Description

Job Summary 
  
The Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the advancement research team, spearheading initiatives that generate crucial insights into donors, prospects, alumni, and other key constituents, and ensuring an effective and coordinated advancement pipeline. 
 
Working closely with partners across campus and beyond—including local, national, and international stakeholders—this role plays a vital part in strengthening relationships that advance alumni engagement, donor support and revenue generation, and institutional reputation. 
 
Through thoughtful prospect research and pipeline management systems oversight and ongoing process improvements, the Manager supports Carleton University’s fundraising objectives and contributes to engagement and reputation-building efforts across all constituencies, ultimately driving the university’s overall success and growth. 

Requirements

Key Accountabilities  
 
Planning and Risk Management 

• Contributes to broader, annual departmental planning including identification of goals, targets, and outcomes. 
• Directs annual unit-level planning, identifies need for modifications, determines implications and options, and prepares recommendations for the university’s prospect research and pipeline management programs. 
• Manages the development and implementation of annual strategic plans and service standards for prospect research and pipeline management to align with the University’s fundraising and engagement goals and priorities. 
• Manages ongoing operational planning and/or projects including prioritization, resource allocation, and scheduling; seeks opportunities for improvement in program and service delivery through program evaluation and research. 
• Develops, monitors, and reports on performance targets and service levels. 
• Identifies operational risks, completes program/service reviews, and develops recommendations and action plans. 
• Ensures legislation, governance structures, policies and procedures are adhered to; contributes to development and alignment of internal policies and procedures.
• Develops campus-wide policies and procedures and processes for prospect research, and pipeline oversight. 

People Leadership  

• Manages the unit-level workforce planning with a focus on resource and talent requirements. 
• Manages recruitment and staffing actions. 
• Manages all operations for prospect research, and pipeline management and communication by prioritizing and delegating work, developing and implementing training plans and programs, ensuring work quality and completion, and managing scheduling, attendance and performance. 
• Provides guidance and advice on escalated and challenging issues. 
• Ensures an effective organizational model and clarity in roles and responsibilities.  
• Conducts on-going performance management and annual reviews. 
• Monitors office culture and productivity and intervenes when necessary.

Financial Management

• Develops and maintains annual operating budget and completes monthly account reconciliation and variance analysis.  
• Approves expenditures and arranges for payments. 
• Negotiates, reviews and signs service provider contracts.  
• Purchases goods and services following procurement policy and procedures within limits of authority including specifications, sourcing, request for quotations, evaluations, and implementation.  

Stakeholder Relationships 

• Together with the Directors, provides strategic oversight of the fundraising and alumni engagement pipelines which includes regular reviews across the university with the aim of providing regular accountability both to individuals and to senior leadership around pipeline movement, trends, and barriers. 
• Establishes and maintains effective communication with stakeholders, campus partners, alumni, and vendors to coordinate and complement prospect research and management programs and services.  
• Participates and leads campus wide committees and working groups, provides input and advice, and undertakes research and information gathering to inform decisions 
• Collaborates with other managers and professional staff to resolve issues and challenges and to deliver programs and services.  
• Provides detailed interpretation and recommendations on demographic and giving trendsto assist in the prioritization and identification of prospects for fundraising and engagement in Canada and key geographic hubs around the world.

Operations 

• Manages the strategy, processes and successful and timely delivery of prospect research and management. 
• Develops and implements policies, processes and best practices for effective prospect research and pipeline reporting. 
• Meets regularly with university leaders to keep on top of the university’s fundraising priorities, and strategize approaches for implementing policies, training, processes and systems for prospect research, and pipeline management. 
• Prioritizes requests and conflicting deadlines from all areas serviced including the President, Vice Presidents, Deans, major gift, fundraisers and senior volunteers.  Ensures research staff’s accuracy and timelines in processing requests. 
• Develops and implements systems and sets standards for assessing prospects and donors’ affinity, giving capacity and inclination to give as well as alumni and other stakeholder engagement. 
• Leads the identification, selection, and implementation of systems and practices that improve prospect identification and ensure accurate pipeline tracking and forecasting. 
• Collaborates with university leadership and leads and oversees the development and implementation of a comprehensive, university-wide prospect management system to ensure that potential donors across the university are properly cleared and managed. 
• Keeps current with emerging technologies and industry best practices prospect research, and pipeline management. 
• Trains and provides on-going coaching to campus-wide Carleton staff on Advancement Services policies and processes.  
• Directs the cross-department and cross-campus implementation, assessment, and evolution of the prospect clearance process with a focus on increasing efficiency and collaborating with multiple stakeholders to optimize Carleton’s fundraising and alumni engagement efforts.

Job Requirements 

Core Knowledge, Education and Experience

• Knowledge of Advancement leadership concepts and practices including program/service delivery models, policy development, planning, budgeting, performance measurement management, and human resources. 
• Expert knowledge of fundraising data systems and Advancement Services. 
• Demonstrated knowledge in leveraging Microsoft tools for productivity, databases and reporting systems, AI tools, Enterprise platforms, and wide range of technology devices to drive operational excellence. 
• Knowledge of donor and other funder relations best practices, program design, delivery, assessment, and evaluation methodologies, processes, and practices. 
• Knowledge of relevant governing legislation, collective agreements, policies and procedures. 
• Knowledge of DUA as well as the broader university academic units, departments, and divisions. 
• Knowledge of office productivity software and databases, internet browsers and search engines, discipline-specific software, enterprise software, and technology devices. 
• Knowledge of cultural competency and diversity. 
• Knowledge is used to lead prospect research and prospect management unit. 
• Knowledge in synthesizing multiple sources and priorities to make decisions.

Minimum amount of formal education required  

• Completion of a Master’s degree in a relevant field. Master of Library & Information Science preferred. 
  

Experience 

• Minimum of seven years of previous progressive prospect research, including five years of management experience in a unionized environment.

Communication and Stakeholder Management  

• Builds, maintains, and interacts across a range of internal and external stakeholders with focus on provision of program, process, service, and operational advice, direction, and problem resolution.  
• Consults with relevant stakeholders, understands content and context, provides advice and guidance related to program and services.  
• Resolves escalated issues and complaints and conflicting deadlines. 
• Uses change management skills and emotional intelligence to resolve challenging interpersonal dynamics. 
• Fields and responds to challenging interactions with a range of stakeholders understanding policy and procedure and the perspective and position of management.  
• Develops plans and reports and conveys information for information sharing and recommendations for decision making.

Problem Solving and Decision Making 

• Leads the development and delivery of prospect research, pipeline oversight and reporting, and process optimization of programs and services. 
• Acts autonomously and with independence to make day-to-day operational decisions, operating within context of policy, and accepted professional standards and legislation 
• Develops solutions to address program and service needs and challenges requiring strategic and integrative thinking to balance prospect priorities, pipeline health, and institutional goals.

Impact  

• Impacts efficiency and effectiveness of development and delivery of DUA’s programs and services. 
• Contributes significantly to financial stewardship through prospect research and management, and database records related to prospects and pipeline oversight and reporting. 
• Contributes to health, safety, and well-being of others. 
• Directs and significant impact on Carleton’s reputation and/or public images because of donor research, recommendations and strategy.  
• Leads programs and a team critical to fundraising success. Errors in research can be costly in terms of lost revenue and can damage the University’s image and reputation. 
• Failure to properly maintain research files and securely transfer data with vendors risks non-compliance with privacy legislation, at significant risk to the University.

Leadership and Development of Others 

• Manages and leads prospect research and pipeline management team, including developing strategy, setting goals, and assessing progress. 
• Leads recruitment and selection, promotions, and transfers. 
• Delegates workload, assigns tasks, manages schedules, and leaves, and recommends training and development. 
• Provides day-to-day coaching, mentoring, direction, and support.  
• Evaluates performance, gives feedback, and undertakes disciplinary actions within limits of authority.

Physical, Visual, Auditory, and Concentration Demands  

• On-going requirements for computer-based work and attendance at meetings.

Working Environment 
Works in office environment.