Prospect Development Specialist

Cancer Research UK; London Borough of Newham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Cancer Research UK is seeking a Senior Prospect Development Specialist to lead strategic prospect development activity across Leadership Giving and £1m+ opportunities. You will partner with senior fundraisers and leadership to shape pipeline strategy, prioritisation and engagement planning within a large, high-value fundraising directorate.

You will embed best practice governance, due diligence frameworks and cross-directorate initiatives, contributing to strategic programmes such as Data & AI

Qualifications

• Significant experience in prospect development or high-value fundraising.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with the ability to translate insight into strategic recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality research to inform fundraising strategy and decision-making.
• Identify and qualify high-value prospects (HNWIs, trusts and foundations).
• Translate complex analysis into clear, practical recommendations for engagement.
• Proactively identify pipeline gaps and lead targeted prospecting initiatives.
• Oversee due diligence activity, ensuring consistency, quality and risk management.
• Provide strategic advice on prospect selection, prioritisation and risk to senior fundraisers and leadership.

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

The Prospect Development Specialist plays a central role in delivering strategic prospect development capability across high-value philanthropy at Cancer Research UK. Sitting within the Prospect Development function, this role provides senior level specialist expertise in pipeline management, insight and judgement to shape pipeline strategy, prioritisation and high-value engagement across Leadership Giving and £1m+. Working in close partnership with Associate Directors, senior fundraisers and leadership, the post holder will ensure that Prospect Development activity is proactive, insight-led and focused on identifying and advising on the highest-value opportunities, supporting strong pipeline growth and a strategic approach to cold prospect identification and engagement planning. The role also has a core governance and oversight function, leading on due diligence quality, consistency and process development and contributing to key strategic initiatives across the directorate, including Data & AI and Children and Young People (CYP) priorities. As a part of the wider CRUK fundraising efforts, the Philanthropy Directorate is one of the largest and most successful high-value fundraising teams in the UK. An ambitious and innovative team of 60 talented philanthropy professionals, our focus is the £400m 'More Research, Less Cancer' (MRLC) campaign which has four key priorities: the Francis Crick Institute, Cancer Grand Challenges, Translation & Innovation, and our Future Leaders' programme. We've recently reached the milestone of £200m. This is a key role, working in close partnership with the Senior Prospect Development Manager, to embed a more strategically led, consistent and high-impact Prospect Development model, with shared ownership of complex work, prioritisation and decision support. What will you be doing? Pipeline Strategy & Prioritisation

Strategic Insight & Prospecting

• Deliver high-quality research to inform fundraising strategy and decision-making.
• Identify and qualify high-value prospects (HNWIs, trusts and foundations).
• Translate complex analysis into clear, practical recommendations for engagement.
• Proactively identify pipeline gaps and lead targeted prospecting initiatives.

Strategic Initiatives & Cross-Directorate Impact

• Contribute specialist expertise to key organisational initiatives (e.g. Data & AI, Children and Young People's cancer).
• Ensure prospect development activity aligns with wider strategic priorities.
• Support the development of future-focused capabilities within the function.

Due Diligence & Governance

• Oversee due diligence activity, ensuring consistency, quality and appropriate risk management.
• Provide guidance and support on complex or high-risk cases.
• Strengthen due diligence frameworks, processes and reporting for senior stakeholders.
• Ensure alignment with organisational policies and best practice.

Senior Stakeholder Partnership

• Act as a trusted partner to senior fundraisers and leadership.
• Provide strategic advice on prospect selection, prioritisation and risk.
• Influence decision-making to focus on the highest-impact opportunities.
• Promote alignment and consistency across fundraising activity.

Best Practice & Continuous Improvement

• Lead the development and embedding of prospect development frameworks, tools and standards.
• Drive consistency across pipeline management and due diligence processes.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, effectiveness and impact.

Significant experience in prospect development, high-value fundraising or strategic research.

• Demonstrable experience supporting major and high-value fundraising activity, typically involving gifts of six figures and above.
• Proven ability to operate at a senior or specialist level, applying judgement and influencing decision-making.
• Strong experience of pipeline strategy, prioritisation and management, including assessing pipeline health and shaping delivery against targets.
• Experience of due diligence processes, including oversight of complex or high-risk cases.
• Strong understanding of risk, governance and reputational considerations in a fundraising context.
• Experience contributing to or supporting strategic initiatives, programmes or organisational priorities.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging senior audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate insight into practical, strategic recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Skills

• Experience working with principal level fundraising (1m+).
• Familiarity with fundraising databases and prospect management systems (CRM).
• Understanding of data-driven prospecting approaches or analytics.
• Awareness of sector priorities or mission-led campaigns.
• Experience within a large or complex organisation., We're looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer.