Development Research Manager (Job ID: 2026-3816)

The Brookings Institution • Washington, DC

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Join one of the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tanks! The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level. We bring together leading experts in government and academia from all over the world, rooted in open-minded inquiry and representing diverse points of view, who provide the highest quality research, policy recommendations, and analysis. Research topics cover a full range of public policy issues in economics, foreign policy, development, governance and metropolitan policy. With fair and transparent business practices, clear communication, mutual respect, and a collaborative atmosphere that offers both professional and personal development opportunities, Brookings offers an inclusive and welcoming workplace that values the efforts of all contributors. The Office of Development manages fundraising across the institution. Focused on a constituency based fundraising model, our team works directly with the research programs and executive office to set an overarching fundraising strategy that supports the important work of our scholars. In Brookings Development, we aim to: Build and nurture relationships with donors and prospects to raise critical financial resources in support of the institution’s fiscal health and to advance the mission of Brookings. Safeguard Brookings’s institutional values of Quality, Independence, and Impact. Amplify the impact of our scholars’ research and steward our donors’ generosity with compelling and innovative programming for our donor groups. Support our Board of Trustees in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities to protect and sustain the institution. Partner closely with our colleagues across Brookings by providing best-in-class fundraising and fundraising operations to benefit all research programs. In everything we do, strive for excellence, act with integrity, communicate with honesty, show respect and collegiality, be proactive, collaborative, creative, and solutions-oriented.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• a minimum of two years of experience researching prospects in a development setting.
• Research proficiency, including solid knowledge of research and media resources.
• Strong analytical and evaluative skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to extract information from a database and organize, analyze, and present it in Microsoft Excel or other formats for optimal utility.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and submit work products accurately and quickly.
• Capacity to exercise independent initiative and judgment.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Self-starter with a demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a related institution and/or familiarity with public policy organizations is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Conducts, manages, and coordinates philanthropic research for the Institution.
• Responds to research requests from the Office of the President, the Vice President and Chief Development Officer (CDO), and other development staff.
• Supports the fundraising efforts of the Institution by identifying and evaluating donor and prospect philanthropic interests and capacity with a focus on corporate donors.
• Works closely with other development researchers and the frontline fundraisers in Development by recommending new prospects for qualification and cultivation to build the giving pipeline.
• Oversees a portfolio of fundraisers, projects, programs, and funding initiatives that require research services.
• Compiles current biographical and financial information and news on donors and prospects for visit/call briefings and event lookbooks for senior leadership.
• Proactively identify potential prospects within the guidelines of federal, state, and local laws and institutional policies and procedures.
• Writes prospect profiles, due diligence summaries, leadership briefings, and other research products, creates prospect lists, determines philanthropic capacity, pathways, networks, and interests, working closely with fundraisers.
• Oversees the research components of the event lookbook process, coordinating closely with other key development staff as needed.
• Compiles and analyzes biographical, wealth, and philanthropic information from all available resources to identify new prospects for Brookings donor groups, special projects, or core needs support in their portfolio.
• Ensures that all suspects, prospects, and donors are researched and assigned capacity ratings using best practice methods and those ratings are updated regularly.
• Ensures that prospect research activities meet the needs of their portfolio of fundraisers in support of their revenue goals.
• Other research projects as needed.
• Works with the development research team on the assignment and tracking of suspects and prospects for their portfolio.
• Tracks suspects and prospects as they are moved through the pipeline from qualification to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Participates in portfolio reviews with frontline fundraisers.

Benefits

• Brookings provides a generous benefit package that is comprehensive and includes both traditional benefits and unique offerings.
• Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision benefits, generous time off, and workplace flexibility.
• For more information, please visit Brookings Benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager