Senior Director, Prospect Development

Key Outcomes

• In the first 90 days, the Senior Director, Prospect Development will:
  • Learn and live the Americares values.
  • Complete all required new hire onboarding trainings.
  • Build a clear understanding of the organization's donor pipeline, portfolio structure, and fundraising priorities, and establish strong relationships with Philanthropy & Partnerships and Development leadership.
  • Align cross-functional stakeholders around clear processes for prospect development, ensuring stronger integration across Individual Philanthropy, Institutional Giving, and Services.
• In the first 6 months, the Senior Director, Prospect Development will:
  • Refine core KPls and reporting frameworks to track donor movement, portfolio performance, and pipeline growth.
  • Audit current prospect development practices, identify key gaps and opportunities, and deliver an initial roadmap to strengthen portfolio management, prospect identification, and data-driven decision-making.
  • Embed consistent processes, align teams around shared goals, and demonstrate measurable improvements in donor movement and portfolio effectiveness.
  • Implement a standardized, organization-wide Quarterly Portfolio Review (QPR) process with consistent adoption across Individual Philanthropy and Institutional Giving teams.
  • Solidify cross-functional partnerships and operating rhythms that ensure sustained coordination between Services, Individual Philanthropy, and Institutional Giving.
• In the first year, the Senior Director, Prospect Development will:
  • Outline a forward-looking strategy and operating model for a high-performing prospect development function to support ambitious growth goals.
  • Operationalize KPls, dashboards, and reporting tools that provide clear visibility into pipeline health, donor movement, and portfolio performance.
  • Establish clear workflows that connect events, engagement touchpoints, and inbound opportunities directly to prospect development and portfolio actions.
  • Improve the quality, consistency, and usability of prospect research outputs to better support frontline fundraisers and leadership.
  • Demonstrate early progress against growth goals through increased pipeline volume, stronger portfolio discipline, and more strategic alignment across teams.
  • Serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership, contributing meaningfully to fundraising strategy, goal-setting, and long-term planning.
  • Position the prospect development function as a critical driver of fund raising success, with strong cross-functional trust and alignment across Philanthropy & Partnerships teams.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Actively model and contribute to Americares values, work culture and mission.
• Engage in and contribute to team spaces with openness, global competencies, and a growth mindset.
• Bring leadership, fostering organizational culture and effectiveness, working with peers and counterparts across the organization to identify areas for continuous improvement, suggest and implement solutions.
• Portfolio Strategy & Optimization / Portfolio Development & Management:
• Design and oversee the quarterly portfolio reviews process, including portfolio health analysis, individualized portfolio review meetings, and recommendations for reassignment or strategic adjustment.
• Maintain a holistic view of portfolio balance, pipeline health, and fundraiser capacity across all giving levels and donor segments (i.e., individual and institutional fundraising teams).
• Develop and track KPIs related to portfolio quality, donor movement, and moves management discipline; regularly present and use data to make informed decisions and strategic recommendations to Philanthropy & Partnership and Development leadership.
• Lead a comprehensive and proactive prospect research and identification program for individual, planned giving, corporate and foundation donors.
• Oversee the production of high-quality research profiles and other donor-related research information that support fundraisers and senior leadership; ensure the quality, accuracy, and consistency of all research and related data.
• Proactively identify new prospects and existing donors ready for reassignment, upgrades, or deeper engagement through regular wealth screenings and other strategies; incorporate industry best practices to ensure pipeline development supports the organization’s ambitious growth goals.
• Partner with VPs and relationship managers to support strategic portfolio planning and donor engagement strategies where appropriate.
• Implement Quarterly Business Reviews in support of Philanthropy and Partnership team leadership, including but not limited to Chief Development Officer, Vice President of Individual Philanthropy, and Vice President of Institutional Giving.
• Contribute to discussions related to fundraising strategy, portfolio goal setting, forecasting and development of KPIs for the Philanthropy and Partnerships team.
• Partner with the Services team to ensure timely and strategic pre-event research and post-event insights to identify qualification, upgrade, and engagement opportunities to aid pipeline development.
• Oversee the accurate maintenance of prospect stages in the CRM, ensuring consistency, clarity, and timely updates.
• Lead ownership of prospect research databases, tools, and vendor relationships, ensuring teams are equipped with effective, ethical, and well-managed research resources.
• Collaborate with Development Operations / Manager of Development Systems to co-develop dashboards, pipeline reports, and other data tools that facilitate transparency around donor movement.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Degrees and/or experience required for the role

• 8 - 10 years of progressive, including experience, including managing a team of development professionals, in development operations or supporting a complex, multi-layered fundraising strategy in a health focused organization.

Core Competencies

• Ability to design and implement a comprehensive prospect development strategy for a global health organization, including pipeline development, portfolio optimization, and KPI-driven performance management.
• Demonstrated ability to take full ownership of complex functions, drive measurable improvements in pipeline health and donor movement, and deliver against ambitious fundraising targets.
• Prominent experience building, leading, and developing high-performing prospect development teams, while establishing clear accountability, fostering growth, driving a culture of continuous improvement.
• Advanced ability to synthesize data, research insights, and fundraising behaviors to identify gaps, uncover opportunities, and implement solutions that improve portfolio effectiveness and donor engagement.
• Exceptional ability to translate complex data and research into clear, compelling insights and recommendations for both frontline fundraisers and senior leadership.
• Exceptional competencies that result in successful internal and external stakeholder relationships and results. Proven ability to work effectively across departments, organizational levels, and within a team structure; skilled at building consensus, navigating organizational complexity, and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, collaborative team environment and ensuring equitable practices in prospect identification, portfolio management, and team leadership.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and CRM databases.