Development Operations Assistant

The White House Historical Association is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to enhance the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Executive Mansion. For more than sixty years, the Association has produced award-winning books on a wide range of subjects related to the history of the President’s House and has actively fulfilled its educational mission with robust educational programming and retail offerings.

This is NOT a political position or a position with the United States Government. All proceeds from the sale of the Association’s books and products are used to fund the acquisition of historic furnishings and artwork for the permanent White House Collection, assist in the preservation of public rooms, and further its educational mission.

Position Overview

White House Historical Association

Department: Development Strategy & Operations

Reports To: Associate Vice President of Development Strategy & Operations

The Development Operations Assistant is a key member of the Development Strategy & Operations team, providing critical operational, administrative, and project management support to ensure the smooth execution of development initiatives across the White House Historical Association (WHHA). This position will work closely with the Associate Vice President of Development Strategy & Operations and collaborate on multiple fronts, including Philanthropy Events, Membership & Donor Services, Gift Processing, Database & Reporting, and Strategic Communications.

This role is ideal for an organized, proactive, and solutions-oriented individual who brings strong operational instincts, high attention to detail, and an ability to partner with cross-functional colleagues to advance fundraising, events, and membership success.

Key Responsibilities

Operational & Administrative Support

• Provide day-to-day support to the Associate Vice President, including scheduling, meeting preparation, briefing materials, and follow-up on key deliverables across the department.
• Develop and maintain internal documentation, SOPs, checklists, and shared resources for development operations, events, and membership.
• Assist in monitoring timelines, deadlines, and performance metrics for operations-related projects.

Project Management & Process Improvement

• Support department-wide process improvement initiatives, including documenting workflows and assisting with implementation of new systems, tools, or procedures.
• Track progress on strategic projects across development operations, events, and membership, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Coordinate cross-team project plans, meeting agendas, action items, and reporting dashboards.

Development Operations Support

• Assist with data integrity efforts in Salesforce, including routine checks, data cleanup tasks, and coordination with the Database & Reporting team.
• Support Gift Processing and Gift Agreements workflows by preparing documentation, tracking statuses, and ensuring timely routing and approvals.
• Collaborate with Membership & Donor Services to assist with membership data management, fulfillment processes, and donor service inquiries.
• Manage the timely submission, tracking, and processing of all vendor invoices and staff expense reports within the organizational financial systems.

Events & Philanthropy Support

• Provide coordination support for philanthropic events, including event intake tasks, scheduling briefings, processing vendor contracts.
• Assist with QA/QC review of event collateral marketing materials and briefing documents, ensuring accuracy and alignment with WHHA brand standards.
• Track event-related revenue, expenses, and deliverables in collaboration with the Events and Finance teams.
• Provide general administrative support to include ordering event supplies and retail products, printing and preparing place cards and escort cards, shipping event supplies in advance, coordination of assembly and mailing of print invitations, assembling WHHA development collateral for distribution at events.
• Occasionally be a part of the onsite event team at development events held in Washington DC, assisting with greeting and guest registration functions, and other duties as assigned.

Communications & Donor Engagement Support

• Assist with strategic donor communications by gathering content, proofreading materials, updating templates, and coordinating reviews with cross-functional partners.
• Maintain consistent branding and messaging across donor and member communications in collaboration with Development Communications.
• Support donor acquisition efforts through campaign coordination, outreach support, and performance tracking.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced training or coursework in nonprofit management, fundraising, or business administration preferred.
• 4–6 years of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising operations, events, membership, or related administrative/project management roles.
• Experience working with CRM databases (Salesforce preferred) and development-related systems.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, build relationships, and support cross-functional teams.
• Interest in museum, historical, cultural, or mission-based nonprofit work is a plus.

Work Style & Attributes

• Proactive problem solver with the ability to anticipate needs.
• Comfortable navigating both established processes and processes that are evolving.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-performing environment.
• Commitment to supporting a mission-driven development team and contributing to a culture of excellence.

Job Details:

• Type: Full-time Exempt
• Compensation: range $65k-$70k annually
• Benefits: 403(B), health, dental, vision insurance, paid time off, employee discounts
• Location: On-site

Candidates selected for this position must pass a full background and reference check.

To Apply:

Send cover letter describing your relevant experiences, and your resume in a single Word document or PDF to employment@whha.org The White House Historical Association is an equal opportunity employer.