Discovery Officer, Office of Alumni Relations & Development

Columbia University in the City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University in the City of the City of New York is seeking a Discovery Officer to strengthen its major gifts pipeline by identifying, engaging, and qualifying prospects with the capacity to make philanthropy commitments. The role focuses on alumni, parents, friends, and other constituents newly identified as major gift prospects and not yet fully qualified.

Reporting to the Global Development Officer, you will apply research, engagement history, and a structured discovery process to

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of related fundraising or donor relations experience.
• Experience in university advancement, alumni relations, or nonprofit development preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify, engage, and support qualification of prospective donors.
• Assess philanthropic potential and recommend qualification status within discovery and portfolio processes.
• Strengthen Columbia University’s donor base and long-term fundraising growth.

Skills

Prospect research

Donor relations

Alumni engagement

Portfolio management

Fundraising

Job description

Columbia’s University Development team serves schools and units across the University and leads Columbia’s Discovery Initiative, a strategic effort to identify, engage, qualify, and convert more prospects into donors.

The Discovery Officer plays a critical role in strengthening the University’s leadership, major, and principal gift pipeline by identifying, engaging, and supporting the qualification of prospective donors with the capacity and inclination to make philanthropic commitments. This position focuses on alumni, parents, friends, and other constituents who are newly identified as major gift-rated prospects and are unassigned, under-engaged, or not yet fully qualified for cultivation.

Reporting to the Global Development Officer and working at the intersection of prospect development, leadership annual giving, alumni engagement, and major gifts, the Discovery Officer uses data, research, engagement history, and direct engagement to assess philanthropic potential and recommend qualification status within established discovery and portfolio management processes.

This position is central to expanding the University’s donor base, improving the quality of the prospect pipeline, and supporting long-term fundraising growth.

• Two (2) to four (4) years of related experience required.
• Professional experience in fundraising, university advancement, alumni relations, nonprofit development, or another relationship-management field desired.