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Senior Director of Development Research

Elon University
United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 11 Aug 2025

About the role

Title: Senior Director of Development Research

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Days Per Week: Monday - Friday

Hours Per Week: 40

VP Area: University Advancement

Department:

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Development Research is responsible for implementing and managing donor/prospect research and prospect management and tracking efforts at the university, using their advanced querying, analytical, and critical thinking skills to collect and repackage data to inform philanthropic strategy for fundraisers, senior staff, and the University President. This work includes identifying, qualifying, quantifying, and profiling corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Senior Director ensures that the university has an organized system to manage the philanthropic/biographical data, fundraising assignments, and gift strategies on past, current, and prospective donors, with a focus on major/principal gifts.

Benefits of Working at Elon

Benefits of Working at Elon: Full-time Position

As an Elon University employee, you’ll join an internationally acclaimed university with a commitment to fostering a thriving community. Ranked among the most innovative, creative and best-run universities in the nation, Elon’s personal approach to education extends to employees, whose growth, professional development and success is a hallmark of our training and advancement opportunities.

Elon University’s home is the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, a small, friendly community located a short distance from the beach and the mountains, and among the vibrant cities of Greensboro, Raleigh and Durham. In addition to the beautiful canopy of historic oak trees iconic to our campus, you’ll find boundless opportunities for family-friendly recreation, cultural events and outdoor activities. Hiking, water sports, fine dining and entertainment are just a few of the many happenings in the Elon area, making the region one of the nation’s premier travel destinations.

Employees at Elon enjoy a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes:

28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.

Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses

Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.

Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.

Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.

Free use of campus fitness facilities.

Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.

Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service. After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

Elon values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. As an equal opportunity employer, Elon’s principles of diversity extend to race and gender identity, age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and other aspects of one’s identity. At Elon, our employees respect human differences, passion for lifelong learning, emphasis on personal integrity and an ethic of service.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in any relevant field of study with more than 8 years of experience with the following relevant work experience: Minimum of eight years professional experience in prospect research, preferably in a higher education setting. Experience working with Raiser's Edge NXT preferred.

Preferred Education and Experience

Master's degree in Library Science

Job Duties

  • Strategic Leadership Provides strategic leadership as a member of the University Advancement Leadership team, the Major Gifts team, and the Development Research team Provides thought leadership in creating shared policies and procedures around data collection, entry, storage, and retrieval Coordinates annual process to collect and analyze parent/grandparent information for undergraduate and graduate constituencies – including managing timelines, identifying data imp

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Company

Elon University

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