Head of Prospect Strategy & Research

Harvard University; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical & dental coverage

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Harvard University is seeking a Director of Prospect Strategy & Research to lead the institution’s prospect strategy, research, and prioritization efforts in support of fundraising goals. You will integrate research, analytics, technology, relationship intelligence, and operational best practices to expand coverage and improve pipeline quality.

The role requires 10+ years in related fields, strong leadership, and experience with prospect tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in prospect research, prospect development, fundraising strategy, advancement operations, or a related field required.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing staff.
• Strong understanding of major gift fundraising, prospect management, and prospect development principles.
• Experience working with prospect research tools, screening resources, and constituent data.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for prospect identification, qualification, ratings, screenings, and prospect prioritization efforts.
• Develop scalable approaches to prospect identification and prioritization that leverage research, analytics, constituent engagement data, screenings, and emerging technologies.
• Partner with fundraising leadership to support portfolio strategy, pipeline development, and fundraising planning.
• Support proactive prospecting efforts focused on strategic industries, alumni segments, affinity groups, and emerging opportunities.
• Establish frameworks that help ensure research resources are focused on the prospects and opportunities where strategic analysis adds the greatest value.
• Collaborate with advancement partners to identify opportunities to broaden prospect coverage and strengthen fundraising pipelines.

Skills

Prospect research

Staff leadership

Fundraising strategy

Analytics

Relationship intelligence

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM systems

AI-enabled tools

Job description

Harvard University is seeking a Director of Prospect Strategy & Research to lead the institution’s prospect strategy, research, and prioritization efforts in support of fundraising goals. You will integrate research, analytics, technology, relationship intelligence, and operational best practices to expand coverage and improve pipeline quality.

The role requires 10+ years in related fields, strong leadership, and experience with prospect tools.