Director of Prospect Management & Research

THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FOUNDATION INC • Mansfield, CT

4d • $100,000

About The Position

The University of Connecticut is a top-ranked national university and health system with its flagship campus located in idyllic Storrs. Designated a Carnegie Research 1 institution, UConn is the state land- and sea-grant university focused on education, research, and service to the state of Connecticut and beyond. The University serves over 33,000 students — 8,550 of them first in family — across seven campuses, with a legacy of national championships. UConn Health is a top-ranked health provider that delivers groundbreaking medical education, research, and hospital and clinical services to over one million patients each year. In addition, UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2 percent of researchers globally advancing discoveries in fields ranging from cancer to AI. UConn continues its meteoric rise as a top public university with a record number of applications, continued investment in student success, health, and wellness, recruitment of top faculty, innovation in research, and top-tier athletic programs focused on the holistic success of student-athletes. UConn is proud to have 26 national championships across all sports. This includes the men’s and women’s basketball teams, which have brought home three consecutive NCAA National Championship trophies in the last three years. Guided by the public launch of our most ambitious campaign in history, Because of UConn: The Campaign for UConn Nation, we are moving boldly into the future. The $1.5B comprehensive campaign spans all schools, colleges, campuses, and UConn Health, focusing on four pillars designed to make education more affordable and elevate UConn among its national peers: Students First: making transformative investments in financial aid, student health, career readiness, and life skills to improve time-to-degree and career outcomes. Academic & Innovation Excellence: driving investment in top faculty and graduate fellows and building the innovation ecosystem of the state and beyond. Health & Wellness of People & Planet: focusing on patient care, medical research, and development of life-changing technologies that improve healthcare outcomes. Husky Pride: investing in athletic excellence and supporting a thriving UConn Nation that includes more than 290,000 alumni worldwide. The campaign will have a profound impact on the University, doubling the number of named scholarships, funding scientific breakthroughs and advanced lifesaving therapies, and engaging UConn Nation in the life and mission of the University like never before. We seek the top talent in the country to join The UConn Foundation and help us drive our mission to connect people to the University of Connecticut, growing philanthropy, engaging a thriving alumni and donor community, and building a robust endowment to strategically advance UConn and UConn Health’s educational, research, and service missions. We are committed to a caring and supportive work culture, professional and leadership development, and flexibility for high achievers with a passion for higher education. We’re looking for dedicated professionals to drive success and excellence and exemplify our values of Purpose, Excellence, Culture, Communication, and Integrity. The UConn Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We celebrate different perspectives and are committed to a welcoming environment that values your unique experiences and identity. As an organization, we strive for continued growth each and every day. The Director of Prospect Management and Research is responsible for supporting the Foundation’s strategic business goals by overseeing the Prospect Management and Research functions. This position plays a pivotal role in the evolution of our Prospect Management function in a rapidly growing, high-achieving organization and will require a strong partnership with leaders across multiple functions, including the Development leadership team and Advancement Services leaders. The Director will serve as the primary point of contact for all prospect management and research needs across the full UConn ecosystem, including all schools and colleges, UConn Health, and Athletics. The Director oversees the day-to-day management and analysis of caseload development and optimization, prospect research and prospect management requests, and must maintain a close partnership with the fundraising and engagement teams while working to maximize pipeline development in support of the Foundation’s fundraising goals. The Director manages the team with a focus on productivity and quality metrics ensuring alignment with industry standards and strong customer service. The Director is responsible for the data maintenance of prospect management information within the CRM interface. This includes the development of policies and procedures and leading ongoing staff training.

Requirements

• Champion for inclusive priorities both internally and externally.
• Must have a strong executive presence and the ability to seamlessly navigate various aspects and units of a large university.
• Team leadership and team-building skills, proven track record of building and managing small teams
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of major gifts fundraising prospect management and performance metrics
• Demonstrated ability to apply an ethical code and to manage sensitive information with the highest degree of confidentiality.
• Strong computing and technical skills, including familiarity with fundraising databases, online research tools, Microsoft applications, and the ability to create complex database queries; ability to envision the use of all technical tools in concert to their fullest potential for increased departmental effectiveness.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple priorities, produce quality work, and meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to work to the demands of the position, which may exceed a 40-hour work week.
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5+ years’ management experience in prospect management and research, preferably within a higher education institution.
• Experience with maintaining prospect information and data management systems, and user-knowledge of donor/constituent management database systems and the ability to work effectively with systems administrators or programmers.
• Demonstrated leadership experience working across matrixed organizations, preferably in a fundraising environment.

Nice To Haves

• advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Prospect Management and Research teams to ensure prioritization of research requests and prospect management assignments, with a heightened focus on new lead identification and caseload optimization.
• Maintain staff metrics to track individual performance and overall production and review work to maintain standards of quality, accuracy and overall productivity.
• Oversee prospect assignment process and departmental collaboration with development officers and managers to facilitate assignment of viable prospects into the appropriate portfolios. This includes ownership of caseload reviews, prospect identification activities, and all other caseload optimization activities.
• Manage the team to ensure accurate and timely entry of prospect management information into the CRM database. This includes the development and maintenance of prospect management policies, procedures and staff training.
• Oversee the maintenance of the CRM system in the areas of prospect management data. This includes reviewing interactions and the opportunity pipeline and alerts to ensure that entries are in accordance with prospect management policy and procedures.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for prospect management-related CRM enhancements, with the team closely partnering with the Programming team to identify enhancements and complete end-user testing as needed.
• Establish and maintain policies that efficiently enhance data integrity including creating and monitoring anomaly reports.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as department meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.

Benefits

• Benefits start from day one.
• We offer medical, dental, and vision plans and will make an annual contribution to your health savings account if enrolled in one of the high-deductible health plans offered by the Foundation.
• In addition, there are a few other perks to being a UConn Foundation employee:
• We offer a generous contribution to your 403(b) retirement plan to help you plan for retirement.
• We place an emphasis on work/life balance. In addition to a hybrid schedule, you will receive thirteen paid holidays, five weeks of paid time off per calendar year, and additional sick time.
• We invest in your professional development. Aside from opportunities to participate in various trainings, committees, and conferences throughout the year, you will also be eligible for tuition reimbursement after one year of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees