Director of Prospect Research and Analytics

UNC-Chapel Hill•Chapel Hill, NC

About The Position

The Director of Prospect Research and Analytics provides prospect identification, donor pipeline support, campaign reporting, and data analysis for the Arts and Sciences Foundation. The role uses research and business intelligence tools to support data-driven fundraising strategies, particularly principal gifts, and works with development officers, College leadership, and Foundation partners to provide insights that strengthen fundraising and advance philanthropic priorities. The Director supervises one Development Data Analyst, overseeing workflow prioritization, professional development, and quality control across prospect research and data analytics. The position creates and oversees reports, dashboards, and data extracts, ensuring complex information is communicated clearly and accurately. It also supports CRM training and users, promoting effective system use, data integrity, and development operations best practices. The role researches and analyzes issues related to donor strategy, development operations, prospect management, and data quality, and provides recommendations to inform leadership decisions and organizational priorities. It collaborates with College and Foundation leadership and the frontline fundraising team, maintains expertise in business intelligence and analytical tools, develops skills as technology and practices evolve, and leads strategic prospect research and donor pipeline development to identify, evaluate, and advance major and principal gift prospects.

Requirements

Three to five years of related or transferable experience, including management experience.
Ability to synthesize, summarize, and assess the relative value of high volumes of information from varied sources to create concise, confidential research reports in a variety of formats.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse constituencies.
Ability to meet deadlines, work independently, and remain self-motivated.
Flexibility and adaptability to shifting priorities.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a complex fundraising organization in higher education or the nonprofit sector.
Knowledge of prospect research principles, practices, and tools of the trade.
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, consulting, and project management skills; attention to detail and accuracy; creativity; and problem-solving skills.
Familiarity with UNC-Chapel Hill.
Familiarity with Blackbaud CRM (Davie).

Responsibilities

Provide prospect identification, donor pipeline support, campaign reporting, and data analysis for the Arts and Sciences Foundation.
Support data-driven fundraising strategies, with particular emphasis on principal gifts.
Work with development officers, College leadership, and Foundation partners to deliver actionable insights supporting fundraising performance and philanthropic priorities.
Supervise one Development Data Analyst, including workflow prioritization, professional development, and quality control.
Ensure reports, dashboards, and data extracts communicate complex information clearly, accurately, and meaningfully.
Serve as a resource for CRM training and user support, promoting effective system utilization, data integrity, and development operations best practices.
Research and analyze issues related to donor strategy, development operations, prospect management, and data quality, and provide recommendations and actionable insights.
Collaborate with College and Foundation leadership and the frontline fundraising team to meet data needs and support fundraising efforts.
Maintain expertise in business intelligence and analytical tools while developing new skills as technologies and best practices evolve.
Lead strategic prospect research and donor pipeline development, identifying, evaluating, and advancing major and principal gift prospects.