Prospect Development Executive Director

Fairweather, LLC; Hadley (MA); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation days 20

Holiday leave 12

Sick days 12

Personal days 5

Parental leave 16 weeks

Job summary

University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation is seeking an Executive Director of Prospect Development to lead the Prospect Research and Prospect Management teams, guiding data-driven fundraising strategy and a transition to Salesforce Education Cloud CRM by March 2026.

The role requires a hands-on leader with 10+ years in prospect development, strong analytical and communication skills, and a track record of building high-performing teams within higher education advancement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or master's preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in prospect development; 3+ years leading staff.
• Experience in higher education advancement and fundraising insights.
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills.
• Collaborative leadership style; experience managing complex situations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and online prospect research tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership to the Prospect Research and Prospect Management teams; set priorities and budgets.
• Oversee recruitment, training, workflow management, and policy adherence.
• Collaborate with UMAF departments to align development initiatives with priorities.
• Lead the transition to Salesforce Education Cloud CRM and related process improvements.
• Drive adoption of AI tools and data-driven decision making across teams.
• Mentor staff and conduct annual performance reviews.
• Prepare progress reports on fundraising metrics and portfolio performance.

Skills

Analytical skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Collaborative leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or master’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Online prospect research tools

Salesforce Education Cloud CRM

Job description

University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation is seeking an Executive Director of Prospect Development to lead the Prospect Research and Prospect Management teams, guiding data-driven fundraising strategy and a transition to Salesforce Education Cloud CRM by March 2026.

The role requires a hands-on leader with 10+ years in prospect development, strong analytical and communication skills, and a track record of building high-performing teams within higher education advancement.