Senior Prospect Research Analyst

Amherst College

Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.

Job Description:

Amherst College invites applications for the Senior Prospect Research Analyst position. The Senior Prospect Research Analyst is a full-time, year-round position, starting at $54,752-commensurate with experience. Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

The Senior Prospect Research Analyst provides key information contributing to Amherst College's fundraising and engagement goals. This position identifies and profiles donors and potential prospects in support of the mission of the College. The position is eligible for a hybrid remote work schedule for those residing in Massachusetts.

Through prospect research and data analysis, the Senior Prospect Research Analyst partners with frontline fundraisers in a collaborative environment, adding to Amherst's understanding of its constituents to strengthen philanthropic relationships with the institution.

Using ethical practices, this position researches financial, philanthropic, professional, and biographical information, and synthesizes findings into briefings for a range of audiences including the Principal and Leadership Giving staff, the Chief Advancement Officer, Trustees, and the College President. This position ensures the confidentiality of donor information.

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities

Prospect Research, Writing, and Data Analysis

• Identify, understand, condense, and analyze biographical and philanthropic information of potential donors
• Create concise, accurate, and timely research products, ranging from comprehensive narrative research memos, to thumbnail bios, using biographical information, financial data, news, and philanthropic history, while adhering to professional standards of donor privacy and protecting the confidential information of the College
• Analyze research requests to determine appropriate level of detail required based on audience and purpose
• Respond quickly and enthusiastically to requests for research by using various fundraising research tools and approaches

Prospecting and Proactive Research

• Discover and prioritize new prospects by employing a wide variety of proactive prospecting methodologies, such as wealth screenings and data mining
• Perform wealth estimations and evaluate gift capacity ratings based on publicly available information, including insider holdings, real estate, salary estimates, and demographic assessments

Data and Information Management and Analysis

• Collaborate with frontline relationship managers on prospect strategy and participate in portfolio review and strategy meetings
• Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of constituent record structure in the database and the Microsoft Access reporting environment
• Clearly communicate useful, accurate research results to colleagues and complete all aspects of document and information storage
• Monitor top prospects via news alerts and push technology and share relevant updates with team members and colleagues
• Stay current on industry trends and practices through relevant publications, associations, and professional colleagues
• Develop ad hoc Access queries

Additional Responsibilities

• Establish relationships with frontline relationship managers to maintain a solid grasp of their evolving needs and donor information consumption preferences
• Occasional evening and weekend hours required as all Advancement staff members are expected to support and staff key events such as Reunion, Homecoming, and Family Weekend
• Perform other duties/functions as requested

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's Degree
• General understanding of the specialty field of prospect research, including experience or familiarity with financial information such as proxy statements, annual reports, and SEC documents
• Experience with wealth screenings and evaluating philanthropic capacity
• Strong writing skills and careful attention to detail
• Ability to gather, interpret, and synthesize a large volume of information into a succinct, well-written analysis while working in a deadline-oriented environment
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills, including ability to express information clearly and concisely
• Ability to prioritize and work with a high degree of independence while exercising critical thinking skills to determine best use of time and resources
• Experience with a CRM fundraising database, such as Colleague Advance or Slate
• Good judgment and the ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Word, Excel
• Experience with Google Workspace (Drive, Doc, Sheets)
• Experience with or interest in learning data visualization tools, such as Tableau
• Experience with or interest in learning predictive modeling
• Dedication to or experience working with a diverse community

Preferred:

• Experience with Microsoft Access

Amherst College offers many opportunities for professional growth and development, continued learning, and career advancement.

Amherst College requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (medical and religious exemptions may apply).

Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for Benefits Information.

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs . Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted. (Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the Career icon from their Workday home screen) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

To find information about job group and level (JGL) follow this link.

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