1797 Executive Director of Prospect Development

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Executive Director of Prospect Development

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 1797

GRADE 48

CLASSIFICATION Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Assistant Vice President of Development and Strategy – University Advancement

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Executive Director of Prospect Development establishes the priorities and vision for the prospect development area of the MSU Foundation, ensuring that the prospect pipeline sustains the university’s philanthropic goals. This position helps to guide the fundraising efforts of the University by conducting research, categorizing prospects and donors in terms of interest and capacity, and determining when they should be moved to active prospect lists for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; leverages key relationships to explore, develop, and implement prospect strategies that maximize philanthropic engagement. The prospect development program uses proactive analytical and informatics tools to identify and move prospects into relationship management strategies, as well as evaluate the progress of fundraising strategies as well as assigns prospects by interest and affinity, manages movement through the pipeline, and provides guidance to development officers in planning strategies and priorities.  The incumbent guides the progress of development officers with their prospect portfolio and tracks the contact history; additionally provides supervision and direction to the Director of Foundation Relations and helps develop priorities for that area of development.  In addition, the incumbent works in collaboration with the Assistant Vice President Development and Strategy – University Advancement and the Vice President for University Advancement to meet the division’s research and data analysis needs.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A Bachelor’s degree is required.  A Master’s degree is preferred. Training through Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) seminars and workshops and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for prospect research and management is also preferred. An equivalent combination of years of experience and education may be considered for substitution of educational requirements.

Experience: At least five years of professional experience, preferably in higher education development or a related field, is required. Experience in prospect research and management experience in higher education development is preferred.

Skills: Knowledge and understanding of fundraising prospect management principles and methods is required.  Knowledge of data mining methodology and predictive modeling is required.  The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required. The ability to solve problems while effectively collaborating with stakeholders throughout an organization is required. Ability to provide strategic guidance to leadership and campus partners on all aspects of prospect and donor management and pipeline development is required. Familiarity with fundraising databases and research tools is required; experience with Ellucian CRM and iWave are preferred.

Other: Occasional participation in evening and/or weekend activities is required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Develop, implement, monitor and communicate the prospect management strategies, policies and guidelines based on best practices to support the prospect development goals of achieving the greatest impact for the institution and create a culture of collaboration between gift officers. Work with gift officers to ensure prospect management guidelines are understood and support all gift officers. Review and recommend prospect management improvements as needed.

2. Provide relationship management analytics, robust portfolio/proposal reviews, and focused insights on prospects. Collaborates with leadership team in understanding, evaluating, and reporting on development achievements, and opportunities to optimize the university’s fundraising capacity.  Executes special projects and assist with strategic planning for development initiatives. 

3. Provides leadership, supervises and motivates foundation relations and prospect research staff.

4. Ensures leadership and gift officers are updated with accurate, timely, and relevant information to support major gift solicitation efforts through all areas of prospect development.

5. Provide data, reports, and strategic guidance to fundraisers to assist with the successful execution of prospect development activity including prospect visits, solicitations, gift closures, stewardship, prospect data services, and other activities critical to their success.

6.  Plans and organizes regular prospect development meetings to discuss development strategies and solicitation progress.

7. Commitment to research guidelines, methodologies and code of ethics statements as defined by APRA and Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and other related associations.

8. Works in conjunction with Advancement Services to maintain database records, ensure accuracy of reports, and develop data integrity standards and guidelines.

9. Contributes to the overall success of the University by assuming primary responsibility for special projects as assigned and performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned in a timely, thorough, and professional manner.

10. Manages a budget for research tools and training of staff.

11. Manages the wealth screening process; interprets and synthesizing the data into meaningful reports.

12. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

13. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending training and/or courses as required or requested by the Assistant Vice President of Development and Strategy – University Advancement.

14. Contributes to the overall success of University Advancement by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned by supervision.

SUPERVISION

The Executive Director of Prospect Development is supervised by the Assistant Vice President of Development and Strategy – University Advancement and supervises the Director of Foundation Relations, the Assistant Director of Prospect Development, and co-supervises two Graduate Assistants.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JUNE 2022

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 5.0 - 3300 Points: Knowledge of the principles and methods of an administrative, managerial, or professional field such as accounting or auditing, financial management, information technology, business administration, human resources, engineering, law, social sciences, communications, education, or medicine. Knowledge permits employee to supervise projects and/or departments using standard methods to improve administrative and/or line operations. Knowledge also permits employee to plan steps and carry out multi-phase projects requiring problem definition and modified techniques, to coordinate work with others, and to modify methods and procedures to solve a wide variety of problems. Knowledge at this level requires a Bachelor's or Master's degree with substantial related work experience, including up to two years of administrative or supervisory experience. Alternatively, this level may require a professional or clinical degree beyond the Bachelor's degree with moderate related work experience; knowledge requirements include significant levels of related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 5.0 - 730 Points: Supervision of (a) several work teams or work team leaders, (b) a rather large group of operative, administrative support, or paraprofessional employees, (c) a work group involving direction of skilled technical employees, (d) professionals in technical and skilled areas, and/or (e) subordinate supervisory personnel. The incumbent performs a full range of supervisory responsibilities including the authority to hire, train, transfer, promote, reward, or discipline others. Supervision will likely be general rather than close supervision of others. At this level, supervisory responsibilities consume significant amounts of work time and include substantial responsibility for work planning activities, staffing, and performance management as well as budgeting and planning functions.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 5.0 - 850 Points: Interactions are highly unstructured and incumbents are often required to resolve difficult and unstructured problems. Interactions are commonly with administrators, cost-center heads, high level committees, or external constituents in order to defend, negotiate, or resolve controversial and/or long-range issues and problems. Interactions occur in situations subject to divergent views, skepticism, resistance, uncooperative attitudes, and conflicting objectives. Interactions often require high levels of interpersonal skill and require the ability to influence, interrogate, or control others through debate, persuasion, or authoritative recognition and require strong analytical and decision-making skills.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 4.0 - 850 Points: The employee operates under administrative supervision and makes decisions based on broadly-stated University objectives and available resources. Administrative guidelines are expressed in terms of project or program outcomes and deadlines with few comprehensive guidelines. Decisions are based on inadequate guidelines that require considerable interpretation and force the employee to plan all phases of the assignment. Assignments may be unrelated in function and the work requires many different processes and methods and a great deal of analysis to identify the nature and extent of problems. The work may require the employee to develop new methods and to deal with many variables, including some that are unclear or conflicting. Characteristic jobs at this level may involve directing large and/or complex programs, projects, or departments in which the work cuts across functional lines or requires dealing with unprecedented issues.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 5.0 - 2350 Points: Work involves primary accountability for a larger department, program, or process. Work activities involve managerial decisions that directly affect the efficiency, costs, reputation, and service quality of the department, program, or process. Work affects a limited range of professional projects or administrative activities of the University, influences internal or external operations, or impacts students, faculty, and/or staff. Work activities have a direct and significant impact on the department. Work activities also have a significant effect on the efficiency and reputation of the cost center and represent a relatively major function within the cost center. At this level would be jobs in which the incumbent may have responsibility for developing budgets, distributing budgeted funds, and exercising primary control over a moderately-sized budget.