Research jobs in United Kingdom

Fordham University’s Office of Development and University Relations has recently partnered with Boyden Executive Search. To nominate a candidate or to apply to this posting, please contact Holly Wolk, Senior Associate, at HWolk@boyden.com

About Fordham

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its nine colleges and schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; life insurance; short and long‑term disability; employee assistance program (EAP); tuition remission; and generous time off.

Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education.

Title: Associate Vice President of Advancement Operations.

Reporting to the Vice President of Development and University Relations, the AVP is part of the VP’s senior management team. This newly created position offers a visionary leader the unique opportunity to design, develop, and implement strategic foundational functions that underpin all departmental goals.

Responsibilities include providing comprehensive operational and administrative oversight of Advancement Operations—encompassing gifts and records, systems and analytics, prospect research, and prospect management—building and mentoring a cohesive team to strengthen the University’s fundraising program.

• Provide strategic leadership to the Advancement Operations teams, fostering a forward‑thinking, strategic unit.
• Guide operational and strategic direction of advancement services to ensure best practices in data management, gift processing, and reporting.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of advancement systems and data analytics to support fundraising strategies and decision‑making.
• Direct prospect management efforts to ensure effective portfolio management and strategic prospect pipeline analysis.
• Collaborate with the DAUR Senior Management Team to establish priorities, coordinate strategies, and support new data and technology initiatives.
• Partner with University leadership, including IT and Finance, to advocate needs, inform strategic decisions, and ensure all processes and systems comply and function.
• Develop and implement data quality standards and internal controls to maintain the integrity and security of all advancement data.
• Collaborate with team leads for succession planning, optimal team structures, and workflows.
• Oversee and enhance a comprehensive prospect research strategy to identify and qualify new donor prospects.
• Utilize data analytics, wealth screening, and other tools to inform prospect strategies and maximize fundraising potential.

Note: This list is not exhaustive. The University may assign additional related duties as necessary.

Provide strategic leadership and supervise staff who supervise, including hiring, training, performance management, compensation decisions, and strategic direction.

• Serve as a key partner to other departments to ensure a coordinated approach to advancement efforts.
• Act as the DAUR lead on complex technology projects, university‑wide technical initiatives, and system launches and transitions.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Minimum of ten years of experience in advancement operations (services, systems and analytics, prospect research, and/or prospect management).
• At least eight years of experience leading cross‑functional teams.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, change management, and leadership skills.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising CRM systems (e.g., Ellucian CRM Advance), relational databases, data analytics, and reporting tools (e.g., PowerBI, WebFOCUS, SQL).
• Ability to identify and assess business needs and coordinate operational and system solutions, including liaising with the university’s IT department.
• Comfortable relaying technical information to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem‑solving skills, and a solution‑oriented approach.
• Understanding of IRS regulations for gift recording, FASB and CASE standards, and generally accepted accounting principles.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects with multiple priorities and deliverables.
• Familiarity with industry‑standard tools and best practices in prospect management.
• Significant experience overseeing prospect identification, qualification, and research activities, including wealth screening tools and methodologies.
• Expertise in developing and managing a prospect pipeline and performing moves management.
• Ability to translate research data into actionable strategies and predictive modeling.
• Familiarity with marketing systems (e.g., Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp) and fundraising platforms (e.g., Encompass, GiveCampus, Givezy).

• Master’s degree.
• Relevant experience in higher education advancement.

Minimum starting salary: $230,000.

Maximum starting salary: $250,000.

Salary is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and skills.

No union position.

Posting Number: A986P.

Number of vacancies: 1.

Start date: ASAP.

Posting date: 11/25/2025.

Fordham University’s Office of Development and University Relations has recently partnered with Boyden Executive Search. To nominate a candidate or to apply to this posting, please contact Holly Wolk, Senior Associate, at HWolk@boyden.com.

Fordham University is committed to excellence and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.

Fordham University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

• Sitting – Often
• Repetitive Hand Motion (typing) – Nearly Continuously
• Hearing, Listening, Talking – Nearly Continuously
• Standing – Seldom
• Walking – Seldom
• Running – Not Required
• Bending, Stooping, Kneeling, Squatting, Crouching, Crawling – Not Required
• Climbing stairs – Seldom
• Climbing ladders – Not Required
• Reaching overhead – Seldom
• Pulling, pushing – Seldom
• Shoveling – Not Required
• Lifting – up to 20 pounds – Not Required
• Lifting – up to 50 pounds – Not Required
• Lifting – over 50 pounds – Not Required

Office Environment: Employees protected from weather conditions or contaminants, but not necessarily occasional temperature changes.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

• * Do you have a bachelor's degree?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have at least ten years of experience in advancement operations (advancement services, systems and analytics, prospect research, and/or prospect management)?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have at least eight years of experience leading cross‑functional teams?
  • Yes
  • No
• * In the event of critical system disruptions or other business needs, are you willing and able to work outside of standard hours, including evenings, weekends, and/or holidays?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Are you an alumnus/a of Fordham University?
  • Yes
  • No