Data & Prospect Management Senior Specialist

This position plays a critical role in driving the success of fundraising and alumni engagement strategies through strong data governance, strategic research, and robust reporting. The role serves as the Advancement team's expert in list creation, database hygiene, prospect research, moves management tracking, data analysis, and database optimization. Reporting to the Director of Advancement Operations, the Senior Specialist ensures that institutional fundraising decisions are informed by clean data, accurate profiles, and actionable insights.

Responsibilities

• Data Management and CRM Oversight
  • Serve as the team's primary steward of the database's hygiene, field usage, and data integrity.
  • Ensure that Advancement data is consistent, accurate, and segmented to support analysis, stewardship, events, and philanthropic execution.
  • Oversee data entry standards and ensure consistency across constituent records.
  • Perform regular audits to maintain data quality.
  • Collaborate with Finance and Advancement Operations to ensure accurate gift designation coding.
  • Coordinate with vendors and consultants to support integrations, screenings, or data migrations.
  • Maintain constituent coding and tagging systems to support segmentation and reporting.
  • Assist in onboarding and training team members on best practices in data entry, queries, and reporting.
• Analytics, Dashboards, and Reports
  • Provide tailored reports and lists to internal and external departments as requested.
  • Design and maintain custom dashboards for campaign, major gifts, annual fund, and alumni engagement tracking.
  • Produce regular fundraising reports, prospect status updates, and gift officer activity reports.
  • Conduct data analysis to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities across donor pipelines and giving patterns.
  • Partner with leadership to support board reporting and campaign counsel with up-to-date fundraising metrics.
• Research and Pipeline Development
  • Conduct research to support gift cultivation, annual fund segmentation, and leadership briefings.
  • Create concise, well-documented prospect profiles, briefing memos, and event bios.
  • Prepare donor intelligence packets for meetings with the President, Dean, and Advancement leadership.
  • Conduct wealth screenings and qualify major gift prospects.
  • Monitor news, social media, and corporate filings to update donor records with employment, awards, and affiliations.
  • Support and refine the prospect pipeline process in partnership with gift officers and campaign leadership.
  • Maintain and optimize prospect research workflows and documentation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration and Operational Support
  • Support Advancement events by preparing attendee briefings and donor summaries.
  • Collaborate with the Communications and Marketing teams to support accurate segmentation and email list building.
  • Provide data and analysis to inform direct mail strategy, digital campaigns, and stewardship mailings.
  • Serve as a thought partner in discussions around philanthropic goals and lead qualification.
• Other Responsibilities
  • Partner with Advancement leadership on special projects related to campaign planning, data strategy, and donor engagement.
  • Serve as a data subject matter expert on cross-departmental committees or initiatives (e.g., CRM enhancements, segmentation strategy, compliance).
  • Contribute to team meetings by sharing research trends, data insights, or updates on prospect management best practices.
  • Support fundraising and alumni engagement events by preparing lists, bios, and briefings, and assisting with post-event follow-up analysis.
  • Provide training and documentation on Raiser's Edge queries, reports, and data standards to Advancement colleagues as needed.
  • Assist with preparing Advancement-related materials for board meetings or external partners.
• Secondary Activities
  • Perform periodic peer benchmarking research to inform prospecting or campaign strategy.
  • Support donor pipeline calibration during fiscal year planning and prospect review sessions.
  • Participate in database cleanup or audit initiatives, particularly around campaigns, events, or reporting deadlines.
  • Coordinate list preparation and segmentation support for email, direct mail, and annual giving campaigns.
  • Review and reconcile data in preparation for tax receipting and year-end acknowledgments.
  • Support external consultants or vendors with data requests during feasibility studies, campaign counsel, or CRM upgrades.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• 2+ years experience in higher education, nonprofit fundraising or operations management, data and compliance management, or a like position.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressively responsible experience in higher education advancement or nonprofit fundraising.
• Direct experience with advancement operations in a non-profit, academic, or professional school environment.

Skills

• Expertise in prospect research tools (iWave, WealthEngine, etc.) and CRMs (preferably Raiser's Edge/NXT).
• Familiarity with nonprofit fundraising principles, donor segmentation, and pipeline strategy.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesize complex data into clear reports.
• Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and confidentiality.
• Excellent written communication.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines.
• Collaborative, solution-oriented mindset and interest in improving systems.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and respectful engagement with diverse stakeholders.

Pay

The anticipated pay range for this position is $24 - $30 per hour depending on qualifications.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life/AD&D insurance (MHSL pays for)
• Optional Life Insurance
• Disability Benefits (MHSL pays for)
• Generous Holidays and Winter Break
• 403(b) Retirement plan (Generous MHSL match)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Competitive compensation package