DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM RESEARCHER SENIOR 35302

05/01/92 B

This is the second class in a series of classes for positions that conduct research to locate prospective donors for raising funds and other gifts to support a state agency. Positions in this class serve as a charge position for a development/fund raising research unit and usually supervise paraprofessional and program support staff. Plan, organize, and conduct research; review or develop solicitation strategy recommendations and participate in development/fund raising strategic planning. This class is distinguished from the Development/Fund Raising Researcher class by the latter's emphasis on performing research functions rather than unit administration or staff supervision.

Complexity of Work: Performs work of considerable difficulty requiring independent actions and authority to organize and direct a research unit and render decisions on setting priorities, monitoring fiscal and budgetary matters, supervision of staff, and other administrative areas. Analyzes and evaluates financial, statistical and narrative documents to compile research data and determines a targeted prospect's available resources and interests. Constructs and tests methods of data collection; writes reports containing descriptive, analytical, and evaluative content for use by executives and other development managers; and reviews and makes suggestions to improve quality of bibliographical profiles, research data, reports and solicitation strategies. Identifies new sources of reference data using current research data and staff recommendations. Develops and presents fund raising donor strategies to upper management and participates in agency-wide development planning. Supervises the development reference library operations; and determines when new materials are needed and orders as funded. Hires, trains and evaluates staff conducting research, data entry and record keeping for donor files, biographical profiles, and/or accounting for gifts. May perform other development or fund raising activities in support of the overall agency program.

Supervision Given: Positions typically supervise paraprofessional and program support staff. May direct the activities of students, volunteers and other temporary staff in data analysis, evaluation, collection, and manual or automated records management systems.

Supervision Received: Receives general direction from a faculty administrator/professional or other administrative position in the form of research project assignments and establishment of research unit goals. Supervisors review plans and summary reports.

Scope: Work affects the accuracy of research used to design strategies for soliciting gifts for an agency which in turn affects the financial status of the agency.

Impact of Actions: Effective production of accurate and complete data on prospective corporate, foundation, and personal donors with successful strategy planning could result in major increases in agency gifts. Ineffective decisions could affect the accuracy and reliability of biographical profiles, the image of the agency, or donation of gifts.

Personal Contacts: Positions have frequent external and internal contact with library officials and agency staff to obtain prospective personal, foundation, and corporate donor information from resource documents such as annual reports, census reports, Who's Who and other bibliographies. Frequent external contact with professional research associates, corporations, foundations; and city, county and federal agencies to obtain or verify prospective donor information.

Knowledge: Considerable knowledge of research principles and techniques, fund raising reference documents and their use; working knowledge of supervisory and leadership principles and practices; and data processing software systems.

Skills: Working skill in keyboarding and operation of computer software applications as a resource tool.

Abilities: Demonstrated ability to research and analyze a variety of reference materials such as census data, annual reports, biographical profile collections, tax data, news sources, and foundation publications to compile, evaluate and disseminate potential data on prospective donors; to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; to develop and monitor a budget; and to supervise staff.

QUALIFICATIONS GUIDE*

Licenses or Certification: None identified.

Education or Training: Graduation from an accredited college or university with course work in research principles, technical writing, communications, marketing, library science, or a related field.

Level and Type of Experience: Considerable experience in research, library science/reference, writing reports, summaries and bibliographical profiles or related areas. Some experience in research software systems and applications; development/ fund raising activities; leading the work of others or related activities.

An equivalent combination of training and experience indicating possession of the preceding knowledge and abilities may substitute for this education and experience.

This class was created as a result of the Information series study which was part of the Classification Review/Specification Update Program. It was established in May 1992.