration

• Develop and maintain the institutional CRM architecture, ensuring data integrity, integration, and scalability across platforms.

• Lead CRM data integration efforts across campus systems, ensuring seamless information flow between Salesforce and other institutional platforms including the data warehouse and enterprise applications.

• Implement and maintain data governance policies and practices specific to CRM systems, ensuring accuracy, accessibility, privacy, and security.

Project Management and Implementation

• Manage the CRM project portfolio, prioritizing initiatives based on strategic importance and ensuring timely, cost-effective delivery.

• Direct the planning and execution of Salesforce customizations, configurations, and integrations to meet the specific needs of the College community.

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to staff working within the CRM ecosystem.

Industry Leadership and Institutional Representation

• Represent Hamilton College as a thought leader in the higher education CRM and Salesforce community by attending and presenting at conferences and industry events.

• Stay current with Salesforce platform developments, industry best practices, and trends in higher education CRM, bringing insights back to benefit the institution.

• Enhance the College's reputation as a leader in institutional technology innovation through external engagement and knowledge sharing.

Campus Leadership

• Serve on LITS and campus leadership groups, including the IT Leadership Council, EIS Team Leaders, and Enterprise Information Committee (EIC).

• Collaborate with LITS leadership and other campus stakeholders to align CRM initiatives with the College's broader technology and strategic goals.

• In support of the Vice President for Innovation and Information Technology and VP of Advancement, provide executive briefings and decision support to senior staff, Board/committee leadership, and other institutional leaders on CRM performance, analytics, and CRM ROI.