Prospect Research Specialist

HU101 The Howard University; United States; Sur place; USD 65 000 - 75 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Health & Wellness insurance

Paid time off & holidays

403(b) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Career advancement

Wellness programs & commuter benefits

Résumé du poste

Howard University’s Talent Acquisition team seeks a Prospect Research Specialist to build and maintain donor profiles, support gift officers, and drive portfolio analytics. You will deliver tailored briefings, leverage research tools, and collaborate with DAR and Advancement Services to inform fundraising strategies.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years in prospect research, strong data skills, and experience with Raiser’s Edge or similar CRMs.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree or 3+ years of experience in a prospect research position.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and database management; familiarity with Raiser’s Edge preferred.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsabilités

• Develop prospect research profiles and reports to support gift officers and portfolio managers.
• Provide analysis and actionable support for prospect strategies and donor segmentation.
• Collaborate with Advancement Services and DAR leadership to ensure accurate donor records.

Connaissances

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Excellent communication

Team collaboration

Formation

Associate's or Bachelor's degree

3+ years prospect research experience

Outils

Raiser’s Edge

Salesforce

WealthEngine

iWave

Donor Search

Description du poste

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff “for fit” makes significant contributions to Howard University’s overall mission. At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.

Here is what we offer:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us! https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness

JOB PURPOSE:

Developing a robust culture of prospect research and portfolio management is vital to the University’s fundraising and to Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) efforts to build sustainable and broad-based annual, leadership, major, principal, and planned gift programs, as well as corporate and foundation relations prospect pipelines in support of annual and long-term fundraising targets. The position embodies a customer-service orientation to lead generation, potential prospect identification, research, and qualification and provides—both proactively and in response to requests from colleagues—confidential and thoroughly researched profiles, reports, and briefings tailored to the needs of a variety of audiences.

SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY:

N/A

NATURE AND SCOPE:

Reporting to the Director of Prospect Development, the Prospect Research Specialist provides analysis and actionable support to gift officers and portfolio managers to inform prospect strategies and list segmentation. This position also works closely with the Advancement Services team and participates in regular prospect strategy meetings, ensuring quick and accurate updates of portfolios and donor records. In collaboration with partners across campus, additional prospect names and introductions will be captured and centralized in DAR’s database. Teamwork and collaboration across campus and within DAR are essential.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

This role identifies, tracks, segments, and analyzes donor records and key relationships between the existing Howard community and prospective new sources of support to meet annual and long-term University fundraising objectives. The role ensures prospect data is collected and input into Raiser’s Edge, requiring systematized efforts to review local and national news, business publications, economic trends, and business developments to keep abreast of prospect information and to provide relevant updates to gift officers on assigned prospects. Core responsibilities include the timely creation of prospect briefings and reports using research and screening tools. The position is expected to leverage analytics informed by predictive modelling, wealth screening, data mining and benchmarking to inform portfolio audit/balancing efforts and maintain a system of assigning prospects to gift officer portfolios. The Prospect Research Specialist must keep current on research and fundraising trends through regular contact with industry resources as well as vendors.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

Demonstrate sound project management skills; Strong attention to detail and ability to analyze substantial amounts of data; Ability to embody a customer service approach while providing support to multiple team members; Ability to prepare tailored profile reports as needed/requested by gift officers and DAR leadership; Knowledge of research software (i.e., Donor Search, WealthEngine, iWave, etc). and other tools; Demonstrated proficiency in query and report building in a development CRM (Customer Relationship Management) (i.e. Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce or similar) Commitment to maintaining the professional and ethical standards set forth for the field by the Association of Researchers for Advancement (APRA); Ability to navigate internal processes and structures to problem-solve and contribute to a culture of collaboration, accountability, and excellence; Ability to and adhere to standard operating procedures for data process functions; Ability to work collaboratively and independently with purpose and accuracy in a fast-paced environment; and Ability to exercise independent judgment and a high degree of discretion.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Associate's or Bachelor's degree or (3) years of experience in a prospect research position Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and database management experience; familiarity with Raiser’s Edge preferred Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Compliance Salary Range Disclosure

Expected Salary Range: $65,000.00- $75,000.00

Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented, historically Black private university providing an educational experience of exceptional quality to students of high academic potential with particular emphasis upon the provision of educational opportunities to promising Black students. Further, the University is dedicated to attracting and sustaining a cadre of faculty who are, through their teaching and research, committed to the development of distinguished and compassionate graduates and to the quest for solutions to human and social problems in the United States and throughout the world.

Howard University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex,sexual orientation,gender or gender identity, marital status, religion, disability or protected veterans status. Veterans and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Inquiries regarding provisions for persons with disabilities or veterans status, Equal Employment Opportunity and Title IX should be directed to the Office of Employee Relations and Equal Employment Opportunity at 202-806-1280. This position description should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as may be required. The university has the right to revise this position description at any time. This position description is not be construed as a contract for employment.