Development Specialist

Socket.dev; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto University is seeking a Development Specialist to support donor communications, grant research, and proposal writing within PAU's growing development function. The role emphasizes strategic writing, data accuracy, and cross‑functional collaboration to advance philanthropic objectives.

Reporting to the Director of Development, you will manage prospect research, wealth screening, donor stewardship, and CRM management, coordinating with faculty, alumni, and advancement colleagues to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in English, communications, public policy, nonprofit management, psychology, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Research and pursue funding opportunities from foundations, corporations, local and select federal programs.
• Write grant proposals, letters of inquiry, concept papers, and donor communications.
• Own proposal development from draft to submission with program data and faculty input.
• Build and maintain a priority prospect list of Bay Area funders and track deadlines.
• Draft gift acknowledgments, annual giving materials, and donor communications for university leaders.
• Maintain donor data in CRM platforms including HubSpot; manage gifts and acknowledgments.
• Conduct prospect research, wealth screening, and support pipeline reporting.
• Assist with development events and annual giving campaigns and reporting.

Skills

Grant writing

Donor communications

Proposal development

CRM management

HubSpot familiarity

Prospect research

Wealth screening

Donor stewardship

Writing ability

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in English/communications/public policy/nonprofit management/psychology

Tools

HubSpot

Donately

Job description

Development Specialist

• Department Strategic Partnerships & University Relations (SPUR)
• Reports to Director of Development
• Employment Status Full-Time Exempt Staff
• Salary Range $60,000 - $90,000
• Location San Francisco Bay Area, hybrid with regular in-person presence at PAU campuses in Palo Alto and Mountain View

About Palo Alto University

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, nonprofit university dedicated to advancing human understanding through innovative education, groundbreaking research, and impactful practice in behavioral science. Founded in 1975 in the heart of Silicon Valley, PAU offers graduate and undergraduate programs in psychology, counseling, social work, and behavioral science, including the PAU-Stanford PsyD Consortium with Stanford Medicine. PAU serves more than 1,200 students, has a network of more than 4,200 alumni, and employs more than 150 faculty and staff. The university is entering its sixth decade with a new vision and strategic plan, creating a meaningful opportunity to help shape how behavioral science responds to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Development Specialist is the production and operational engine of PAU's growing development function. This role supports donor communications, grant research and proposal writing, annual giving, stewardship, prospect research, CRM management, and development operations. The position directly contributes to philanthropic growth and institutional sustainability and is ideal for a strong writer who is equally comfortable managing details, deadlines, data, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

• Research and pursue foundation, corporate, local, state, and select federal funding opportunities aligned with PAU's mission and programs.
• Write compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, concept papers, case statements, donor impact narratives, and other philanthropic communications.
• Own proposal development from initial draft through submission, including gathering program information, outcome data, faculty input, institutional materials, and required documentation.
• Build and maintain a priority prospect list of Bay Area and Silicon Valley foundation and corporate funders, while tracking proposals, deadlines, decisions, and follow-up obligations.
• Draft gift acknowledgments, stewardship communications, annual giving materials, donor briefings, and personalized correspondence for university leaders.
• Maintain accurate donor, gift, pledge, prospect, and grant information in HubSpot or related CRM platforms, including gift processing and acknowledgments.
• Conduct prospect research and wealth screening, prepare donor profiles, and support pipeline reporting, forecasting, board giving records, and campaign tracking.
• Support development events and annual giving campaigns through invitation lists, RSVP tracking, donor communications, campaign execution, and results reporting.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in English, communications, public policy, nonprofit management, psychology, or a related field.
• Two or more years of experience in development operations, nonprofit fundraising, grant writing, or a related role, with demonstrated success in professional writing and institutional communications.
• Exceptional writing ability, including the ability to create clear, persuasive proposals, reports, donor communications, and mission-driven narratives for different audiences.
• Strong organization and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and workstreams with limited supervision.
• Experience with CRM platforms and donor database management; familiarity with HubSpot is preferred.
• High attention to detail, data accuracy, compliance, and operational precision.
• Genuine curiosity about behavioral science, mental health, psychology, and the communities PAU serves, with the ability to translate complex academic work into accessible language.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience researching and writing proposals for foundations, corporate giving programs, or local and state funding agencies.
• Experience in higher education development, nonprofit advancement, or academic program communications.
• Background in prospect research, wealth screening, donor database management, annual giving, or donor stewardship.
• Familiarity with HubSpot, Donately, or comparable advancement CRM and giving platforms.
• Experience supporting cultivation events or donor engagement programs.

Work Location and Schedule

This is a full-time Bay Area-based role with a hybrid work structure and regular in-person presence at PAU's Palo Alto and Mountain View campuses. Occasional evening availability may be required for development events, cultivation gatherings, and grant submission deadlines.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

Palo Alto University is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and employment practices. In compliance with applicable federal and state laws, employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition, disability, or any other status protected by law. PAU provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as required by law.