Director of Development Research - Research and Prospect Development

The Director of Development Research provides operational leadership and strategic direction for Vanderbilt University’s development research function within Research and Prospect Development (RPD), reporting to the Executive Director of RPD. As both a people manager and an active individual contributor, the Director leads research in support of principal, major, and leadership-level fundraising; supervises and develops research staff, including the Associate Director of Development Research; and manages the department’s research priorities, standards, methodologies, and deliverables.

The Director personally conducts and oversees high-priority research involving principal-level donors and prospects, due diligence, and other complex projects. In partnership with frontline fundraisers, DAR leadership, schools, units, and other university stakeholders, the Director translates complex biographical, financial, philanthropic, and reputational information into actionable recommendations that support prospect identification, leadership engagement, and fundraising strategy. The Director is a key point person for principal-level research and high-sensitivity requests.

About the Work Unit: 

Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) advances Vanderbilt University’s mission by engaging alumni, donors, and partners to build meaningful relationships and secure philanthropic support. DAR plays a vital role in supporting the university’s strategic goals through fundraising, stewardship, and alumni engagement. The division operates in a dynamic, data-driven environment that requires strong collaboration, operational excellence, and ongoing innovation to achieve evolving institutional objectives.You can visit our website for more information:  https://www.vanderbilt.edu/dar/

Key Functions and Expected Performance: 

Research Leadership and Team Management

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the development research function, setting priorities, allocating resources, delegating requests and projects, and balancing competing deadlines in alignment with RPD and DAR objectives.
• Directly supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate the Associate Director of Development Research and other assigned staff; participate in hiring, onboarding, training, professional development, and performance management.
• Establish clear expectations and service standards for research quality, responsiveness, communication, turnaround times, workload management, and professional conduct.
• Serve as project manager for complex or high-visibility research initiatives involving DAR leadership, schools, colleges, units, regional development, campaign planning, and cross-functional teams.
• Partner with frontline fundraisers and other internal clients to understand strategic objectives and ensure that research products are relevant, concise, actionable, and appropriately tailored to the audience.
• Negotiate competing priorities, changing deadlines, and client needs while maintaining appropriate service and quality standards. Delegate research requests and projects appropriately while maintaining accountability for workload balancing, timeliness, and quality.
• Establish and continuously improve research standards, methodologies, templates, documentation practices, and quality-assurance processes to promote accuracy, consistency, and appropriate source documentation across RPD.
• Review and oversee the quality of research deliverables, including briefings, capacity verifications, due diligence reports, and other offerings.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, learning, inclusion, and excellence; assess staffing, workflows, and service capacity and recommend improvements to the Executive Director.
• Identify opportunities to improve research coverage, efficiency, automation, screening practices, and use of emerging technologies.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Individual Contribution and Principal-Level Research

• Serve as a principal-level research resource for senior DAR and university leaders, providing rapid-response research and briefing support for principal gift activity, presidential and executive engagements, and other high-priority fundraising initiatives.
• Lead proactive prospect identification projects for leadership, major, and principal gift engagement.
• Collect, analyze, interpret, and document information on potential funders (individuals, corporations, foundations) using public records, screening tools, proprietary databases, web-based research, and other appropriate resources.
• Assess wealth indicators, business interests, philanthropic activity, family and professional relationships, leadership roles, areas of affinity, and other factors relevant to prospect strategy and engagement.
• Translate complex biographical, financial, philanthropic, and reputational information into clear written and verbal recommendations regarding prospect assignment, qualification, engagement strategy, solicitation readiness, and next steps.
• Provide guidance and training to internal clients on the effective use of research products, prospect information, ratings, and related CRM data.

Data Management, Systems, and Operational Improvement

• Contribute to RPD data management and integrity efforts and collaborate with Business Operations colleagues to improve data quality, governance, reporting, and usability.
• Support the effective use of Salesforce CRM, Tableau, Apsona, screening tools, and other development research and reporting systems.
• Develop and monitor measures of research service quality, turnaround time, client satisfaction, research coverage, and pipeline impact.
• Identify and implement improvements that increase efficiency, reduce duplication, strengthen documentation, expand research coverage, and connect research insights to fundraising outcomes.

Due Diligence, Reputational Risk, and Responsible Information Use

• Collaborate with campus and DAR partners on due diligence and reputational risk assessment, including policies, processes, data-storage requirements, documentation, and briefings.

• Serve as a point person for sensitive or complex research requests, applying sound judgment when evaluating incomplete, conflicting, or potentially harmful information and escalating matters appropriately.

• Help establish consistent and transparent due diligence practices and documentation protocols while safeguarding confidential donor and prospect information.

• Ensure that research practices comply with university policies, DAR requirements, applicable ethical standards, and APRA guidelines.

• Other duties as assigned

Work Environment:

The work environment is flexible for this role.

If the candidate is in the Nashville area, this will be a hybrid role, with the expectation of being in the office one day per week or more, depending on business needs.

If this position is fully remote, the expectation will be to travel to Nashville approximately three time per year, or more depending on business needs.

Supervisory Relationships:

This position has supervisory responsibility for approximately seven research positions.

This position reports administratively and functionally to the Executive Director of Research and Prospect Development.

Education and Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, is required. 

Experience and Skills:

• Five years of experience, or the equivalent, is required.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in development research, prospect development, advancement services, fundraising strategy, data analytics, or a related field, including experience supervising, coaching, and developing professional staff while maintaining significant individual-contributor responsibilities is preferred.
• Experience in higher education advancement, healthcare philanthropy, or another complex nonprofit fundraising environment is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in prospect research, including the use of public records, IRS and SEC filings, financial and investment information, philanthropic data, business ownership and corporate structures, screening tools, and other sources of prospect intelligence.
• Ability to analyze, interpret, synthesize, and present complex biographical, financial, philanthropic, and reputational information and translate it into actionable recommendations for fundraising strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on research with team leadership. Proven ability to manage rapidly changing priorities and competing deadlines; delegate effectively and maintain the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of deliverables under pressure.
• Strong project management, planning, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills, with experience developing research standards, quality-control processes, templates, workflows, and service models.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer-service skills, including the diplomacy, tact, judgment, and grace under pressure required to navigate competing needs, changing expectations, and sensitive situations.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships and collaborate strategically with frontline fundraisers, senior leaders, system administrators, and other stakeholders. Brings a positive, solutions-oriented approach and a genuine commitment to teamwork, problem-solving, continuous improvement, and the success of colleagues.
• Advanced proficiency with Windows, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; experience with Salesforce CRM, Tableau, Apsona, or comparable systems, as well as emerging research methods, is preferred.
• High degree of integrity and discretion, with a commitment to confidentiality, ethical information gathering, responsible stewardship of sensitive information, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

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

• Expects and delivers excellence.
• Balances strategic leadership, effective delegation, and hands-on execution.
• Brings a positive, solutions-oriented approach to challenges and is committed to creative problem-solving, continuous improvement, and learning.
• Holds oneself accountable, takes responsibility for failures as well as successes, and recognizes that trust is required to hold a team together.
• Remains calm, flexible, and solutions-oriented when priorities or deadlines change.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to teamwork and customer service; treats colleagues and internal partners with tact, respect, professionalism, and grace.
• Shares information, communicates proactively, asks for advice and considers it thoughtfully.
• Develops others by sharing knowledge, providing feedback, and creating opportunities for learning and professional growth.
• Manages time, activities, and outcomes well so that progress stays on track. 
• Demonstrates sound judgment and discretion when working with sensitive information.