Prospect Development Specialist, RPD

Prospect Development Specialist

The Prospect Development Specialist is an internal liaison between internal DAR Partners and Prospect Development, and the Specialist will provide strategic focus and direction to Major and Leadership Annual Giving development officers and frontline fundraising teams. Prospect Development is the strategic arm of Vanderbilt's DAR operation, and the Specialist will manage, track, and report out on constituent and prospect pools which influence development officer and Dare to Grow campaign activity.

By leveraging a solid understanding of the university's vision and philanthropic priorities, the Specialist is expected to lead efforts which increase the pipeline for major and lead annual gifts and optimize fundraising activity for assigned development officers and fundraising teams. Typical day-to-day duties include, but are not limited to, building and maintaining assigned portfolios and pools of prospects, leading biannual portfolio reviews, directing monthly opportunity and activity audits, preparing travel list or contact list requests, and other ad hoc projects which support the university's major gift and leadership annual giving programs. These projects support an information-driven culture which derives conclusions and trends through structured analysis of internal and external data.

The Specialist will be expected to work collaboratively with appropriate DAR staff members in scenarios which involve prospective donors who have giving interests in multiple areas. The Specialist will leverage DAR's Prospect Development Optimization Guide to foster coordination and collaboration between fundraising teams to create the best possible match between a donor's interests and Vanderbilt's priorities. The Specialist will develop and foster relationships with internal fundraising teams, engagement teams, and external partners and thought leaders.

The Specialist will demonstrate initial competency of Level I Relationship Management functions, Level I Data Science functions, and Level I Leadership functions, defined by APRA International Body of Knowledge, but will also gain exposure to Prospect Research, Pipeline Development, and additional Data Science functions on an as-needed basis. The Specialist is expected to demonstrate competency of Level II Relationship Management functions, Level I Data Science functions, and Level I Leadership functions by the end of their first year.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

• Possess and demonstrate a solid, detailed knowledge of the university's prospect pool, prospect development business processes, and the proper use and function of information in DAR's database
• Ensure compliance with the Prospect Optimization Guide with focus on roles and responsibilities for the prospect development teams and the development officers
• Recommend portfolio moves which enhance prospect and donor lifetime value to Vanderbilt, and/or perceived engagement with or affinity to Vanderbilt
• In coordination with assigned team(s) and/or development officer(s), review all prospect development requests for assignment in school or unit areas, and ensure accuracy of appropriate data points in database
• Proactively initiate projects designed to discover and analyze new and emerging prospect segments
• Manage the planning and execution of projects related to analysis of fundraising team portfolios. Assist DAR leadership with analysis on overall portfolio movement, health, and viability
• In conjunction with Information Management (IM) team, the Director, Data Analytics, and the Director, Prospect Management, develop and prepare monthly reports for DAR leadership team to track major gift prospect activity
• Use data visualization, reporting, and analytical techniques as required to analyze and describe groups of prospects or constituents
• Direct the prospect tracking and moves management program for the university prospects rated $25,000 to $1,000,000 by reviewing/analyzing contact reports, changes in prospect records, and proposal status
• Provide prospect development oversight on wealth screening results/analysis, including pool analysis, distribution, tracking, and follow-up of potential $25,000 to $1,000,000 screened prospects to leadership annual giving officers

Supervisory Relationships :

This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports to the Assistant Director, Prospect Development.

Work Environment:

This position will be located in the Nashville, TN area. It will a hybrid position with the expectation of being in the office one day per week, or more depending on business needs.

Education and Certifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.

Experience and Skills :

• Three years of fundraising experience required; five years of relevant experience preferred
• Preference for experience within Vanderbilt University or Vanderbilt's Development and Alumni Relations team
  • Preference for Academic/University fundraising Experience
  • Preference for experience working with frontline fundraisers
• Ability to manage/maintain prospect development system and ensure compliance with related guidelines
• Exceptional database skills, preferred especially with Salesforce CRM and Ellucian Advance
  • Trailhead Certification(s) are preferred but not required
• Intermediate to advanced experience/comfort with Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and professional office software (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Zoom)
  • Beginner to intermediate experience with visualization software (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI) is preferred but not required

Key Characteristics of a Successful Team Member in this Work Unit:

• Expects and delivers excellence, is proactive and focused on creative problem solving, and places a high value on learning and improving.
• Holds oneself accountable, takes responsibility for failures as well as successes, and recognizes that trust is required to hold a team together.
• Shares information, communicates proactively, asks for advice and considers it thoughtfully.
• Genuinely values teamwork and co-workers.
• Manages time, activities, and outcomes well so that progress stays on track.

Required Skills

• Audience Segmentation - VU
• Competitive Intelligence - VU
• Customer Data Management - VU
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software - VU
• Data Privacy Laws - VU
• Donor Analysis - VU
• Financial Analysis - VU
• Prospect Evaluation - VU
• Prospect Management - VU
• Prospect Research - VU

About Us

At Vanderbilt University, our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of "America's Best Large Employers" as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Job Info

• Job Identification 10008481
• Posting Date 06/22/2026, 04:02 PM
• Locations Nashville, TN, United States (Hybrid)
• Job Schedule Full time
• Job Category Development & Alumni Relations
• Job Function Research & Prospect Development
• Management Level Individual Contributor 2