Development Research Director: Strategy & Leadership Hybrid

Vanderbilt; Nashville (TN); Híbrido; USD 120.000 - 170.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Vanderbilt University seeks a Director of Development Research to lead the development research function within Research and Prospect Development, directing staff, setting priorities, and translating complex donor information into actionable fundraising strategies.

The role combines leadership with hands-on research for principal and major gifts, due diligence, and high-sensitivity requests, partnering with frontline fundraisers and university stakeholders across DAR.

Formación

• Bachelor's degree, or the equivalent, is required.
• Five years of experience, or the equivalent, is required.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in development research, prospect development, advancement services, fundraising strategy, data analytics, or a related field, including experience supervising, coaching, and developing professional staff while maintaining significant individual-contributor responsibilities is preferred.
• Experience in higher education advancement, healthcare philanthropy, or another complex nonprofit fundraising environment is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in prospect research, including the use of public records, IRS and SEC filings, financial and investment information, philanthropic data, business ownership and corporate structures, screening tools, and other sources of prospect intelligence.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, synthesize, and present complex biographical, financial, philanthropic, and reputational information and translate it into actionable recommendations for fundraising strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on research with team leadership.
• Proven ability to manage rapidly changing priorities and competing deadlines; delegate effectively and maintain the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of deliverables under pressure.
• Strong project management, planning, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills, with experience developing research standards, quality-control processes, templates, workflows, and service models.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer-service skills, including the diplomacy, tact, judgment, and grace under pressure required to navigate competing needs, changing expectations, and sensitive situations.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships and collaborate strategically with frontline fundraisers, senior leaders, system administrators, and other stakeholders.
• Brings a positive, solutions-oriented approach and a genuine commitment to teamwork, problem-solving, continuous improvement, and the success of colleagues.
• Advanced proficiency with Windows, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; experience with Salesforce CRM, Tableau, Apsona, or comparable systems, as well as emerging research methods, is preferred.
• High degree of integrity and discretion, with a commitment to confidentiality, ethical information gathering, responsible stewardship of sensitive information, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Responsabilidades

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the development research function, setting priorities, allocating resources, delegating requests and projects, and balancing competing deadlines in alignment with RPD and DAR objectives.
• Directly supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate the Associate Director of Development Research and other assigned staff; participate in hiring, onboarding, training, professional development, and performance management.
• Establish clear expectations and service standards for research quality, responsiveness, communication, turnaround times, workload management, and professional conduct.
• Serve as project manager for complex or high-visibility research initiatives involving DAR leadership, schools, colleges, units, regional development, campaign planning, and cross-functional teams.
• Partner with frontline fundraisers and other internal clients to understand strategic objectives and ensure that research products are relevant, concise, actionable, and appropriately tailored to the audience.
• Negotiate competing priorities, changing deadlines, and client needs while maintaining appropriate service and quality standards.
• Delegate research requests and projects appropriately while maintaining accountability for workload balancing, timeliness, and quality.
• Establish and continuously improve research standards, methodologies, templates, documentation practices, and quality-assurance processes to promote accuracy, consistency, and appropriate source documentation across RPD.
• Review and oversee the quality of research deliverables, including briefings, capacity verifications, due diligence reports, and other offerings.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, learning, inclusion, and excellence; assess staffing, workflows, and service capacity and recommend improvements to the Executive Director.
• Identify opportunities to improve research coverage, efficiency, automation, screening practices, and use of emerging technologies.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Descripción del empleo

Vanderbilt University seeks a Director of Development Research to lead the development research function within Research and Prospect Development, directing staff, setting priorities, and translating complex donor information into actionable fundraising strategies.

The role combines leadership with hands-on research for principal and major gifts, due diligence, and high-sensitivity requests, partnering with frontline fundraisers and university stakeholders across DAR.