Assistant Director of Prospect Research

OFFICIAL JOB TITLE: Associate Director of Prospect Research               

DIVISION: University Advancement                                       

DEPARTMENT: Advancement

BARGAINING UNIT STATUS:  ESU, Category 14                                  

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO:  Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement

SUPERVISES:  Provides direct supervision of student employees

SUMMARY PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Assistant Director of Prospect Research is responsible for providing high-quality, actionable research and reports on individuals, corporations, and foundations to inform cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. The Assistant Director will work closely with frontline fundraisers, senior leadership, and other Advancement team members to build and maintain a robust prospect pipeline and ensure data integrity. The incumbent prepares briefing documents for the Chancellor, Provost, Deans and other senior leaders ahead of their meetings with prospects and donors, and will provide strategic recommendations to frontline fundraisers on prospect qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies based on research findings. The incumbent will also analyze complex data from various sources to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for prospect engagement, and will assist in managing and optimizing the prospect pipeline, ensuring a consistent flow of qualified prospects for fundraisers.

Follows the University’s best practices to build and/or support student academic success and retention, and assist in meeting strategic objectives for persistence and timely graduation of all the student population.

EXAMPLES OF PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Prospect and Portfolio Management

• Proactively identify new prospective donors with the capacity and inclination to support the University’s priorities through various research methodologies (e.g., wealth screening, philanthropic databases, public records, news alerts)
• Conduct in-depth research on individuals, corporations, and foundations, compiling comprehensive profiles that include biographical information, financial capacity, philanthropic interests, giving history, and connections to the University
• Present research findings clearly and concisely, both verbally and in written briefings, to various internal stakeholders, including the Chancellor, Provost, Deans, and others
• Generate reports and dashboards on prospect pool metrics, research activities, and pipeline progress to inform decision-making
• Develop and implement proactive research strategies to support specific fundraising initiatives and campaigns
• Collaborate with the Advancement team to ensure accurate and up-to-date prospect information within the donor database
• Contribute to the development and refinement of prospect management policies and procedures

Data Systems, Research, and Reporting

• Works with software database systems, including WealthEngine, iWave, Microsoft Office Suite, Ellucian Advance, Salesforce CRM, EverTrue, iModules, Graduway, Gravyty and other advancement systems
• Works with the Data Administrator, schedules and implements regular prospect screening and information updates
• Trains staff on best practices and use of the prospect tracking system
• Serves on committees and special projects, as assigned
• Performs other job-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned and/or the job description changed periodically to reflect changing organizational needs

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

      EDUCATION:   Bachelor’s degree

   EXPERIENCE:   Significant experience (5 years) in prospect research

             OTHER:   Occasional evening and weekend hours as projects dictate            

                            Occasional travel to off-campus locations

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in related field
• Significant experience (7 years) in prospect research
• Experience with, Ellucian Advance, Salesforce CRM, EverTrue, iModules, Graduway, Gravyty, WealthEngine, iWave and other advancement systems.
• Experience with prospect research tools (e.g., Lexis Nexis, iWave, wealth screening tools)
• Experience with advanced prospect management work (e.g., pipeline reviews, portfolio balancing)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Adheres to the highest ethical standards and standards of confidenti