Development Lead – Prospect Research, New Business Development

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead and enhance RMI's prospect research and development initiatives across the revenue portfolio.

• Maintain centralized prospect lists and pipelines that integrate insights from business development, program teams, development staff, events, executive engagement opportunities, and changes in the funding landscape.

• Identify, assess, and recommend U.S. and global prospects for unrestricted, flexible, general operating, or priority program support.

• Implement Apra-informed practices for capacity, inclination, affinity, and readiness analysis; relationship mapping; ethical research; due diligence; reputational judgment; and privacy-conscious documentation.

• Oversee cross-vertical new business development workstreams, including research delivery, reporting, meeting facilitation, accountability tracking, process enhancements, and prospect briefings.

• Manage program-specific and cross-program prospect pipelines, monitoring opportunity status, progress, accountability, next steps, and follow-up actions.

• Conduct pipeline analysis, reporting, and financial pipeline reviews.

• Collaborate with Relationship Managers and program colleagues to prioritize prospects, pinpoint engagement gaps, and facilitate follow-up efforts.

• Convert prospect and pipeline data into actionable recommendations for relationship-building efforts and senior leadership focus.

• Steward prospect and pipeline data within Salesforce, including relationship information, ratings, attribute coding, opportunities, tasks, moves management, prospect status, and next steps.

• Enhance the prospect research data model in Salesforce or related data warehouse/reporting environments.

• Establish standardized rating practices and assess research resources, datasets, AI applications, automation tools, data enrichment services, and vendors.

• Utilize AI and automation judiciously to minimize manual tasks, enhance prospect discovery, accelerate reporting, and aid in prioritization.

• Refine processes for research requests, qualification, outreach handoffs, data flow, reporting, and knowledge management.

• Encourage knowledge-sharing and consistent implementation of prospect research and new business development processes.

• Provide training to Development, Strategic Engagement, and Program colleagues on prospect research tools, data practices, and collaboration with Development.

• Direct staff, contractors, interns, or vendors in repeatable research or data tasks as necessary.

• Report directly to the Director of New Initiatives & Partnerships (Strategic Services).

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

• 5 years of focused experience in prospect research, prospect development, fundraising operations, donor services, advancement services, or a related nonprofit development role.

• Familiarity with the Apra Body of Knowledge, Apra-informed ethical research standards, and contemporary prospect development practices.

• Proven experience in identifying and qualifying prospects among individuals/HNWIs, family offices, family foundations, donor-advised fund holders, institutional foundations, corporate philanthropy or fee-for-service partners, and public-sector funders.

• Proficient in tools like DonorSearch, WealthX, Foundation Directory/Foundation Center, Relationship Science, Salesforce, screenings, relationship mapping, public records, due diligence, and moves-management support.

• Strong data fluency, including Salesforce reports/dashboards, segmentation, data mining, database overlays, data hygiene, pipeline reporting, and Salesforce or data warehouse enhancements.

• Experience using or evaluating AI-enabled research tools, workflow automation, data enrichment tools, or vendor systems.

• Possess analytical, project management, writing, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.

• Exercise sound judgment with sensitive information, disciplined prioritization, due diligence, and decision-making.

• Ability to foster shared ownership of next steps within a matrixed team environment.

• Current, independent authorization to work in the U.S. without present or future sponsorship from RMI.

• Experience in the environmental, climate, clean energy sector, or a related mission-driven sector is preferred but not essential.

• Membership in Apra, relevant training, or equivalent professional development is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting.

• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability coverage.

• Optional voluntary life, AD&D, and accident plans.

• Health savings or flexible spending accounts.

• Support for fertility and hormonal health.

• Mental health and wellness assistance.

• Comprehensive leave options, including generous parental leave.

• Generous paid time off and sick leave.

• Paid sabbatical leave.

• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geographic area.

• Work-from-home and home technology allowances.

• Learning and development opportunities, including LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget.

• Annual bonus target of 5%.

• Merit-based salary increases.

• Discount marketplace, including gym memberships and pet insurance.

• Hybrid and remote work options.

• Team retreats and geographic meetups.

• Rewards and recognition programs.

• Essential IT equipment provided.

• Travel expenses covered for occasional in-person meetings.