Director Prospect Management

The Tufts University Advancement division (UA) is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 180 staff members. Functional units within UA include Development/Fundraising, Alumni Relations, Stewardship and Donor Relations, Special events, Gift Processing, Research, Prospect Management, Gift Planning, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Information Systems and Management, and Infrastructure Services. UA's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with Tufts University's constituents, match donors' interests with the university's needs and priorities, and secure the financial resources necessary for Tufts to achieve excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. The division is strongly committed to serving the academic agenda of the university, creating a culture of philanthropy in the extended Tufts community, and pursuing excellence and best practices in its work. Integrity, collegiality, diversity, accountability, mutual trust, and respect for the individual as well as the intentions of our donors are the values that guide the division's work.

The Office of Prospect Development and Strategic Analysis (OPD) gathers and analyzes information on, and facilitates and tracks communication with, the university's current and potential prospects and donors, including individuals, corporations and foundations. OPD is primarily responsible for one of UA's key strategic priorities: the expansion of the university's base of support, which complements the other fundamental priorities of building relationships and raising funds. OPD addresses this need by conducting sophisticated research and analysis, identifying new prospects, and managing the processes of assigning the most promising prospects to development officer portfolios and assessing portfolio performance. OPD is also responsible for maintaining current and accurate information on all prospects and ensuring the Advance database represents UA's full knowledge of prospect-related activity.

The Director of Prospect Management and Analytics serves as the strategic lead for the prospect management function, working in close partnership with senior leadership to develop and implement systems that coordinate, track, and report on engagement with annual fund, major gift and principal gift level prospects. This role is responsible for overseeing the creation, assignment, and lifecycle management of portfolios across the division, with the goal of maximizing donor potential and aligning prospect interests with institutional and school-based fundraising priorities. The director leads cross-functional projects and manages all aspects of prospect data analysis and reporting using AIM and Tableau, providing actionable insights that support intelligent decision-making and effective donor engagement strategies. As a key leader in the AIM system, the director plays a lead role in overseeing the ongoing management of the prospect module, including the development of new policies and procedures, training users on system functionality, and designing customized reports for both division leadership and frontline fundraisers. This position supervises a team of professional staff, and when necessary, external consultants or vendors, ensuring effective hiring, onboarding, training, and development. The director fosters collaboration across departments, represents the division on committees, and engages with industry best practices to continuously improve the university's prospect management framework. Success in this role requires strong analytical, communication, and project management skills, along with deep expertise in fundraising strategy, prospect management, and CRM system

Essential Functions

Prospect Management and Project/Process Management

* Serves as the division's primary subject matter expert on prospect management systems.
* Develops, implements and communicates prospect management policies across division to all frontline fundraisers and other UA staff.
* Manages portfolio creation and assignment of major gift prospects for the division with the goal of maximizing donor potential, strategically aligning prospect interests with School's fundraising needs, and providing analysis that supports intelligent decision making on donor lifecycle management. Includes bi-annual turnover of Digital Gift Officer portfolios.
* Oversee prospect development meetings between fundraising staff and prospect development, including management and evaluation of process.
* Oversee prospect pool pipeline, including regular management of pool clean-up and expansion.
* Identify and lead cross-cutting inter- and intra-departmental projects that will advance the strategic direction of the department and division, including work with senior management.

Data Analysis and Reporting

* Expert in all data reporting options within AIM and Tableau, serve as a resource for prospect development team and fundraisers as needed.
* Manage all prospect management reporting needs, including development of internal reports, communication of needs to business analysts for reports developed outside of PM.
* Complete data analysis projects to help drive strategic decision-making and identify areas of improvement
* Work closely with information systems on projects to improve prospect management functionality in AIM
* Oversee wealth screening process, working closely with PM staff to ensure timely and accurate screenings.
* Identify areas of improvement with prospect management tools and explore new resources to effectively report data and provide prospect analysis.

Staff Management

* Manage 2 direct reports
* Manage PM work queue, including interface with requesters as needed
* Work closely with all staff members in Prospect Development, including participation in training, onboarding, and mentorship as needed
General Responsibilities
* Work with staff across UA, including senior management.
* Work closely with the prospect development leadership team to develop and manage key activity plans, staff meetings, staff development, and other initiatives.
* Participate in organization-wide committees, task forces or other appropriate groups.
* When applicable, share prospect management expertise with industry colleagues through one-on-one connections, presentations, and/or industry volunteer work.

Basic Requirements:

Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

* 7-10 years of related experience
* Bachelor's degree
* Expertise in prospect management and prospect research
* Excellent analytical skills
* Excellent writing and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

* Knowledge of fundraising-related aspects of a research university is highly desired.
* Experience using a complex CRM (such as Salesforce)
* Proven skills in understanding, analyzing and synthesizing high volumes of information and producing actionable results
* Demonstrated project management skills, attention to detail and ability to prioritize and meet frequent deadlines.
* Advanced knowledge in office software including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
* Experience presenting information
* Experience with change management
* Collaborate successfully with many different types of people.