Head of Prospect Research

Overview

Post Title: Head of Prospect Research, Trinity Development & Alumni

Contract: Permanent, Full-time

Grade: Associate Director 2

Salary: €85k - €90k, Commensurate with Experience

Company: Trinity Development & Alumni, Trinity College Dublin

Reports to: Deputy Director, Development Services

Closing Date: Friday, 06 February 2026

Apply via:

The Head of Prospect Research will lead the strategic identification, qualification, and tracking of potential donors at major and principal gift levels, supporting the College's fundraising objectives. This role will ensure that Trinity Development & Alumni has a robust and forward-looking research and prospect management function to underpin its next phase of growth, as we seek to secure transformational philanthropic support for the mission of Trinity College Dublin. The successful candidate will be an inquisitive, analytical and collaborative professional with a genuine passion for research.

Key Responsibilities

The responsibilities specified below are not intended to be exclusive and flexibility in the allocation of specific duties will be required.

• Lead the Prospect Research & Management team - assigning tasks, ensuring the quality of outputs, establishing priorities and monitoring workload. Identify appropriate training to ensure professional development and that both standard and novel prospect research and prospect management techniques are used.
• Actively identify, qualify, research and build comprehensive and relevant profiles of prospects and donors for the fundraising team and the College leadership.
• Ensure each fundraiser has a sufficiently robust prospect pipeline at an appropriate level to allow them to fulfill their individual fundraising KPIs.
• Oversee the production of targeted research briefs, capacity estimates and other research outputs to influence prospect cultivation and solicitation plans.
• Review national and international news media, keeping abreast of prospect information, local and regional business developments and economic trends.

Collaborative Leadership

• Collaborate with major & principal gift fundraisers to identify opportunities and develop their individual portfolios.
• Work with the Business Intelligence team to ensure clear reports, real-time dashboards and other relevant insights for the development team and senior management is supplied in a timely manner.
• Work with the Regular Giving team to identify major gift prospects in regular giving, mid-level and legacy pipeline.
• Collaborate with other colleagues across TDA - e.g., Alumni Relations, Regular Giving, Communications & Events - to ensure that the prospect identification policy is followed.

Key Relationships

You will be expected to engage proactively with a wide range of stakeholders including TDA colleagues, academics and Trinity personnel and external stakeholders of the University.

Role Requirements

This is a hybrid role that requires regular on-campus presence in line with our Smart Working Policy. The number of on-campus days will be agreed with the line manager and subject to review.

Person Specification Qualifications and Experience

• Degree or professional qualification in a relevant subject plus experience in a research, prospect management or fundraising operations role.
• At least eight years' experience in a research or research-related environment.
• Experience with information resources and publications, including fundraising databases, on-line tools and databases.
• Demonstrable experience of leading and motivating a team to successfully achieve their collective and individual targets.
• The ability to act as a trusted partner to senior fundraisers, bringing insight and judgement that strengthens decision-making at a strategic level.
• Demonstrable experience of managing workloads and prioritising competing projects using initiative and judgement without recourse to seniors.
• Understanding of, and passion for, the role and value of a university in society.

Skills and Knowledge

• An interest in, and experience of, researching major and principal gift prospects.
• Excellent awareness of key individuals and networks within Irish business and public life, as well as an understanding of the mission of a research-led university.
• A well-developed sense of curiosity, ingenuity, perseverance and good judgment.
• The ability to interpret, analyse and summarise detailed biographical, business and financial data.
• Proficiency in locating and collating material from multiple sources.
• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with others and engage with colleagues and other College groups.
• Motivated, flexible and able to use own initiative in a busy working environment.
• Ability to handle confidential or sensitive information.
• Professional knowledge of standard software packages.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification we have listed above. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified, and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you.

What we will offer you

In addition to structured training in relation to the role, you will be offered an attractive benefits package which includes generous annual leave arrangements, annual salary increments, hybrid working, and a tiered contribution to TDA's defined contribution pension scheme (providing for pension, life assurance and prolonged disability pension), in a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative team environment.

Your continued professional development is important to us, and you will be encouraged and supported as you participate in training and conference attendance. For more information, visit:

Application, Assessment, and Interview Process

Submit your CV along with a Cover Letter to Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a first-round interview online. Candidates invited for a second-round interview will be expected to attend in-person and complete a series of competency assessments.

Trinity Foundation, operating as Trinity Development and Alumni (TDA), is an independent charity (RCN ) established to support Trinity's funding priorities.