Research Development Associate Jobs in Lexington, KY

Save the Children

For over 100 years, Save the Children has been fighting for the rights of children. The right to a healthy start in life. To have access to education. To be in a safe environment, protected from harm. We work in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places – over 100 countries, including the U.S. No matter what your role is, when you join Save the Children, you’re creating positive, irreversible change for children, and the future we all share. 

The Role

As the Senior Officer, Prospect Research and Strategy, you’ll be integral to our work in helping vulnerable children achieve a brighter future. You will play a pivotal role in our mission to drive transformative fundraising initiatives. Reporting to the Managing Director, Research, this position is at the heart of our efforts to secure major and principal gifts that enable us to make a lasting impact on children's lives worldwide.  This role provides strategic input on philanthropic trends and new ways of giving, new donor markets, works across divisions to develop and qualify Individual Philanthropy Giving ‘s (IPG) pipeline of prospective high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and delivers concise, accurate, and timely donor research reports.

Location

Hybrid – Washington DC, Fairfield, CT or Lexington, KY office locations

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Donor Research & Fundraising Analysis (40%)

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to fundraising and partnership teams, translating complex prospect, donor, corporate, and foundation intelligence into actionable engagement strategies while providing consultation, guidance, and training that strengthen prospect strategy, portfolio management, and fundraising effectiveness across the organization.
• Strategically identify, qualify, and research prospective and existing individual donors to expand our major and principal gift opportunities.
• Support portfolio and pipeline development by identifying high-potential prospects, surfacing relationship pathways, and recommending prioritization strategies based on capacity, affinity, timing, and organizational fit.
• Analyze donor data and insights to inform frontline fundraisers in their cultivation strategies.
• Collaborate with research peers, fundraisers, and operations leadership to develop and execute innovative research strategies.
• Develop concise, insight-driven research briefings, profiles, and strategic memos that distill complex information into clear implications, recommended actions, and talking points for fundraisers and senior leaders.
• Engage with Trustee Relations team to identify potential board members and conduct comprehensive research to support the development of our board pipeline.

Departmental Leadership and Strategic Partnerships (30%)

• Serve as the functional lead for Prospect Research & Strategy, establishing best practices, methodologies, and quality standards that strengthen organizational fundraising performance.
• Act as a strategic liaison across Individual Philanthropy, Corporate Partnerships, and Strategic Foundation Partnerships to align needs with organizational priorities.
• Lead complex, high-visibility research initiatives and special projects that support organizational fundraising goals, campaign priorities, board engagement, and strategic partnerships.
• Partner with senior fundraising leaders to inform portfolio strategy, prospect prioritization, and long-term pipeline development through data-driven analysis and strategic recommendations.
• Champion the responsible use of AI-enabled tools and emerging technologies to improve prospect identification, due diligence, analysis, reporting, and research effectiveness.
• Evaluate potential vendors to identify new opportunities that align with our organizational needs.

Data Analytics, Interpretation, and CRM Integrity (20%)

• Utilize predictive modeling to identify prospects and forecast giving behavior, leveraging past tendencies, interests, and demographics.
• Provide leadership in prospect data governance, partnering with Advancement Operations and Business Technology to strengthen data quality standards, reporting capabilities, and research infrastructure.
• Partner with other teams, including, Business Technology, Midlevel Giving, Corporate Partnerships, Strategic Foundation Partnerships, and the Office of the President to implement data-driven initiatives that enhance agency functionality.

Due Diligence (10%)

• Conduct comprehensive due diligence on corporate and foundation prospects and partners, assessing philanthropic potential, mission and values alignment, reputational considerations, ESG/public accountability signals, partnership history, and potential risks to inform go/no-go decisions and engagement strategy.

Required qualifications for the role

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience, plus 7+ years of progressive experience in prospect research, philanthropic intelligence, fundraising strategy, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders, lead cross-functional initiatives, and drive organizational outcomes without direct authority.
• Knowledge of Blackbaud CRM or similar donor database software.
• Demonstrated ability to write clear, concise, organized, and comprehensive research briefings.
• Ability to collect and research data; design workflows and procedures.
• Proficiency in using research tools such as Lexis Nexis, Relationship Science, Wealth-X, or other similar platforms.
• Understanding of financial documents, including SEC forms, to conduct comprehensive wealth analyses.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze philanthropic patterns, trends, and relationships among individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite.
• Professional proficiency in spoken and written English.

Compensation

Save the Children is offering the following salary ranges for this position, dependent on candidate location:

• Geo 1 - NY Metro, DC, and other locations with labor costs significantly above national average: Target Salary for this position is $119,425 - $133,475 base salary  
• Geo 2 - Locations around the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $107,525 - $120,175 base salary  
• Geo 3 - Locations significantly below the US National Labor Cost Average: Target Salary for this position is $96,050 - $107,350 base salary  

The salary ranges listed above are for US based candidates. For candidates located outside of the US, salary ranges will be based on the salary scales of the local employer of record. Actual base salary may vary based on, but not limited to, relevant experience, base salary of internal peers, business sector, and geographic location (more information on job structure is available here).

About Us

We are looking to build an inclusive team at Save the Children. We offer a range of outstanding benefits to support this goal:

• Flexible schedules and time off: Flexible schedules, generous PTO, 11 paid holidays plus 2 floating holidays and hybrid working opportunities
• Health: Competitive health care, dental and vision coverage for you and your family
• Family: A variety of paid leaves: caregiver, parental/adoption, critical child illness and fertility benefits
• Employee Rewards Program: Annual merit increases and/or additional incentives for eligible employees
• Retirement: A retirement savings plan with employer contributions (after one year)
• Wellness: 15 safety and wellness days annually (if hired on or after July 1, safety and wellness days prorated to 8 days), mental health benefits and support through Calm and company-hosted events
• Employee Assistance Program: free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services
• Learning & Growth: Access to internal and external learning & development opportunities and mentorships

 Click here to learn more about how Save the Children US will invest in you.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.

If you require disability assistance with the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to applicantsupport@savechildren.org.