Senior Associate Director, Prospect Development

About the role

As the leadership phase of FSU’s comprehensive campaign begins, the Division of University Advancement is accelerating campus-wide hiring of development officers. The Senior Associate Director of Prospect Development will play a central role in advancing FSU’s most ambitious philanthropic priorities by developing the intelligence that powers principal gifts fundraising and presidential donor engagement. This is a strategic role focused on synthesizing research, financial data, relationships, and contextual insight into clear recommendations that shape cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of the Division’s highest-capacity supporters.

Responsibilities

• Leadership Briefings & Executive Support
  • Produce comprehensive, strategically framed research profiles on principal gift prospects and donors, including high-capacity individuals, families, family offices, corporations, and affiliated entities.
  • Synthesize biographical, financial, philanthropic, relationship, and contextual information into clear narratives that inform cultivation and solicitation strategy.
  • Prepare meeting briefings for the FSU president and executive leadership ahead of donor visits, events, and cultivation activities, highlighting recent developments, relationship dynamics, motivations, anticipated questions, and recommended approaches.
  • Support due diligence research on prospective donors, gift sources, and naming opportunities, surfacing reputational, legal, or ethical considerations.
  • Develop dynamic research products such as relationship maps, capacity assessments, philanthropic interest analyses, and tailored strategic recommendations.
  • Write with clarity, judgment, and discretion for senior leaders making consequential decisions.
• Prospect Identification and Strategy
  • Proactively identify new high net worth prospects with capacity and inclination to support University priorities using network analysis, peer screening review, wealth indicator research, and qualitative discovery.
  • Partner with principal gifts officers and the Senior Director of Prospect Development to refine identification strategies tied to funding priorities, campaign initiatives, and presidential interests.
  • Evaluate and qualify identified prospects, recommending next steps for assignment, cultivation, or further research.
  • Contribute to the long-term health of the principal gifts pipeline by continuously surfacing new names and re-evaluating existing prospects as circumstances change.
  • Create strategy profiles and other research materials to support strategy sessions on prospective principal gift donors.
• Prospect and Portfolio Management
  • Provide guidance and support to the Associate Vice President for Principal Gifts & Gift and Estate Planning and the principal gifts team regarding prospect and portfolio management.
  • Conduct regular portfolio reviews with principal gift officers, sharing recommendations on portfolio structure, composition, and activity.
  • Serve as the subject matter expert on CRM systems, tracking, reporting, performance metrics, and prospect management policies.
• Prospect Development and Advancement-Wide Collaboration
  • Supervise prospect research interns and consulting partners as needed, providing direction, quality review, and developmental feedback.
  • Collaborate with colleagues across advancement—including donor relations, data management, reporting, and frontline fundraising teams—to ensure research insights flow effectively into the broader advancement enterprise.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of prospect development practices, including research standards, templates, tools, and workflows.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and four years of related experience; or high school diploma or equivalent and eight years of related experience (post-high school education may substitute for experience at the equivalent rate).
• A valid Florida or Georgia driver’s license or the ability to obtain upon hire.