Director Prospect Development

Director Prospect Development

10003107

Fairfax, VA

Administrative or Professional Faculty

Opening on : Aug 25 2025

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Department : Advancement and Alumni Relations

Classification : Administrative Faculty

Job Category : Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type : Full-Time

Work Schedule : Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs / wk)

Location : Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type : Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility : Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary : Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check : Yes

About the Department :

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 135 FTE. Functional units within Advancement include development / fundraising, alumni relations, donor relations and stewardship, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services. Advancement and Alumni Relation's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university's aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.

About the Position :

As an integral member of the University Advancement team, the Director of Prospect Development is responsible for implementing a comprehensive program of research including the identification and qualification of prospects sufficient to support university-wide fundraising goals, through prospect research performed with the highest standards of quality, confidentiality, and accuracy.

This position leads two teams, prospect research and prospect management, which are responsible for delivering insightful, actionable research, and for developing systems that ensure fundraisers have robust portfolios to support major, principal, and planned giving strategies.

This role works closely with development officers and senior advancement leadership to align donor prospects with institutional priorities, drive prospect pipeline growth, and facilitate data-informed decision-making across all phases of donor engagement.

Responsibilities : Prospect Research

• Provide high-level, substantive research and analysis on individuals, corporations, and foundations using a wide variety of biographical, organizational, and financial sources, including online database services, websites, library and government sources, and other external repositories of public information that provides critical intelligence to inform decision-making of engagement and solicitation strategies;
• Interpret and translate complex financial, legal, and corporate language into easily comprehensible terms, while adhering to University standards of discretion and confidentiality;
• Identifies and recommends high-capacity individual and corporate and foundation donor prospects to select departmental staff, and attends Advancement strategy meetings to provide data-driven analysis to inform action plans for donors and prospects;
• Develops an expert understanding of the institution's donor / prospect management and business intelligence systems, including use of data extraction and reporting tools, and leads the analysis and recalibration of current donor pools of fundraising officers to help meet fundraising goals, and analyzes data to search for new prospects;
• Assists the Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations with preparation of research reports and other documents for the Office of the President, and external Boards (i.e., Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors, and Alumni Association); and
• Attends industry specific organization events, such as the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, in order to keep abreast of industry best practices and trends.

Prospect Management

Supervision of Staff

Other duties as assigned within the scope of the role .

Required Qualifications :

Preferred Qualifications :

Instructions to Applicants :

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Director Prospect Development at https : / / jobs.gmu.edu / . Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, one of which must be a current supervisor, and provide a cover letter, resume, and writing sample for review.

Posting Open Date : August 25, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by : September 16, 2025

Open Until Filled : Yes