Managing Director, Prospect Management & Research

Title: Managing Director, Prospect Management and Research

TEAM: Development

REPORTS TO: VP, Fundraising Operations

LOCATION: Flexible

PRIORITY APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 10, 2026 at 11:59PM ET

WHAT YOU’LL DO

We are looking for a candidate who is excited to shape how prospect strategy, research, and portfolio management drive fundraising outcomes across a complex, national organization. This role sits at the center of fundraising effectiveness, helping teams focus on the right donors at the right time with clear, data-informed strategy.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about translating information into action and will bring strong judgment, curiosity, and a consultative approach to partnership with frontline fundraisers. You will work closely with fundraising leaders to turn data and research into clear recommendations - guiding prioritization, strengthening portfolio discipline, and elevating how insights inform decision-making across the organization.

The goal of this role is to ensure that research and prospect management consistently lead to focused portfolios, stronger pipelines, and more effective fundraising action.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

Set the vision and lead the Prospect Management and Research functions (30%)

• Define and drive a clear vision for prospect strategy, research, and portfolio management that strengthens fundraising outcomes

• Manage and coach a team of three, building a culture of strategic thinking, proactive partnership, and continuous improvement

• Align team priorities, workflows, and service model to organizational fundraising goals

• Serve as a strategic thought partner, advocate, and champion for the Prospect Management and Research functions across FundOps and Development leadership

Lead and evolve prospect management practices (25%)

• Strengthen portfolio strategy across the organization, including portfolio sizing, prioritization, and clear distinctions between portfolio and pipeline

• Define and codify prospect management policies and frameworks (e.g., entry, sunsetting, disqualification, engagement expectations) that drive consistency and focus

• Establish a clear moves management approach grounded in data and current-state analysis, helping teams understand how and when prospects should progress or sunset

• Design and support portfolio reviews that focus on decision-making and prioritization, not just data cleanup

• Apply and reinforce prospect assignment and management policies with consistency

Drive prospect analysis and prioritization at scale (20%)

• Identify patterns across portfolios (e.g., capacity gaps, stalled prospects, upgrade opportunities) and translate these into strategic insights

• Guide the development of analysis and outputs that help fundraisers prioritize the highest-value opportunities across pipelines

• Ensure the team’s work connects individual research requests to broader portfolio and organizational strategy

Build and scale a consultative partnership model with frontline fundraising teams (15%)

• Coach and enable the team to serve as strategic thought partners to fundraisers, moving beyond transactional research support

• Establish norms and expectations for how the team engages with stakeholders, including asking strategic questions and tailoring insights to fundraising goals

• Ensure team outputs synthesize research into clear, decision-ready insights that help fundraisers interpret information and determine how to act

• Establish systems and norms that ensure prospect insights are consistently captured, connected, and reused, enabling cumulative learning and reducing duplication across teams

• Build strong, trusted relationships with fundraising leaders to reinforce the team’s role as a strategic partner and advisor

Leverage technology and AI to enhance insight and efficiency (10%)

• Identify and implement ways to use technology and AI to accelerate analysis and surface insights

• Help establish best practices for effective and responsible use of emerging tools

• Shift team focus from manual research toward higher-value synthesis and strategy

• Continuously assess current databases and new products in the prospect de