Development Specialist

Palo Alto University•Palo Alto, CA

4d•$60,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Development Specialist is the production and operational engine of PAU's growing development function. This role supports donor communications, grant research and proposal writing, annual giving, stewardship, prospect research, CRM management, and development operations. The position directly contributes to philanthropic growth and institutional sustainability and is ideal for a strong writer who is equally comfortable managing details, deadlines, data, and cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in English, communications, public policy, nonprofit management, psychology, or a related field.
Two or more years of experience in development operations, nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, or a related role, with demonstrated success in professional writing and institutional communications.
Exceptional writing ability, including the ability to create clear, persuasive proposals, reports, donor communications, and mission-driven narratives for different audiences.
Strong organization and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and workstreams with limited supervision.
Experience with CRM platforms and donor database management; familiarity with HubSpot is preferred.
High attention to detail, data accuracy, compliance, and operational precision.
Genuine curiosity about behavioral science, mental health, psychology, and the communities PAU serves, with the ability to translate complex academic work into accessible language.

Nice To Haves

Experience researching and writing proposals for foundations, corporate giving programs, or local and state funding agencies.
Experience in higher education development, nonprofit advancement, or academic program communications.
Background in prospect research, wealth screening, donor database management, annual giving, or donor stewardship.
Familiarity with HubSpot, Donately, or comparable advancement CRM and giving platforms.
Experience supporting cultivation events or donor engagement programs.

Responsibilities

Research and pursue foundation, corporate, local, state, and select federal funding opportunities aligned with PAU's mission and programs.
Write compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, concept papers, case statements, donor impact narratives, and other philanthropic communications.
Own proposal development from initial draft through submission, including gathering program information, outcome data, faculty input, institutional materials, and required documentation.
Build and maintain a priority prospect list of Bay Area and Silicon Valley foundation and corporate funders, while tracking proposals, deadlines, decisions, and follow-up obligations.
Draft gift acknowledgments, stewardship communications, annual giving materials, donor briefings, and personalized correspondence for university leaders.
Maintain accurate donor, gift, pledge, prospect, and grant information in HubSpot or related CRM platforms, including gift processing and acknowledgments.
Conduct prospect research and wealth screening, prepare donor profiles, and support pipeline reporting, forecasting, board giving records, and campaign tracking.
Support development events and annual giving campaigns through invitation lists, RSVP tracking, donor communications, campaign execution, and results reporting.