Position Detail - Associate Director of Prospect Research & Management

Position Type: Staff Full-Time (Remote)

Hours per week: 37.5   

Weeks per year: 52

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm 

Salary range: $70,000 - $74,000

Department Summary & Job Purpose:

Reporting to the Director of College Relations Data Services, the Associate Director of Prospect Research and Management will lead prospect development efforts to support the Development team’s activities by providing strategic insights, enhancing a prospect management system as well as identifying, researching, and analyzing potential individual sources of financial support.

The ideal candidate will have at least six years of experience, including at least two years of experience in a supervisory role and a proven ability to work strategically and effectively in a higher educational environment.

The Associate Director of Prospect Research and Management will supervise a team of two researchers who are responsible for providing the groundwork for the Development team’s activities by identifying and researching prospects, conducting portfolio reviews with frontline staff, and analyzing potential individual sources of financial support.

Core Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Oversee prospect research and portfolio management activities undertaken for the benefit of Mount Holyoke College (MHC).
• Supervise two direct reports: a Senior Researcher and a Research Analyst & Coordinator, and ensure the services they provide to frontline staff are timely, accurate, and helpful.
• Collaborate with the Director of College Relations Data Services to provide campaign planning and strategic prospecting support, with emphasis on evaluating the viability of campaign goals and developing new prospect strategies when necessary. 
•  Maintain ongoing communication with Development staff, particularly a specific team of assigned Leadership Gift officers, to meet their research and portfolio needs. 
• Conduct proactive & reactive prospect research using a variety of methods and sources. Devise new ways to secure information of critical importance to the effective solicitation of significant constituents of MHC. Record all information in Colleague Advancement. 
• Analyze prospective donors’ gift potential, readiness to give, special interests, and connections to MHC. Recommend strategies for contacting and engaging prospective donors. 
• Write confidential research documents on individual prospects and provide prospect reports for MHC Development staff and MHC leadership. 
• Offer appropriate research support to the Mount Holyoke Fund (MHF) unit, and share information on prospects deemed optimal for MHF engagement. 
• Foster a culture of strategic partnership and donor-centric service with Leadership Gift officers, and promote efforts to collaborate with all Development units.

Qualifications: 

This position requires a professional who has demonstrated success in this field, preferably with six or more years of experience, at least two of which have been in a managerial role. The qualified candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree, strong organizational skills, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, positive leadership, creativity, the desire to lead a strong team, and the ability to establish priorities with a high degree of independence. The candidate will also have the proven ability to effectively interact with a broad range of constituents (staff, volunteers, administrators) and to train and motivate staff. Experience working with a relational database is a necessity, preferably Colleague Advancement, as well as the Microsoft Office suite of products, including Excel.

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with statistical analysis software is preferred.

License/Certifications:

Compliance Requirements: 

Physical Demands: 

• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Sufficient clarity of speech required includes those which permit the employee to discern verbal instructions and communicate effectively in person and by telephone.
• The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and extensive reading.
• Employee operates office equipment and computers to perform essential duties and responsibilities.

Working Conditions: 

• The employee is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (such as in typical office or administrative work).  

Background Checks:

Mount Holyoke College is committed to providing a safe and secure environment, supported by qualified employees that will allow all of its students, faculty, staff and those associated with them to successfully carry out the mission of the college. As a condition of employment, the College will conduct appropriate background checks for all new hires. Mount Holyoke has designated the Office of Human Resources as the office responsible for ensuring that background checks (CORI, SORI, Credit History, & Driver Credential) are completed and utilized in the hiring process and Five College Office of Compliance and Risk Management as the office responsible for facilitating background checks as articulated in this policy.

Special Instructions for Applicants: 

Apply online; application materials must include:

1. A cover letter summarizing interests and qualifications
2. A complete resume or curriculum vitae
3. Contact information for 3 professional references

Mount Holyoke College is a women’s college that is gender diverse. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. In compliance with state and federal law, Mount Holyoke College does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, genetic information, sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, ancestry, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state or local law. The College does not discriminate on the basis of gender in the recruitment and admission of students to its graduate program.

Mount Holyoke College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.