Job Description
Title: Senior CRM & Data Migration Specialist (CEMI)
Location: Midtown
Org Unit: Advancement Services Information Systems
Work Days:
Weekly Hours: 35.00
Exemption Status: Exempt
Salary Range: $156,100.00 - $174,100.00
*As required under NYC Human Rights Law Int 1208-2018 - Salary range for this role when Hired for NYC Offices
The Senior CRM & Data Migration Specialist serves a dual-purpose role within the Office of External Affairs at Weill Cornell Medicine, providing critical operational support for the Blackbaud CRM environment while playing a key role in the university-wide transition to Salesforce/Kindsight Ascend. This hybrid position combines hands-on system administration, reporting, and user support with strategic contributions to a complex enterprise CRM migration.
Reporting to the Senior Database Administrator, this role will partner closely with internal stakeholders, technical teams, and external vendors to ensure continuity of current operations and successful implementation of future-state systems. The position is instrumental in maintaining data integrity, optimizing workflows, and enabling advancement, fundraising, and engagement functions through technology.
This role serves as a key technical resource across Blackbaud CRM, Salesforce, and Kindsight Ascend, supporting CRM operations, enterprise integrations, data migrations, reporting strategy, and project delivery through active participation in project epics, Azure DevOps workstreams, and cross-functional implementation initiatives.
Job Responsibilities
- Develop, maintain, and deliver reports, queries, and dashboards to support fundraising, events, and communications. Create automation scripts, templates, and workflows to improve data processes and operational efficiency.
- Monitor and manage CRM-related support requests via the IT ticketing system, ensuring timely resolution. Perform data validation, cleansing, and ongoing data quality management activities.
- Support pre-migration planning, including data readiness and system assessments. Document and define current-state workflows and business processes.
- Inventory and document current-state Blackbaud CRM data structures, reports, queries, export definitions, integrations, customizations, and business-critical data dependencies.
- Identify, document, and assess existing automation processes, including SQL Agent jobs, stored procedures, SSRS reports, scheduled exports, workflows, templates, and externally maintained scripts.
- Evaluate current automations and data processes for migration impact, identifying items to retain, replace, redesign, or retire as part of the transition to Kindsight Ascend.
- Analyze code tables, reference data, classifications, and controlled values to support standardized future-state configuration and conversion.
- Participate in Salesforce and Kindsight Ascend implementation activities, including solution design reviews, data migration planning, reporting requirements, integration discussions, and business process alignment.
- Gather, analyze, and document business and functional requirements for CRM migration. Map legacy data structures, fields, and business rules from Blackbaud CRM to Kindsight Ascend.
- Conduct gap analyses to identify differences in functionality and workflows. Translate requirements into functional specifications, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
- Support data migration activities including transformation logic, validation, reconciliation, and testing.
- Collaborate with vendors, Salesforce administrators, developers, and internal technology teams on CRM configuration, solution design, implementation strategy, and deployment activities.
- Participate in integration design, development, testing, and implementation across Salesforce, Epic EMR, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Data 360/data warehouse, finance systems, and other enterprise applications.
- Develop and execute user acceptance testing (UAT) plans and coordinate stakeholder participation. Document new workflows, data standards, and operating procedures for the future-state system.
- Create and deliver training materials and end-user training sessions. Monitor project risks, dependencies, and change requests; support mitigation planning. Facilitate cross-functional meetings and stakeholder working sessions.
- Define and implement governance structures including data standards and decision-making processes. Support role-based access design and security configuration aligned with compliance and least-privilege principles.
- Assist in post-implementation optimization through continuous feedback and system enhancements.
- Perform data migration reconciliation activities, including validation of record counts, financial totals, and key fundraising balances across legacy and target systems.
- Reconcile gifts, pledges, pledge payments, write-offs, adjustments, soft credits, and recognition credit data to ensure accurate conversion and continuity of advancement reporting.
- Support data retention, archival, and migration-scope decisions by identifying historical data required for operational, reporting, audit, and institutional purposes.
- Participate in mock conversions, iterative migration cycles, delta conversions, cutover planning, final data validation, and post-conversion reconciliation.
- Actively participate in project epics translating functional requirements into technical data, reporting, migration, and integration requirements while documenting decisions and dependencies in Azure DevOps.
- Manage assigned Azure DevOps work items, defects, and testing activities, including issue documentation, root cause analysis, resolution validation, retesting, and stakeholder communication.
- Support enterprise reporting strategy by evaluating current-state Blackbaud reports and dashboards and defining future-state reporting requirements across Salesforce and Kindsight Ascend platforms.
Education
- Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Business Administration or related field required
Experience
- 8+ years of experience working with CRM systems, preferably Blackbaud CRM or similar advancement/fundraising platforms.
- Demonstrated experience supporting or leading enterprise CRM implementations or migrations.
- Experience with data migration, data mapping, and data quality management practices.
- Proven ability to work with cross-functional teams, including business stakeholders and technical resources.
- Experience in higher education, healthcare, or nonprofit fundraising environments is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with Salesforce CRM, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, or comparable cloud-based CRM solutions supporting fundraising, engagement, marketing, or constituent relationship management.
- Experience using Azure DevOps, Jira, or similar Agile project management platforms to manage project epics, user stories, defects, testing cycles, and release activities.
- Experience working with relational database technologies, including Microsoft SQL Server, SQL development, data validation, reconciliation, and reporting.
- Experience with Salesforce platform concepts, CRM administration, data management, reporting, and integration best practices.
- Experience with system integrations, APIs, or middleware tools preferred.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Strong functional and technical understanding of Blackbaud CRM data architecture, business processes, query tools, reporting frameworks, and integration capabilities.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server, T-SQL, stored procedures, views, data validation techniques, and data reconciliation methodologies.
- Proficiency with Azure DevOps for managing epics, user stories, defects, testing activities, change requests, and project documentation.
- Understanding of enterprise integration concepts, APIs, middleware, and data exchange processes involving systems such as Epic, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and CRM platforms.
- Ability to translate complex business requirements into technical specifications and solutions.
- Proficiency in report writing, querying, and data analysis.
- Knowledge of data governance, security models, and user access management.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills with strong attention to detail.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical users.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, project-driven environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel, for data analysis and documentation.
- Strong organizational and project coordination skills.
Licenses and Certifications
- Relevant certifications in CRM platforms, data management, or project management (e.g., Salesforce, Agile, PMP) are a plus.
Working Conditions/Physical Demands
Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “any person, any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRRA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.
