Sample Job Descriptions

Reporting relationships:

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research reports directly to the Director of Advancement Services, but maintains close working relationships with other Advancement Services and Development Office staff, school based Development Officers, the Alumni Association, and the Foundation.

Basic description of responsibilities:

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research performs a variety of general and specific office functions of a responsible and complex nature centering on activities of Advancement Services. This requires an advanced knowledge of all Advancement Service functions and in areas of direct responsibility.

A thorough and complete knowledge of all aspects of data entry into the University's fundraising database will be required. The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will need to review, explain and interpret policies and procedures on all aspects of data entry, supervise staff and students who enter data, and ensure accuracy and promptness.

The ability to edit and check the work or others, and work with large sums of money in a high volume data processing environment is critical. Supervision of reconciliations of the gift and pledge data in the University fund raising system to the Foundation’s accounting system and the University’s accounting system will also be required.

A comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of prospect management, including the ability to interpret and explain policies and procedures, and accurately enter information on donors and prospects on a timely basis is required. The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will do on-line, and hard copy searches using various sources of publicly available information, in the tracing of addresses, phone numbers, and in updating other information.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research, will also help develop, maintain, and update a dynamic list of policies, procedures, and regulations related to the use of the fundraising database. These policies will encompass the entire database. Training manuals and documentation will also be developed and maintained.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will also help create and implement appropriate security policies.

Advancement Services is highly computerized. An advanced knowledge and experience in the use of various complex computer systems and proficiency with a wide range of software will be especially important for the Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research to function at the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness.

The ability to write SQL programs, create downloads, and develop reports from University's fundraising database will be essential. The position will also assist in the development and maintenance of the Advancement Internet site.

Responsibilities are frequently public in nature. The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research must possess exemplary interpersonal skills, and be able to interact with staff and management throughout the University, and external University constituents, in a prompt and professional manner, on a wide variety of development related issues.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research must also be able to assist the Director of Advancement Services to coordinate the functions of Advancement Services with other clerical and professional staff in the University.

Most interactions outside of Office of University Development will be with the Foundation, school based development officers, and related support personnel. The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will also work very closely with the Alumni Association, and the office of Public Information, for the gathering of Alumni, Friend, and Organization data, and the entering of such biographical materials.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will be responsible for supervising, coordinating, and training student assistants, monitoring Advancement Service’s student budget, and ensuring that All University policies and procedures are followed.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will help oversee the carefully coordinated planning and reporting activities of Advancement Services with all of its constituents. This includes running, copying, and distributing a variety of daily, weekly, monthly reports, and status updates.

The Director of Advancement Services will periodically require assistance in scheduling travel, meetings, and maintaining a training calendar, and other duties, which enhance the Director’s effectiveness and ability to manage Advancement Services.

There will be additional responsibilities as requested by the Director of Advancement Services.

Areas of Responsibility:

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research requires a comprehensive understanding of the overall responsibilities of Advancement Services. This includes gift processing and acknowledgments, prospect management, biographical maintenance, and other data maintenance activities. This knowledge will be essential for development of database policies and procedures, and in performing a liason role with Advancement Service's constituents.

Advanced computer skills, including the use of software to create documents, spreadsheets, timelines, and reports will be extremely important and will frequently need to be upgraded. The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will be responsible for developing and running all selections requested by University's fundraising database users, in a timely fashion.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will be required to diagnose and repair computer hardware used within University Advancement.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will run, maintain, and develop reports, and queries to monitor the integrity of data stored in University's fundraising database.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research requires a comprehensive understanding of database security and will help determine who requires access to the various screens and tables. Any potential breaches of security must be considered in advance of releasing any information other than within the University Development Office.

Helps to coordinate the processing and acknowledging of gifts, pledges, pledge payments, matching claims, memorial gifts, in honor gifts, and other contributions to the University which may often be of significant dollar values.

Interacts with major gift, corporate/foundation relations, planned giving, and school based directors of development, regarding the processing, reporting, and logging of major and other gifts, the processing of requests for prospect research, and other data maintenance activities.

Processes and coordinates the processing of a high volume of correspondence, documents, and other information, which is distributed and may be shared with a number of University and external constituents.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research will sometimes address "critical needs" which occur on short notice and will require immediate action. Organization, prioritization, judgment, and problem-solving skills will be challenged. There may be the need for occasional over time work.

Sourcing of equipment, supplies and special purchases is also the responsibility of the Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research. This involves knowledge and selection of appropriate purchasing procedures, preparing, filing, following up on all associated requisitions, purchase orders, related paperwork, vendors, and maintaining detailed hardware, software, license agreements, and other information.

The highly public nature of the duties of the Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research require good communication skills which will be frequently tested. Writing/proofreading skills will need to be employed and A good understanding of the English language, (both written and spoken) is highly important.

The Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research schedules meetings, training sessions, and assists in performing a liaison role for Advancement Service's constituents.

Minimum qualifications, knowledge and abilities:

Good knowledge of correct English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Advanced understanding of office methods, procedures, practices, and bookkeeping or accounting knowledge. An understanding of the relationships of these policies and procedures to those of the University as a whole is critical.

Computer literacy is highly important. Knowledge of a wide variety of software is of significant importance, with the ability to train users in the most effective use of this software.

Ability to learn, interpret, and apply a variety of complex policies and procedures with minimal guidance. The ability to share ideas and convey them in an efficient manner is mandatory, as is the ability to work with other departments on the Campus in the interpretation and enacting of these policies and procedures.

Ability to organize, train, and motivate student assistants particularly in the gift entry and biographical maintenance functions of the fund raising system.

Ability to perform advanced clerical work involving judgment, accuracy and speed with minimal supervision, and to maintain records and files.

Ability to handle and ensure the accurate processing of gifts and pledges and ensure processing deadlines are met.

Ability to handle various special projects on an ongoing basis while addressing daily needs for the office.

Ability to read and write at a level appropriate to the duties of the position; an ability to accurately perform arithmetic computations where required.

Because of a relatively high volume of reporting, research reports, etc., ability to type at an accurate speed of 45 words per minute is an absolute minimum requirement.

Experience and education:

The successful candidate for the Assistant Director Advancement Services - Prospect Research for Advancement Services will have the equivalent of at least five years of advanced office experience provided the individual possesses the knowledge and abilities listed above.

The candidate should possess a Bachelor's degree preferably in Computer Science or Business Management.

Ability to train, motivate, and manage staff in a high volume data entry environment.

Ability to write/troubleshoot computer programs and computer hardware problems.

Ideally, work related experience will have been gained in a higher education environment with emphasis on fund raising in an advancement or development office with a fund raising program of a similar size to that of the University.

Equivalent or similar experience in a business environment will also be considered.