Director of Prospect Intelligence

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Position Summary:

The Director of Prospect Intelligence is a centralized University of Colorado System Advancement position embedded within CU Boulder Advancement and provides strategic leadership for CU Boulder Advancement's prospect intelligence and research, portfolio strategy, and fundraiser enablement functions. This new position reports to the Sr Director of Portfolio Intelligence, Research, & Data Management within CU System Advancement and has a dotted line relationship with Executive Director of Development Operations within CU Boulder Advancement. This position serves as a vital bridge between enterprise advancement intelligence efforts and campus fundraising operations.

The Director will build the first embedded prospect development function at Boulder, leading efforts to accelerate campaign readiness, strengthen pipeline health, and deliver strategic intelligence to fundraising leadership. This position champions a proactive, solutions-oriented approach that advances the organization from a transactional research model toward a strategic intelligence function focused on fundraising outcomes, operational excellence, and long-term growth. The role requires a builder who can move quickly, establish new processes, and drive measurable results in support of a large comprehensive campaign.

This Director will play a critical role in helping CU Boulder Advancement modernize its prospect development and portfolio strategy functions through the thoughtful application of emerging technologies, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and innovative fundraising practices. The CU Boulder Advancement Data Insights Team primarily supports this role and team with analytics, reporting, and visualization needs. The Director will challenge traditional prospect development approaches, identify new opportunities to increase fundraiser effectiveness, and help position Advancement to meet the evolving expectations of donors and fundraisers in a rapidly changing philanthropic landscape.

The Director leads a team of seven analysts responsible for prospect identification, research, portfolio optimization, pipeline development, and strategic fundraising support. Through the delivery of actionable prospect intelligence and portfolio solutions, the Director helps advancement leaders and fundraisers identify, prioritize, and engage the institution's most promising philanthropic opportunities. The program supports approximately 60-70 major gift, principal gift, and Donor Experience Officer portfolios.

Working closely with CU Boulder Advancement leadership, fundraising unit leadership, Data Insights, and CU System Advancement prospect development leadership and partners, the Director develops strategies and solutions that strengthen donor pipelines, improve portfolio health, enhance fundraiser effectiveness, and support campaign success.

This position reports to the Sr Director of Portfolio Intelligence, Research, & Data Management, and is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff system.  

Where You Will Work:

Applicants must be Colorado residents or able to relocate to Colorado within a month of starting employment with University of Colorado System Administration.

This role is a hybrid role and aligns with CU Boulder Advancement guidelines for a certain number of days in the office.

Please note, leadership may adjust in-office work requirements with a minimum of three months' notice before any change can be implemented.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Solutions

• Design and lead an integrated Prospect Development operating model that connects prospect intelligence, research, portfolio management, qualification, analytics, and fundraiser enablement to provide a proactive, scalable, and consistent service to fundraisers and advancement leaders.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for prospect intelligence, portfolio management, and fundraiser enablement aligned with institutional fundraising priorities.
• Champion innovation across prospect development, portfolio strategy, and fundraiser enablement by evaluating and supporting the implementation of emerging technologies, AI-powered solutions, predictive analytics, and scalable approaches that enhance fundraising outcomes.
• Lead efforts to reimagine prospect development practices for the future, balancing proven methodologies with new technologies and data-driven strategies that increase organizational agility and effectiveness.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to advancement leadership regarding portfolio composition, prospect prioritization, pipeline development, and fundraising opportunity assessment.
• Partner with development leaders to strengthen fundraising capacity through effective portfolio management and prospect strategy.
• Represent CU Boulder Advancement on systemwide prospect intelligence, portfolio strategy, and fundraising effectiveness initiatives. 
• Partner with peer multi-campus director on systemwide initiatives and ensure strong communication and resource sharing; collaborate to resolve prospect assignment disputes and university-wide top prospect strategies. 
• Develop policies, standards, and best practices that support consistent portfolio management and prospect strategy across the division and in alignment with university-wide policies.
• Identify opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness through scalable solutions, process improvement, and strategic resource allocation.

Prospect Intelligence & Research

• Oversee a comprehensive prospect intelligence program that supports annual, major, principal, and planned giving efforts, inclusive of affinity-based programs, such as parent giving and athletic programs.
• Shift prospect development from a predominantly request-driven model toward a proactive intelligence model that continuously identifies, prioritizes, and surfaces emerging opportunities for fundraisers and institutional priorities.
• Explore and work alongside CU Advancement’s data and technical governance group to implement and lead effective change management for new intelligence methodologies, data sources, predictive modeling techniques, and AI-enabled research tools to enhance prospect identification and philanthropic opportunity assessment.
• Lead proactive prospect identification efforts to uncover emerging philanthropic opportunities aligned with institutional priorities.
• Direct the preparation of prospect profiles, executive briefings, relationship maps, prospect assessments, and strategic intelligence reports.
• Ensure the delivery of accurate, timely, and actionable prospect intelligence that supports cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Establish and maintain research standards, methodologies, and quality control practices.
• Monitor emerging trends and best practices in prospect research, wealth assessment, and philanthropic intelligence.

Prospect Qualification & Referral Strategy

• Develop and oversee a division-wide prospect qualification framework that establishes consistent criteria, workflows, ownership, and decision points for evaluating and advancing prospective donors.

Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Development

• Lead portfolio optimization efforts that align prospect opportunity with fundraiser capacity and institutional priorities.
• Leverage advanced analytics, predictive insights, and emerging technologies to identify patterns, optimize portfolio performance, and uncover new pathways for donor engagement and qualification.
• Understand available CRM data and rules, data mart, reports, and related definitions/policies in order to troubleshoot and provide ad hoc data around performance metrics and the proposal pipeline.
• Develop and oversee processes for prospect assignment, qualification, reassignment, and disqualification.
• Partner with development leadership to assess portfolio health and identify opportunities to improve prospect movement and fundraising performance.
• Monitor donor pipeline strength and recommend strategies to strengthen future fundraising capacity.
• Support campaign planning efforts by identifying prospect opportunities, assessing pipeline readiness, and evaluating portfolio coverage across campaign priorities.
• Provide recommendations that help fundraisers focus their efforts on the highest-potential opportunities.
• Lead the development and evolution of prospect referral processes that enable fundraisers and campus partners to efficiently surface, assess, qualify, assign, and advance new opportunities.

Fundraiser Enablement & Strategic Support

• Utilize and collaborate with Data Insights to develop innovative tools, dashboards, AI-enabled resources, and decision-support solutions that help fundraisers prioritize activity, personalize engagement, and maximize portfolio performance.
• Partner with Data Insights, Technology, and fundraising leaders to pilot and scale new approaches that improve donor identification, qualification, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Provide consultation and strategic guidance regarding donor strategy, prospect prioritization, and portfolio management practices.
• Promote adoption of portfolio management standards and best practices across the division.
• Lead the development of trainings and best practice documentation, internally and for customer use.
• Establish metrics and reporting to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of prospect development, including portfolio health, qualification and referral outcomes, prospect movement, service levels, adoption, and contribution to fundraising performance.

Leadership, Supervision & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of analysts, currently three portfolio intelligence analysts and four research analysts
• Build and develop a cross-functional team of Prospect Development liaisons with expertise in both prospect intelligence and portfolio strategy, enabling them to serve as trusted strategic partners to fundraisers and translate intelligence into actionable prospect and portfolio recommendations.
• Create annual and strategic operating plans; implement plans and evaluate and report on progress
• Supervise the Analysts’ workloads through queue management and Agile practices; ensure working standards to Service Level Agreements and Standard Operating Procedures. Establish team goals, priorities, performance expectations, and professional development plans.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and customer service.
• Build strong partnerships across Advancement, campus stakeholders, and CU System Advancement colleagues.
• Ensure compliance with ethical standards, data privacy requirements, and industry best practices.
• Serve as a thought leader in system wide Prospect Development, contributing to the design of shared standards, methodologies, technology capabilities, and practices while advocating for Boulder’s fundraising needs and priorities.
   

What We Offer:

Salary: The anticipated hiring range has been established at $137,000-$150,000.

Benefits: 

For more information on benefits programs, please review our Comprehensive Benefits Guide.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Please include all relevant experience in your resume to be accurately assessed against these qualifications.  You must meet all minimum requirements at the time of application to be considered for this role.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis)
• Six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in prospect research, prospect development, portfolio management, advancement services, fundraising strategy, or a related field.
• Two (2) years’ experience in a managerial or supervisory role, which includes managing personnel, developing/mentoring direct reports, and completing performance reviews to ensure continuous improvement, high performance, and employee retention
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects.
• Experience in higher education advancement or a complex nonprofit fundraising environment.
• Experience partnering with fundraising leaders to support donor strategy, portfolio management, and pipeline development.
   

Preferred Qualifications:

• Eight (8) years’ professional experience, as indicated above
• Three (3) years’ experience in a managerial or supervisory role, as indicated above
• Significant experience supporting a large comprehensive campaign (preferably $1B+)
• Demonstrated experience leveraging technology, analytics, artificial intelligence, or automation to improve fundraising, prospect development, or business processes.
• Demonstrated experience challenging traditional approaches through experimentation, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Experience translating emerging technologies and data insights into practical business applications.
• Experience leading and transforming prospect research, portfolio management, or fundraising intelligence functions.
   

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please attach the following as separate documents to your application: 

1. A cover letter identifying the job specific minimum qualifications you possess and interest in the position.
2. A resume including all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against the qualifications listed in the posting.

Please ensure you check the “Job Specific Attachments” box next to each document on the “Required Documents” page of the application for the appropriate documents to be attached.

When to Apply:

For full consideration completed applications must be submitted by Friday, September 25th.  Reference checking is a standard step in our hiring process. You may be asked to provide contact information, including email addresses and phone numbers, for up to five references as part of the search process for this position.

Please note: All application materials must be submitted through CU Careers; emailed materials will not be considered.

Sponsorship Statement:

We are unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that a verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of the third day of work. The University of Colorado is committed to diversity and equality in education and employment.

ADA Statement:

We are committed to an inclusive and barrier-free search process. We provide accommodations for applicants requesting accommodation through the search process such as alternative formats of this posting.  Individuals with disabilities in need of accommodations throughout the search process should contact the ADA Coordinator at: systemhr@cu.edu.