Senior Director, Prospect Development

Tufts University Advancement seeks a strategic, data-driven, and collaborative leader to serve as Senior Director, Prospect Development. Reporting to the Associate Executive Director of Prospect Development and Advancement Operations, the Senior Director will lead a team of 10-13 professionals dedicated to prospect research and intelligence, serving as the strategic architect of Tufts' prospect research framework.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for advancing Tufts' philanthropic goals by identifying and analyzing prospective donors, supporting campaign strategies, and ensuring frontline fundraisers have the insights they need to drive meaningful donor engagement. The Senior Director will oversee the integrity and application of prospect data, enhance prospect pipeline development, and partner closely with university and Advancement leadership to ensure Tufts maximizes its philanthropic potential.

Essential Functions

• Lead the Prospect Development team, including research, prospect analytics, and prospect development strategy, to expand Tufts' qualified prospect pool.
• Provide expert guidance to frontline fundraisers on prospect strategy, portfolio management, and donor engagement best practices.
• Oversee and continuously improve data integrity, research methodologies, and analytics tools (AIM, Tableau) for prospect tracking and assessment.
• Play a central role in campaign planning and strategy, including feasibility assessments and development of campaign gift pyramids.
• Serve as a key partner to university leaders, ensuring they have accurate, timely, and actionable prospect intelligence.
• Direct departmental strategy, goal-setting, budget planning, and performance reporting.
• Hire, mentor, and develop a high-performing team with a strengths-based management approach.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years of experience in advancement, development, or related field.
• 5+ years of team management experience, preferably in a research or analytics environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in prospect development, strategic planning, and data analytics.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to influence and collaborate across a large organization.
• Deep understanding of fundraising strategy and the donor lifecycle.
• High proficiency in relevant systems, including CRM platforms, prospect research tools, and visualization platforms like Tableau.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising.
• Experience managing prospect research teams.
• Familiarity with campaign planning and principal gift strategies.