The Development Department is looking for a Prospect Research Manager reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Development. This is a central position that is based on the Beirut campus with occasional commuting to the Byblos campus.
Role Summary
The Prospect Research Manager is responsible for overseeing the research and analysis of prospective donors to support the university’s fundraising goals. This role involves identifying, researching, and qualifying potential major and principal gift donors, and ensuring that research efforts are relevant, and impactful. S/he will provide critical data and insights to help the university administration, fundraising executives and directors of development approach prospects effectively to achieve fundraising targets.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
- Develops a prospect research strategy that includes creating and/or acquiring research instruments and data gathering approaches, within set budget capabilities
- Supervises the quality and timeliness of research reports to meet the highest standards
- Ensures that research reports are strategic and relevant, providing actionable insights for fundraisers; extracts and presents impactful information to support effective donor engagement and solicitation strategies
- Implements and uphold standards for data collection and research methodologies to maintain the integrity of research outputs
- Creates templates to align all members of the prospect research team on a unified reporting system
- Sets targets for prospect researcher(s); creates reports to monitor the outputs and productivity of the prospect research function
- Safeguards the privacy of donor/prospect research within the confines of strict LAU-specific professional advancement requirements
- Conducts thorough research to identify potential major and principal gift donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations
- Analyzes and synthesizes information to create comprehensive profiles of prospective donors, assessing their capacity and inclination to give
- Evaluates and qualifies prospects based on their philanthropic history, financial capacity, and alignment with the university’s mission and needs
- Develops a scoring system for prioritizing prospects and ensure consistent application
- Proactively identifies new prospects and opportunities to enhance fundraising
- Collaborates with fundraisers to integrate research findings into cultivation and solicitation plans
- Addresses the additional needs for research to assist the Capital Campaign needs as requested
- Performs other duties pertaining to this job as assigned
Minimum Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Research, Data Analytics, or a related field
- Minimum 8 years of experience, 4 of which in prospect research, development, or a related field, preferably in a higher education, nonprofit, or healthcare environment, with at least 3 years in a supervisory role
- Fundraising knowledge
- Strong research, analytical, and data interpretation skills
- Excellent English and Arabic written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency in prospect research databases and tools, as well as data management software
- Ability to work collaboratively with fundraisers and other stakeholders to align research efforts with strategic goals
Interested candidates should email their CVs with a letter of interest outlining the applicant’s relevant experience to [Click to show email], specifying the job title in the subject line.
CVs should include the exact month and year while listing the candidate’s professional experience and educational background.
Closing date for accepting applications is Tuesday, November 19, 2024.
No applications will be accepted after this date, and only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
The Lebanese American University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.