Prospect Research and Management Officer
8696BR
University Advancement
Development
Job Summary
The Prospect Research and Management Officer is the strategic partner of the development officer, ensuring that they have the appropriate portfolio of prospects and that prospects are being qualified, cultivated, solicited, and stewarded in line with the strategic goals of the division. They are charged with maintaining portfolio structure, analysis of the movement of prospects through the solicitation cycle, prioritizing prospects for outreach, and anticipating information needs of their assigned units. Duties include strategic portfolio analysis, conducting donor research, providing capacity ratings, augmenting strategies, and information needs, and providing assistance to Prospect Development colleagues as needed.
This role is responsible for locating, assessing, interpreting, disseminating, and directing information about major gift donor prospects and other VIPs, friends, and alumni in the service of University Advancement and securing private philanthropy for RIT. This role also helps analyze donor trends and provides business intelligence to frontline fundraisers to help maximize their prospect portfolios.
Job Responsibilities
Major Responsibilities:
- Analyzes patterns of giving and characteristics of current donor pool including demographic data; employment information; levels of involvement; giving history amount, frequency, level vs. expectation, etc.
- Creates and regularly disseminates resources to keep leadership and colleagues apprised of institutional, donor prospect, and industry news with relevance to fundraising.
- Educates frontline fundraising personnel about role of prospect research and management, builds partnership with gift officers to grow institutional memory, and promotes professional status of advancement research.
- Trains and orients new gift officers about prospect research and management through formal and informal approaches.
- Makes recommendations on prospect's gift capacity and likelihood ratings; assists solicitors in formulating "ask" amount and strategy.
- Assists in maintaining data integrity via prospect management workspaces. Helps with portfolio management; ensures assigned gift officers’ portfolios are balanced and supported with optimal prospect pool. Manages gift officers’ requests.
- Assists in managing reporting, data validation, and remediation strategies in connection with gift officer metrics; maintains data hygiene best practices, prospect identification, portfolio penetration, proposal conversion rates, and solicited revenue.
- Produces specialized research targeted to prospect portfolios and develops solicitation strategies.
- Creates impactful research deliverables for fundraisers and leadership, including critical briefing materials for dean, vice president, and president meetings.
- Researches high net worth individuals, donor prospects, alumni, board candidates, private companies, and public corporations. Assesses their philanthropic interests, giving capacity, propensity, and readiness.
- Uses print, electronic, and internet-based methods to pursue research and collect facts; filters through the lens of fundraising. Identifies and evaluates new research tools to remain continually up-to-date with products and services.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Library Science, English, Business, Communications, or another research and writing-intensive discipline.
Skills:
- Experience searching online databases and the internet. Demonstrated knowledge of MS operating systems, Word, Excel, Access, Adobe Acrobat, etc.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to think critically, assess, and synthesize information.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask, handle multiple deadlines, and feel comfortable with seeking feedback on work. Ability to learn from feedback and continue to develop based on job responsibilities.
- Demonstrated ability to independently coordinate production of projects accurately and on deadline.
- Proven ability to work collegially and collaboratively and to work effectively under deadline.
- Sense of curiosity, ingenuity, and perseverance.
- Strong sense of ethics, sound judgement, and strict adherence to confidentiality policies.
Preferred Qualifications
Skills
- Expertise required with donor research methodology and practice, including wealth indicators, moves management, prospect management and data analysis.
- Knowledge of general principles of major gifts fundraising.
Required Minimum Education Level
Bachelors or Equivalent Experience
Work Location
Hybrid — Remote/On-campus
Wage Band
119A
FLSA Category
Exempt
Employment Category
Fulltime
Required Application Documents
Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae or Resume, List of References
What do we believe at RIT?
Rochester Institute of Technology is a diverse and collaborative community of engaged, socially conscious, and intellectually curious minds. Through creativity and innovation, and an intentional blending of technology, the arts and design, we provide exceptional individuals with a wide range of academic opportunities, including a leading research program and an internationally recognized education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. We are dedicated to building a diverse community, one where employees feel a sense of belonging, and are valued for their contributions and the perspectives they bring.
As a member of the RIT community, you'll receive a comprehensive employee benefits package that offers multiple options and access to additional employment advantages. You can tailor your benefit elections to meet your needs (affordable medical/dental/vision benefits; paid vacation/sick time/retirement saving plan with exceptional employer match; and tuition assistance for you and your family, to name a few).
Department/College Description
At Rochester Institute of Technology, our mission is to shape the future and improve the world through creativity and innovation. As an engaged, intellectually curious, diverse and socially conscious community, we leverage the power of technology, the arts, and design for the greater good. In the Division of University Advancement at RIT, we are dedicated to advancing this mission by fostering deep and meaningful connections with alumni, parents, friends, and organizations with the goal of increasing the resources available to the university through greater volunteer engagement and increased philanthropic support. As Advancement professionals, we seek support from a variety of investors to ensure a life-transforming RIT education is accessible to the talented students who seek to join us.
RIT’s Division of University Advancement (UADV) is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe the power of diversity enriches all of us by exposing us to a range of ways to understand and engage with each other, our constituents and our broader communities. We are dedicated to developing and implementing best practices to promote even greater diversity through our employee retention and hiring, accessibility, marketing materials, constituent engagement and in pursuit of our philanthropic goals.
How To Apply
In order to be considered for this position, you must apply for it at: http://careers.rit.edu/staff. Click the link for search openings and in the keyword search field, enter the title of the position or the BR number.
Additional Details
In compliance with NYS's Pay Transparency Act, the salary range for this position is listed above. Rochester Institute of Technology considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The hiring process for this position may require a criminal background check and/or motor vehicle records check. Any verbal or written offer made is contingent on satisfactory results, as determined by Human Resources. RIT does not discriminate. RIT promotes and values diversity, pluralism and inclusion in the work place. RIT provides equal opportunity to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, age, marital status, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status or disability in its hiring, admissions, educational programs and activities. RIT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities under the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York Human Rights Law, or similar applicable law. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Human Resources office at 585-475-2424 or email your request to hr@rit.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Hourly/Salary Minimum
52300
Hourly/Salary Maximum
87600