Senior Associate Director, Prospect Management and Portfolio Strategy

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000

Position Summary

The Prospect Development team within the Office of Alumni Relations and Development (OAD) at Columbia University specializes in Prospect Research, Due Diligence Research, and Prospect Management.

Reporting to the Director of Prospect Development, the Senior Associate Director, Prospect Management & Portfolio Strategy serves as a senior strategic partner in the development and execution of prospect management and portfolio strategy for Columbia’s fundraising programs. This role is responsible for shaping and optimizing the pool of donors and prospective donors assigned to frontline fundraisers, ensuring portfolios are strategically constructed, actively managed, and aligned with institutional priorities.

The Senior Associate Director manages the systems and processes that support effective prospect management, including prospect assignment, stage management, and the tracking of fundraiser activity through contact reports and proposals. The person in this role will drive data-informed decision-making, monitor portfolio performance, and provide strategic guidance to enhance pipeline development and fundraising outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for prospect management, leading the prioritization and execution of assignment requests, delegating workflow as appropriate, and ensuring efficient, accurate, and well-tracked responses across the development community.
• Lead the development of prospect management data policies, processes, and standards, including fundraiser assignments, contact reports, proposals, and performance metrics. Drive data integrity through audit design and continuous improvement, and partner with Data Management to ensure scalable, accurate data capture. Collaborate with the Director of Prospect Development to establish organizational data standards and resolve complex data challenges.
• Lead the vetting and approval of fundraiser assignments, evaluating portfolio fit and prospect viability, incorporating stakeholder input, and guiding resolution through established approval processes. Serve as the primary staff lead for high-capacity prospect assignment strategy execution, including shaping materials for senior leadership review and decision-making.
• Lead the evaluation and prioritization of Columbia’s prospect pool to inform strategic assignment to frontline fundraisers. Partner with the Insights and Analytics team to develop and refine predictive metrics, dashboards, and reporting, and translate insights into clear, actionable guidance for diverse school- and unit-based fundraising teams.
• Leads portfolio review execution, operations, and day-to-day decision processes, partnering with fundraisers and their managers to assess portfolio composition, prospect viability, and alignment with role expectations. Provide strategic guidance during portfolio discussions, ensure data accuracy, track decisions and follow-up actions, and identify areas requiring additional research.
• Lead strategic prospect identification and prioritization initiatives for schools, units, and key fundraising efforts, ensuring robust pipelines aligned with fundraising goals. Partner with fundraising leadership and prospect research to define scope, oversee execution, and deliver actionable insights. Monitor progress, communicate results, and drive accountability for outcomes.
• Develop and maintain prospect management documentation and process guidance, ensuring clarity, consistency, and accessibility. Partner with the Director of Prospect Development to regularly review and refine materials and support effective communication and adoption across the development community.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and four (4) to six (6) years of experience in prospect management or a related field required, preferably in a higher education environment.
• Basic aptitude in query languages such as PL/SQL and expert proficiency with Microsoft Office suite required.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools, such as Microsoft SRSS, Power BI, Tableau, and/or Qlik required.
• Excellent oral and interpersonal skills and strong project management and problem-solving skills. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a demanding environment. This position requires strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.
• Knowledge of common practices in the fields of fundraising, alumni relations, development, and prospect development. Ability to conceptualize and develop proactive prospecting methodologies to support organizational goals, including data mining, sophisticated constituent database queries, etc. Familiarity with wealth screening and its application to fundraising.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the software development lifecycle and experience with issue tracking software, such as JIRA, Trello, TaskRay, and/or Rally.
• Understanding of CRUD operations and the ability to create and troubleshoot database packages and procedures.

Other Requirements

• The successful candidate must be a strategic thinker, effective at advancing strategic agendas, politically savvy, flexible, and have sound judgment, with a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and collaboration beyond the immediate team to the broader organization. Must have a passion for excellent customer service, commitment to exceptional quality, and ability to inspire colleagues toward accomplishing common objectives and goals.
• Subject to business needs, the Office of Alumni Relations and Development supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.