About Sacred Heart University:

As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University's nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent's College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change-in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 388 Colleges-2023 Edition, and Best Business Schools-2022 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu
View SHU's Faculty Experts Here

Job Description:

The Executive Director of Prospect Management, Data Analytics & Pipeline Optimization works closely with the senior advancement leadership and front-line fundraisers to broaden the University's prospect base and to maximize the University's philanthropic capacity. This position will partner in facilitating an elevated engagement of prospects whose potential is maximized due to capacity and/or inclination. This will be realized by providing data analysis for the identification of prospects to assist with the cultivation and solicitation of donors, including the expansion of a more diverse prospect base (pipeline optimization). The executive director of Prospect Management, Data Analytics & Pipeline Optimization is also responsible for providing data interpretation and analysis on more than 300,000 constituent records relating to alumni, parents, friends, faculty/staff, corporations, and foundations. Conduct complex and independent research of biographical and financial information on principal and major donor prospects, trustees and potential trustees, foundations, and corporations, to assess quality of potential giving readiness in our donor-centered fundraising enterprise. This is an important function as Sacred Heart looks towards a public launch 2023 of its comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Responsibilities Include:

• Provide leadership to the Director of Prospect Research & Project Manager incumbent; provides coaching, training, and mentoring
• Manages performance and determines staffing and other resource needs. Evaluates and develops skills and competencies of the research team; designs and implements professional development plans to demonstrate growth and improvement in identified areas
• Co-lead the prospect strategy and portfolio development team along with the assistant vice president of Major & Planned Giving for the purposes of analyzing needs related to programming partnerships and increasing philanthropic results in the six Colleges (College of Arts & Sciences, Jack Welch College of Business, College of Health Professions, Dr. Susan L. Davis, RN, & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development, St. Vincent's College), SHU Athletics, the SHU Community Theatre, and the newly acquired SHU Discovery Science Center & Planetarium.
• Researches and writes profiles, using information from university records and publicly available/subscription resources on principal, major gift donors and other prospects to support the needs of front-line development officers, deans, and other university leaders, both proactively and in response to specific requests.
• Develop processes and procedures that focus on data integrity and data intelligence to allow for more sophisticated and focused data mining and analytics.
• Extracts, synthesizes, and communicates key information on stakeholders, to support the information needs of the university's fundraising and constituent engagement efforts.
• Foster a culture of strategic partnership and donor-centric service with frontline fundraisers and promote efforts to collaborate with all University Advancement units. In collaboration with the SVP of Advancement and Executive Director of Advancement Services, set strategic goals for the research and prospect management operation.
• Interprets and translates complex financial, legal, and corporate language into easily comprehensible terms. Analyze financial publications and corporate disclosures to identify new prospects, assign accurate ratings, and deepen existing relationships.
• Direct and implement analytics projects to achieve increased data intelligence and enhance inefficiencies of prospect management.
• Monitors outside news sources for updates on known major gift/principal gift prospects and for discovery of information that will lead to new prospects including experiences with online search strategies with public search engines as well as paid sources (Wealth Engine, iWave, NOZA, etc.).

Requirements:

Knowledge and Skills Needed:

• Bachelor's degree or commensurate experience required, Master's degree or higher is preferred
• Minimum fifteen (15) years' experience in prospect research methods, preferably in higher education advancement. Sacred Heart University knowledge is preferred but not required.
• Required skills for oversight of employee supervision-ability to effectively communicate and listen, ability to lead and motivate, be a team player, delegate when appropriate, problem solve, results oriented, manage conflict in a fair manner; provide empathy and compassion
• Creative thinker
• Ability to interpret and synthesize large volumes of data into concise analysis, managing multiple priorities to achieve desired outcome.
• Ability to understand wealth indicators and interpret wealth into ratings and ask amounts.
• Understand and follow current philanthropic trends.
• Proficient report preparation and presentation to gather information and share recommendation and outcome.
• Proficient document and specification skills to share information in a clear and concise manner.
• Maturity of judgment, tact, and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.

Must be flexible w/ hours; available to work beyond 4:30 and weekends, when necessary

Additional Information:

Statement of Personal & Organizational Responsibility for Inclusive Excellence

Inclusive Excellence is the recognition that our institution's success is dependent on how well we value, engage, and include the rich diversity of students, staff, faculty, administrators, alums, and surrounding community. It is a mastery of inclusion that fosters a consistent sense of belonging. Inclusive Excellence is aspirational and is the pillar that guides the mission, vision, and function of this unit.

To achieve Inclusive Excellence, our personal and organizational responsibilities are to:

• Actively promote a collegial environment and consciously apply our mission and values to create a culture of inclusion and belonging; a safe space where all may thrive and succeed.
• Participate in educational and developmental activities to increase awareness and competencies of issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; apply that understanding to guide your approach to all aspects of your job and the community as a whole.
• Demonstrate that we are "Stronger Together" as described in the Office for Inclusive Excellence statements.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online, faxes and emails will not be accepted. A cover letter is appreciated.

Sacred Heart University is a space that respects and embraces differences, recognizes the unique contributions that individuals can make, and creates a community that maximizes the potential of all faculty and staff. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from qualified candidates who reflect the wider world in which we live.