Research And Development Engineer Jobs in Colorado

PRIMARY PURPOSE

The Advancement Research and Data Analyst shall serve The Navigators and fulfill the responsibilities listed below in the spirit of The Navigators calling, values and purpose: To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.

The Advancement Prospect Research and Data Analyst is a strategic partner to The Navigators’ Mid‑Level, Major Gifts, Gift Planning, and Advancement leadership teams. This role integrates prospect research, data and predictive analytics, and portfolio/pipeline support to ensure that fundraising initiatives have a strong, well‑qualified pool of prospects and reliable, actionable insights.

The Analyst helps identify, evaluate, prioritize, and track donor prospects; produces high‑quality research profiles; ensures the integrity and optimization of CRM data. Helps build and monitor dashboards, reports, and predictive insights that guide strategic decision‑making for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. This position is critical to maximizing kingdom impact through data‑informed Advancement strategy.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Prospect Research & Identification – 50%

• Conduct proactive and reactive research to determine donor capacity, propensity, and affinity using biographical, financial, philanthropic, and publicly available data sources (e.g., wealth screening platforms, federal filings, public records, open‑source data, social media such as LinkedIn).
• Evaluate, verify, and synthesize wealth information to produce accurate gift capacity ratings.
• Prepare detailed, actionable donor research profiles, event briefings, bios, and strategic intelligence for Advancement staff, senior leadership, and the President.
• Support prospect identification and portfolio assignment cycles, partnering closely with the Senior Ministry Partner Advisor (Sr. MPA), Mid‑Level Manager, and Sr. Director of Gift Planning.

Data Analytics, Insights & Reporting – 30%

• Collaborate with VP of Advancement and Ministry Intelligence to determine statistical methods and data models to analyze donor engagement, philanthropic trends, retention/attrition patterns, segmentation, and forecasting.
• Provide scope and direction to Ministry Intelligence for the design and maintenance of Advancement dashboards (e.g., Tableau) that visualize trends, OKRs, historical giving patterns, donor behavior, and prospect pipeline metrics.
• Generate standard and custom reports, lists, and visualizations to support campaign planning, leadership decision‑making, and fundraising strategy.
• Convert complex datasets into clear, actionable insights for leadership and fundraisers.

CRM Optimization & Data Governance – 10%

• Serve as Advancement’s subject matter expert for ministry partner data within the CRM system of record (Salesforce).
• Develop documentation, manuals, and training resources for prospect management processes, business rules, and standard procedures for data entry. Train Advancement staff on CRM functionality and data integrity.
• Validate donor data across dashboards, reports, and analytics tools.
• Partner with the Data Governance Committee, Ministry Intelligence, Digital Mission, MarCom, and other stakeholders to ensure data hygiene and alignment with enterprise data policies.
• Oversee special data integrity initiatives including deduping, owner assignment audits, and external vendor integrations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration – 5%

• Work with Direct Response teams on acquisition, retention, and re‑engagement strategies to grow contactable donor counts.
• Support capital campaign committees with engagement reporting, prospect pipeline insights, and campaign‑related tracking.
• Provide timely research services, updates, and strategic counsel to Advancement leadership.
• Provide coaching, orientation, and ongoing support to new and existing Advancement staff.
• Stay current on best practices in prospect development, analytics, and emerging technologies, including the effective use of generative AI tools (e.g., Copilot).

Additional Responsibilities – 5%

• Participate in Navigators’ on-site learning and development events, Cultural Development and Diversity trainings, or other non-Navigator developmental events as appropriate.
• Participate in annual processes, such as the organizational Plan and Progress Review (PPR), Engagement Survey, Reaffirmation of the Navigators Code of Conduct, Calling-Core Values-Vision, Statement of Faith, Driver’s Authorization, and other releases as required.
• Other job-related duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Strong analytical skills with experience analyzing large datasets with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to translate data into insights for non‑technical audiences.
• Excellent writing, presentation, and communication skills.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• High ethical standards and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Innovative, collaborative, adaptable, and solution‑oriented.

MINIMUM AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Spiritual: Belief in and adherence to the Statement of Faith and Mission of The Navigators.

Experience: 3+ years of experience in a data, analytics, prospect research, or fundraising‑related role.

Technical Knowledge & Skills: Demonstrated proficiency with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred). Experience with major gift fundraising principles and donor engagement strategies. Familiarity with Tableau or similar BI platforms. Proficiency with SQL and data querying tools. Experience with prospect research platforms. Proficiency with statistical tools (Excel, R, SPSS, SAS, etc.). Experience with capital campaign research and reporting.

Communication & Leadership: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including verbal & written, to create understanding and build strong working relationships required.

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience (preference for fields such as Data Science, Statistics, Business Intelligence, Information Systems, or related areas).

Location: Must be located in Colorado Springs, CO area

Compensation Range: $61,918.37 - $96,846.67 annual

Benefits: High-Deductible Health Plan: Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA, FSA, Life Insurance, Disability, EAP, 401a and 403b retirement options. Up to 15 paid holidays per year, accumulating PTO (vacation, sick, personal). For detailed information, visit navbenefits.org.

The Navigators is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Navigators does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law or regulation.