Associate Director, Research and Prospect Analytics

BC Cancer Foundation; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 108,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pay for performance

Five weeks vacation

Health, dental, vision

Municipal Pension Plan

Job summary

BC Cancer Foundation in Vancouver seeks a strategic Associate Director, Research and Prospect Analytics to lead our prospect research function, turning data, analytics and market insights into actionable fundraising strategy.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Development, you will manage a team, develop dashboards, score prospects, and partner with fundraising leaders to optimize portfolios and campaigns.

Qualifications

• Experience conducting prospect research using fundraising platforms.
• Strong data management skills in complex organizations.
• Knowledge of wealth screening, predictive analytics, and AI in philanthropy.
• Previous management experience preferred.
• Excellent briefing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a comprehensive prospect research and analytics program using data modelling and dashboards.
• Advise Development leadership on prospect strategy and pipeline development.
• Develop and monitor KPIs to evaluate program effectiveness.
• Foster a data-informed decision making culture across the team.
• Oversee identification, qualification, and prioritization of prospects.
• Own the prospect pipeline and research framework, including dashboards and scoring.
• Partner with fundraising leaders to optimize portfolios and campaigns.
• Lead research initiatives supporting major gifts and campaigns.

Skills

Prospect research

Data analysis

CRM management

Team leadership

Capacity building

Communication

Education

Library & Information Studies

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Wealth screening tools

Reporting tools

Job description

The BC Cancer Foundation is at the forefront of a transformative era in cancer research and care.

As the fundraising partner of BC Cancer, we are driving bold initiatives that inspire hope and save lives. Cancer is the largest health challenge globally, and we are mobilizing communities, partners and collaborators across British Columbia to accelerate wide-impact solutions.

The Foundation is the largest philanthropic funder of cancer research and care in British Columbia, with a team of 90+ staff across five sites, more than $105 million in annual revenue, and a donor base of over 80,000. We recently concluded our Beyond Belief campaign, in which 284,000+ donors gave $529.6 million over five years, and we are now focused on modernizing our fundraising approaches and investing in business transformation, including a rejuvenated business intelligence unit and increased focus on prospect research and analytics.

The Foundation is seeking a strategic and visionary Associate Director, Research and Prospect Analyticsto lead our prospect research function, transforming information, analytics, and market insights into actionable fundraising strategy. This elevated role is essential to an evolving, data-driven organization, serving as a strategic advisor to the Development team and ensuring fundraising resources are aligned with the highest potential opportunities.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Development, the AD leads a comprehensive prospect research, prospect management, and analytics program that supports the major gift pipeline, ensuring fundraising teams have access to timely, accurate, and actionable intelligence that drives donor engagement and revenue growth.

This is an exciting opportunity for a research and analytics professional to:

• Take ownership of a key strategic function and priority of the foundation.
• Join a data and analytics-forward team that is keen to innovate and create together.
• Provide sought-afteranalytics, research, and actionable recommendations.
• Leverage a large donor database, new research and data mining tools, andnew prospect identification methodologies.
• Fundamentally make a difference in people’s lives.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Manage, define, track, and implement a comprehensive research and prospect analytics program using data modelling, reporting, and best practices
• Act as strategic advisor to Development leadership on prospect strategy and pipeline building
• Develop and monitor KPIs and benchmarks to evaluate program effectiveness
• Foster a culture of data informed decision making across the Development team

Prospect Research & Strategic Intelligence

• Oversee identification, qualification, assessment, and prioritization of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects
• Own the Foundation's prospect pipeline and research framework, including dashboard strategy, prospect scoring, and data quality
• Partner with fundraising leaders to optimize portfolios, calibrate ask amounts, and assess capacity
• Lead complex research initiatives supporting major gifts, campaign strategy, and board recruitment
• Provide sophisticated briefing materials, capacity assessments, relationship mapping, and due diligence reporting
• Monitor news, trends, and developments in wealth screening, predictive analytics, and AI, translating innovations into practical applications

Data, Technology & Innovation

• Champion responsible and ethical use of automation, predictive analytics, and emerging technologies
• Evaluate new tools and methodologies to strengthen prospect identification and portfolio management
• Ensure practices align with privacy legislation and AFP/Apra standards
• Partner with the Database & Business Intelligence (DGIT) team to enhance prospect data and pipeline processes

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, coach, and develop members of the Research & Prospect Analytics team
• Serve as internal subject matter expert on prospect research and fundraising analytics
• Build partnerships across Development, DGIT, and Senior Leadership

For more information, please view the full briefing here.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Significant experience conducting prospect research using reporting tools, subscriptions, and fundraising research platforms
• Strong understanding of fundraising within a health, research, post-secondary, or similarly complex organization
• Strong data management skills, with proficiency in Raiser's Edge or comparable CRM/fundraising databases
• Knowledge of wealth screening tools, data platforms, cloud technologies, predictive analytics, and AI applications in philanthropy
• Strong analytical skills, applying quantitative and qualitative methods to inform strategy
• Previous management experience, including supervision of direct reports, preferred
• Strong facilitation and capacity building skills, including delivering training
• Clear, organized communication skills, including preparing research briefs and adapting messaging for diverse audiences
• Sound judgment, discretion, and attention to detail with confidential information
• A degree or diploma in a related field (e.g. Library & Information Studies) or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience

Compensation & Benefits

The successful AD can expect a starting salary between $108,000 - $118,000, as well as participation in the Foundation’s pay for performance program.

Time off includes five weeks’ vacation, additional office closure during the winter holiday, and extra time off before each statutory holiday. Generous comprehensive benefits include health, dental, vision, and various paramedical services coverages, and the Municipal Pension Plan.

Location

The Foundation has a strong preference that the AD be based out of the Vancouver office, located in its new space in the Broadway health corridor with 360’ views of the city. The Foundation also offers a hybrid work environment.

For the right candidate, it’s possible to have the AD based in any of its four other offices (ie: Victoria, Surrey, Abbotsford or Kelowna), provided the AD can travel to Vancouver regularly.