Director of Prospect Management & Research

MSU Alumni Foundation • Bozeman, MT

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Prospect Management & Research (Director, PMR) leads the health, effectiveness, and strategic direction of the Prospect Management & Research function within the Montana State University Alumni Foundation’s Advancement Services department. Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement Data & Research, the Director leads the PMR team and its processes while also conducting hands-on prospect management, research, and analysis. The balance between direct work and leadership responsibilities may shift with team capacity and campaign priorities. The Director partners with the Senior Director, Development leadership, and other teams to support sustainable fundraising impact for Montana State University.

The role includes developing PMR strategy and services, supporting the comprehensive campaign, supervising and developing staff, conducting prospect research and portfolio analysis, maintaining governance and research standards, and producing strategic reporting. The Director also contributes to resource planning, manages external research and analytics vendor relationships, and upholds data confidentiality, security, and ethical standards, including the APRA Statement of Ethics.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including supervising, developing, and motivating a team in an advancement services context.
• Deep expertise in prospect management, research methodologies, portfolio strategy, and moves management.
• Ability to independently produce high-quality prospect research, analysis, and briefings while leading and developing a team.
• Ability to translate complex analytical concepts into organizational strategy and actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Experience developing and leading PMR programs, governance frameworks, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present and influence at senior levels.
• Progressively responsible experience with prospect research tools and CRM systems.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising campaign structures, donor cultivation cycles, and gift vehicles.
• Ability to lead change, manage competing priorities, and build organizational alignment in a complex environment.

Nice To Haves

• Supervisory experience and higher education fundraising experience are preferred.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or Blackbaud software is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute PMR priorities and strategy with the Senior Director, aligning them with fundraising goals, the strategic plan, and campaign initiatives.
• Lead PMR support for the comprehensive campaign, including prospect identification, gift-range and pipeline analysis, and prospect qualification and review strategy.
• Support the Senior Director in representing PMR with senior leaders, including Vice Presidents, the President & CEO, and the Board of Governors as appropriate.
• Advise the Senior Director, Development leadership, and organizational teams on prospect strategy and pipeline health; anticipate needs and design proactive PMR programs and services.
• Directly supervise, coach, mentor, and develop PMR team members; support performance management, succession planning, onboarding, training, and professional development.
• Delegate work to promote team-member growth while maintaining accountability for outcomes.
• Conduct and oversee prospect identification, qualification, and research, including analysis of capacity, inclination, and affinity.
• Review prospect profiles and briefings for senior leaders and high-priority prospects, delegating work as appropriate.
• Lead annual and ongoing portfolio reviews with Development, monitor portfolio activity and health, and recommend prospect assignments and reassignments.
• Partner with Development Officers on portfolio strategy, prioritization, and goal setting; train and advise Development staff on PMR practices, research interpretation, and tools and reports.
• Maintain PMR governance, research standards, policies, and operational structures in partnership with the Senior Director and Development Operations Team.
• Improve PMR workflows, systems integrations, and quality assurance frameworks; partner with Advancement Systems and Analytics on data infrastructure, self-service reporting, and analytics capabilities.
• Oversee PMR standard operating procedures, including Prospect Management Guidelines, training resources, and data governance documentation.
• Promote accurate and timely recording of prospect interactions and contact reports in the CRM, and monitor compliance with the Prospect Management Guidelines.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director on strategic reporting and analysis for Alumni Foundation leadership; define, track, and report PMR performance metrics and service levels.
• Develop and maintain prospect analytics, including capacity and affinity scoring, engagement scoring, segmentation, and pipeline and portfolio analyses, in coordination with Reporting and Analytics and external vendors.
• Identify and address structural, process, or data challenges affecting fundraising effectiveness, and balance competing priorities across programs and stakeholders.
• Contribute to PMR staffing design, resource planning, and budget considerations.
• Manage external research and analytics vendor relationships, ensuring quality, value, and adherence to ethical standards.
• Pursue and support professional development that keeps the PMR team current with industry trends, tools, and practices, and build scalable, sustainable PMR operations.
• Uphold data confidentiality, security, and ethics in accordance with Alumni Foundation policy and the APRA Statement of Ethics; contribute to a collaborative, proactive, positive, and performance-centric workplace.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, 90–100% employer-paid for employee-only coverage.
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 7% employer contribution after the one-year anniversary.
• Up to five weeks of paid time off.
• 11 paid holidays.
• Tuition assistance.
• Comprehensive employment benefits.

What This Job Offers

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