Senior Director, Prospect Management and Research

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.  

  

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, London, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).  

  

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org 

 

NRDC is seeking a Senior Director, Prospect Management and Research to work with our Development team in one of our U.S.-based offices. 

 

Position Summary

 

NRDC is seeking a dynamic Senior Director of Prospect Management and Research to lead and elevate our newly integrated Prospect Management and Research team. In this pivotal role, you will shape the vision and strategy for a best‑in‑class operation that supports a high-performing development division of more than 100 staff across the country. You’ll guide an eight-person team, champion innovative approaches, leverage emerging technologies, and ensure NRDC remains at the forefront of an evolving philanthropic landscape. With a focus on strategic insight, data-driven decision-making, and strong partnership with frontline fundraisers, you will play a key role in unlocking donor potential and driving meaningful impact.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:

 

Strategy and Leadership 

• Provide strategic direction and vision for the Prospect Management and Research team, ensuring clear guidance on proactive methodologies and deliverables.
• Lead the continued development of a newly integrated and expanding team, establishing a best‑in‑class prospect management and research operation.
• Establish and refine performance metrics and KPIs to articulate the output, quality, and impact of prospect research and management activities on fundraising outcomes.
• Develop and implement comprehensive strategies, goals, and best practices that advance the effectiveness and impact of the prospect development and research function.
• Evaluate complex donor portfolio and research challenges, identify and propose appropriate solutions, and guide the development and execution of the team’s strategic plan.
• Communicate analytical insights and data‑driven conclusions with clarity to the SVP, leadership team, and the broader division.
• As the functional leader of the Prospect Management and Research team, oversee talent development, role clarity, performance expectations, and evolution of team capabilities.

Prospect/Moves Management

• Translate insights and activities related to a dynamic prospect pool into actionable strategies that maximize fundraising opportunities for NRDC.
• Collaborate with principal, major, foundation, membership, and planned giving officers to develop effective systems and protocols that support complex donor conversations and giving strategies.
• Design proactive research and analytical approaches to identify, evaluate, and prioritize prospects for qualification, cultivation, and solicitation.
• Recommend appropriate prospect assignments to gift officers and oversee tracking of prospect movement throughout the donor lifecycle.
• Maintain and refine systems to monitor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities, while providing fundraisers