Development Specialist

Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy•San Francisco, CA

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) is seeking a Development Specialist to serve as the operational engine of its Organizational Advancement team. This role is crucial for driving PICI’s revenue generation goals by providing executive support, managing data, and ensuring logistical follow-through for a comprehensive fundraising campaign. The Development Specialist will manage the Chief Organizational Advancement Officer’s (COAO) calendar and communications, maintain constituent data across PICI’s philanthropic and venture ecosystem, and execute operational details for events and engagements. Success in this role will allow the COAO and Advancement team to focus on high-value relationship management and fundraising. The position also serves as the primary administrator for PICI’s donor and constituent database (Salesforce), with training provided for candidates with strong database/CRM skills, even without prior Salesforce experience.

Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in non-profit development operations, development services, or a related data management role, preferably within a complex organization like an academic institution, research center, or life sciences focused non-profit.
Demonstrated proficiency with database, CRM, or structured spreadsheet systems, accompanied by the intellectual curiosity and rigor required to develop into a confident administrator of a major CRM platform.
Exceptional attention to detail and proven organizational skills, with a commitment to maintaining rigorous data integrity and operational accuracy in a fast-paced environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft clear, compelling, and professional correspondence, reports, and internal memos.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel expertise required for data analysis and reporting).
Sound discretion and judgment in handling sensitive donor, financial, and personnel information.
A collaborative spirit and proven ability to work effectively with diverse teams, including executive leadership, finance, and scientific staff.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required to successfully support the team’s event and prospect portfolio.

Nice To Haves

Prior Salesforce experience is welcomed but not required; PICI will provide training and support to the selected candidate.
Experience with comparable CRM platforms (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, HubSpot) is also valued.
Experience or familiarity with venture capital terminology, industry tracking tools (e.g., PitchBook, Crunchbase), or the life sciences/biotech ecosystem is a significant advantage.

Responsibilities

Serve as the day-to-day administrator of PICI’s donor database (Salesforce), responsible for system maintenance, data hygiene, and the integrity of all constituent records.
Maintain sophisticated tracking of PICI’s expanded network of “non-traditional” constituents, ensuring comprehensive data capture for venture investors, portfolio company founders, industry partners, and strategic corporate alliances.
Execute data imports and exports, segmentation queries, and custom reports to support all Advancement team activities, ensuring a single, accurate source of truth for all constituent interactions.
Provide comprehensive logistical support for the planning, silent phase, and public launch of the PICI fundraising campaign.
Maintain real-time tracking of the campaign pipeline, accurately reflecting prospect moves management stages and commitment amounts.
Generate and analyze critical campaign metrics, including campaign pyramid reporting, gift forecasting, commitment pacing, and pledge fulfillment tracking, to inform leadership decision-making.
Coordinate with the Finance department to ensure seamless reconciliation of committed and received funds.
Provide high-level administrative and operational support to the COAO and the broader Advancement team in advance of, during, and following major prospect engagements.
Coordinate complex meeting schedules, travel arrangements, and pre- and post-meeting logistics for principal prospects.
Compile detailed briefing books and background materials for major prospect meetings, synthesizing biographical, philanthropic, and venture-related data into actionable intelligence.
Maintain the formal moves management process within the CRM, ensuring timely and accurate documentation of all prospect interactions and next steps.
Produce timely, accurate, and highly personalized stewardship reports and gift acknowledgments under the direction of the COAO and senior team.
Coordinate inputs across Science, Venture, and Communications to assemble tailored impact reports for major donors and partners that effectively synthesize and highlight both PICI’s core scientific breakthroughs and the measurable commercial and venture success metrics of its portfolio companies and research initiatives.
Maintain a system for tracking and reporting on the impact of specific gifts and restricted funds.
Execute targeted and proactive prospect research using specialized tools such as WealthEngine, PitchBook, and other industry intelligence platforms, with training and support as needed.
Support the identification of new prospective partners, including family offices, high-net-worth individuals, strategic corporate partners, and impact investors aligned with PICI’s mission.
Develop and maintain detailed prospect profiles and capacity ratings to support prospect identification and assignment meetings.