Prospect Research Analyst I, Business Intelligence , Duke Alumni Engagement and Development (AED)

Duke University is seeking a Prospect Research Analyst I to support its Alumni Engagement and Development team. The role involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data on prospective donors while providing strategic recommendations to leadership and gift officers.

Responsibilities

• Identify and research new prospects for strategic priorities and objectives for annual, planned, major, and principal giving
• Partner with frontline fundraisers on routine research requests and to identify specific research needs
• Monitor news sources for information on prospective and existing donors and trends in business, higher education, and philanthropy. Distribute news alerts as appropriate
• Maintain, update, and query donor records in the university database; provide system-generated reports for analysis and interpretation
• Respond to routine requests for giving capacity, business details, areas of philanthropic interest, and other information for a variety of individuals and programs across the university. Respond to requests in a timely, thoughtful, and complete manner
• Focusing on wealth screening data, conduct research to determine donor giving capability and assess donor interest in various programs across the university
• Discover, record, and interpret evidence of philanthropic interests in organizations and evaluate impact
• Using hard, soft, and public wealth indicators identify, evaluate, and track highly appreciated assets and estimate donor gift capacity through the analysis of complex individual, corporate, and foundation financial information
• Summarize information relevant to the timing of a gift synthesizing large amounts of data to create a concise and confidential research report in a variety of formats
• Present information in a variety of written formats including emails, reports, summaries, and abstracts
• Build strategic partnerships with development officers in schools and units across the university
• Assist in preparing presidential and dean briefings, bios, and related documentation as necessary. Aid in the development and/or coordination of written strategies for briefings and bios

Skills

• Work requires the skills and knowledge normally acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree
• Work generally requires one year of experience in development research or a related field
• Work experience in research methodology strongly preferred
• OR ANY OTHER EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
• Bachelor's degree required with demonstrated skills in research, writing, and editing
• One year of prospect development experience in a non-profit or institution of higher education or related experience
• Highly developed scanning, skimming, and reading comprehension skills are essential, as well as superior ability to assess the relative value of, synthesize, and summarize relevant information into coherent, well-written documents
• Ability to take initiative and exercise sound independent judgement
• Ability to comfortably handle multiple priorities with attention to detail and timeliness
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication skills with an aptitude for critical thinking and problem-solving; ability to work well under pressure and maintain flexibility
• Ability to learn to navigate unfamiliar information systems and use a variety of computer applications with little guidance
• Position requires diplomacy and sensitivity related to institutional prioritization of needs
• Skillful problem solving, curiosity, discretion, and continuous attention to detail
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to interpret and analyze data

Benefits

• Comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs
• Generous retirement benefits
• Wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs

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