Senior Analyst, Prospect Development at The University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Department

ARD Prospect Management 1.1



About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.


The Prospect Development and Decision Support (PDDS) team maximizes the value of fundraising data and systems to Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) staff and the University. We offer insight derived from analytics and qualitative research to drive fundraising strategy. We help staff members to work more effectively with data and technology through staff education programs, process and system design services, and change management planning. Working at the individual, team, and organizational level, we help make ARD staff informed, efficient, and successful in their efforts to maximize the University of Chicago's fundraising and engagement potential.



Job Summary

This role conducts biographical and financial research on individuals, corporations, and/or foundations to support fundraising. Identifies prospective donors using research and analysis through use of standard procedures. Forecasts and measures the effectiveness of the fiscal year and overall campaign progress, which will help employees in the job acquire higher-level knowledge and skills.


Designs, manages, and executes development strategies and programs to maximize principal gift philanthropic support for the University's priorities. Increases engagement and participation of the University's worldwide community of alumni, parents, families and friends via diversified communication programs and activities.



Responsibilities

• Conducts in-depth research and prospect management analysis to identify, qualify, and track potential donors capable of making transformative gifts ($1M+, $10M+, and planned gifts), ensuring alignment with fundraising strategies.


• Develops and synthesizes reports, dashboards, and strategic insights to inform decision-making around transformative gift prospects, driving proactive engagement and pipeline development.


• Collaborates with ARD teams, including gift officers, donor relations, liaison analysts, and leadership, to develop tailored strategies for managing and advancing relationships with high-capacity donors.


• Manages the President and Vice President portfolio process, leading focused research and prospect management initiatives related to trustees and other high-level stakeholders.


• Monitors economic and wealth trends to identify shifts impacting transformative philanthropy, and develops educational resources and training to help staff integrate these insights into prospecting, cultivation, and solicitation strategies.


• Extracts, analyzes, and maintains data from Phoenix (the University's Donor Relationship Management System) to create nuanced prospect profiles and inform cultivation strategies for transformative gifts.


• Designs and executes complex queries, creates custom variables, and performs data transformations with rigorous quality control to support strategic prospecting and portfolio optimization.


• Translates and contextualizes data insights into actionable recommendations for fundraisers, ensuring that research and management strategies are data-informed and aligned with organizational priorities.


• Stays current on industry trends and best practices in prospect development, with a focus on transformative and planned giving, to recommend improvements to UChicago's strategies and processes.


• Pursues professional development opportunities to deepen expertise in principal and planned giving research, prospect management, and data analytics, while building networks within UChicago and with peers at other institutions.


• Contributes to the development and refinement of Business Intelligence (BI) tools and analytical applications, enhancing reporting capabilities specific to transformative giving strategies.


• Conducts prospect research, prospect management, strategic planning and market research on prospects and donors.


• Develops, maintains, and updates information on new and existing prospects, solving problems as they arise.


• Works with prospect management University-wide to design and execute strategies to grow the size of the prospect pool with a moderate level of guidance and direction.


• May provide guidance to analysts, train staff members on fundraising, report writing, and research.


• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications




Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.



Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.



Certifications:




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Preferred Qualifications




Education:

• Bachelor's degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of two years experience analyzing and synthesizing complex data sets.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including the University's Donor Relationship Management System, Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.


• Proficient at producing highly readable, informative reports.


• Proficient with Tableau Desktop and SAP Business Objects.


• Familiarity with statistical software packages, such as SPSS, SAS, STATA, R.


• Expertise with a variety of analytical and database software.


• Understanding of basic statistics.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.


• Make focused recommendations to business leaders.


• Analytics skills.


• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.


• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.


• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.


• Self-motivated and take initiative.


• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Working Conditions

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.


• Standard office environment.


• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.


• Work evenings and weekends as needed.


• This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)


• Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.



Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development



Role Impact

Individual Contributor



Scheduled
Weekly Hours

37.5



Drug Test Required

No



Health Screen Required

No



Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No



Pay Rate Type

Salary



FLSA Status

Exempt



Pay Range

$65,875.00 - $77,500.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.



Benefits Eligible

Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.



Posting Statement



The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.


Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.


All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.


The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637. Apply Now