Job Description

Position: Director, Research and Prospect Management
Reports to: Senior Director, Data Analytics and Operations
Position Managed: Senior Research Analyst, Research Analyst
Location: WCS Headquarters at the Bronx Zoo (hybrid in-person and remote)
Department: Development
Scope: Multi-Site
Position Type: Full-Time

Job Summary:
As the Director of Research and Prospect Management, you will be a strategic advisor to frontline fundraisers, and to Development and executive leadership, delivering prospect intelligence, portfolio strategy, and relationship insights that drive successful donor cultivation and solicitation. You will report to the Senior Director of Data Analytics and Operations, and will work closely with them to analyze research output alongside other data to best inform strategy. You will lead a team of researchers who communicate analytical insights and data-driven conclusions with clarity, informed by organizational fundraising goals, campaign readiness, and philanthropic capacity for institutional and individual donors at all levels.
You will be responsible for managing a comprehensive donor / prospect research and pipeline management program and expected to investigate and adopt innovative tools and techniques to help
build and grow all levels of the donor pyramid, including Annual Fund and Planned Giving. You will also serve as a subject matter expert on wealth analysis, AI-powered research tools, portfolio intelligence, and ethical data practice. If you are a skilled research leader with strong data analytics and communications skills, and are eager to develop a high-performing, dynamic research team, we'd love to meet you.

Major Responsibilities:

• Portfolio Intelligence: Work with RMs to develop tailored, disciplined portfolio management and optimization strategies; continuously evaluate and improve those strategies as donor circumstances evolve. Use portfolio analytics to flag stagnant prospects, surface hidden major gift potential, and recommend strategic portfolio adjustments.
• Prospect Identification & Research: Direct proactive and reactive identification of major, principal, institutional, and planned gift prospects through data mining, wealth screening, and creative research methodologies. Oversee production of high-quality donor profiles, capacity ratings, and briefings. Lead relationship mapping efforts. Oversee development of invitation lists and bios on event attendees.
• Pipeline Management: Design and manage frameworks - including engagement scoring, affinity and propensity modeling, and moves management systems - that give Relationship Managers real-time insight into donor readiness and likely gift range. Contribute to campaign planning, feasibility studies, and annual goal-setting for prospect identification and portfolio growth. Partner with Annual Fund and Planned Giving teams for audience modeling and analytics. Strategically and proactively reviewing and updating information on existing donors, including information related to net worth, giving propensity, philanthropic interests, and connection to WCS trustees/constituents
• Alignment of Research and Data Analytics: Analyze research output and other data to make recommendations for donor and prospect strategy. Interpret data for large sets of information to recognize patterns and use conclusions to guide specific strategy or broader pipeline management.
• Executive & Board Portfolio Support: Recommend strategic prospects for Board or Executive involvement, in partnership with frontline fundraisers; manage and track these portfolios with the same rigor. Help frontline fundraisers identify Board connections to qualified prospects and make introductions with confidence and strategic intent.
• Management: Lead, mentor, and manage the Research team consisting of a Senior Research Analyst and a Research Analyst. Manage Research team workflow, monitoring researchers' progress against goals and holding them accountable. Coach staff for maximum performance, training them to a high level of confidence and independence. Manage the research request queue, including communication with Relationship Managers on prioritization.
• Systems & Compliance: Evaluate research tools for transparency, algorithmic fairness, and vendor accountability. Lead the responsible adoption of AI-powered research tools and continuously review practices and tools. Use AI tools actively to diversify the prospect pipeline and surface high-net-worth prospects historically overlooked by conventional screening. Maintain accurate and complete records in the CRM; uphold data integrity standards.
• Campaign Planning: Partner with the Principal Research Strategist and frontline fundraisers to support campaign efforts, including prospect identification and prioritization, campaign capacity rating reviews, pipeline analysis, and preparation of prospect briefings and strategy memos aligned to campaign gift levels and timelines.

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Qualification Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; advanced degree preferred.
• 7-10 years of progressive prospect research or advancement services experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role at a nonprofit or higher education institution.
• Expertise in wealth analysis, capacity ratings, due diligence, and philanthropic trend analysis.
• Proficiency with research tools (iWave, DonorSearch, WealthEngine, LexisNexis, RelSci, Foundation Directory Online) and fundraising CRMs.
• Strong analytical, written, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to distill complex data into clear, strategic recommendations.
• Deep commitment to confidentiality, data privacy, and ethical research practice.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience managing prospect research through a major capital campaign.
• Familiarity with AI-powered research platforms (DonorSearch Ai, EverTrue, Windfall, Dataro) and ability to critically evaluate outputs.
• Hands-on experience with relationship mapping tools (Prospect Visual, iWave, RelSci, Kindsight, Muckety, DonorAtlas) and translating network data into cultivation strategy.
• Experience with portfolio intelligence frameworks, engagement scoring, and propensity modeling.
• Proficiency in data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI) and advanced Excel.