Position Summary
The mission of University Advancement is to secure support for Michigan State University in terms of money, talent, service, and advocacy by delivering an integrated program of communications, marketing, and engagement. Our objective is to build deep and long-term relationships with alumni and other stakeholders and potential partners that will ensure increased support in the future.
Basic Function:
As a valued member of the AIS-DS team, the Business Analyst will work in conjunction with the Sr. Associate Director Prospect Analytics, Reporting & Data Integrity, and the University Advancement Business Analytics Team to identify prospects in support of Michigan State University and provide prospect trend analytics to inform portfolio management. This team is responsible for meeting the Prospect Management requirements for University Advancement whose responsibilities include understanding the business rules for managing prospects, pipeline management and proposal activity. Utilizing standard and innovative resources, the Business Analyst will identify and validate new pools of prospects, as well as specific pools for units, alumni relations, and fundraising initiatives. This includes utilizing informational databases in conjunction with data mining and modeling techniques to collect, analyze and prepare data, compiling detailed prospect profiles, and providing trends and analysis that will impact prospect management.
Reporting to the Sr. Associate Director Prospect Analytics, Reporting & Data Integrity, key responsibilities of this support role include, but are not limited to the following:
Characteristics Duties and Responsibilities:
- Prospect Identification
- Identify new prospects through proactive data mining, wealth screening and modelling.
- Extract, compile, and model data from internal and external databases to produce prospect pools with identified giving capability and philanthropic interests.
- Analytics and Trends Reporting
- Develop models to meet executive and departmental needs
- Develop Statistical and Analytical Reports for Prospect Development, including working with PD Consultants in identifying and developing reports to enable better decision making.
- Work with the Sr. Associate Director to develop and improve prospect trend analytics that will inform and help improve portfolio management.
- Serve as expert user of data analytic tools.
- Effectively explain models and analyses to audiences with varying degrees of technical knowledge, including leadership, fundraisers, and PD team members, to help them interpret and use data well.
- Prospect Analytics, Reporting and Data Integrity General Duties (15%)
- Disseminate and document prospect information effectively.
- Respond to prospect requests and assist the Fundraising and Engagement units with portfolio management.
- Assign prospect ratings based on known indicators of wealth and philanthropic giving capacity.
Communications/Interpersonal Relationships/Interacts with:
- Unit/Sub-Unit Managers - in order to answer questions, explain proposed technology solutions, resolve problems, and exchange information.
- Customers - in order to answer questions; provide training; explain work, systems and technologies; resolve problems and exchange information.
- Co-workers - in order to answer questions, resolve problems, coordinate work, provide training in area(s) of specialization and exchange information.
- Information Technology Professionals - in order to discuss projects, review work, resolve problems and exchange information.
- Designated Supervisor/Project Leader - in order to receive assignments and direction, answer questions, discuss work and exchange information.
Responsibility for the Health/Safety of Others:
No assigned responsibility.
Responsibility for the work of others:
No assigned responsibility.
Impact on Programs/Services/Operations:
Effective performance of professional, technical and customer service responsibilities will lead to positive customer relations, quality work products, and high levels of support for larger work products and processes. Errors would normally take significant effort to find in succeeding operations and may result in lost information, damage to equipment, costly rework requirements, and loss of time to customers and in other work processes.
Work Environment:
Standard office environment. The job requires moderate physical effort and involves sitting and interacting with a VDT 75-90% of the time.
Additional Requirements:
- May require valid vehicle operator''s license where needed to perform duties of the position.
- Other skills and/or physical abilities required to perform duties of the position.
Unit Specific Education/Experience/Skills
Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business or related information technology field, with coursework in an information technology specialization related to the area of employment; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in an information technology area related to the duties to be performed; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Desired Qualifications
- Degree in Business Analytics, Statistics, Information Science, or knowledge of higher education fundraising operations and combined years of work experience may qualify.
- 3-5 years of previous online researching, trend analysis, analytics and synthesizing of large data sets or related experience, including knowledge of wealth indicators, donor motivations for giving, and online and other information resources.
- Strong working knowledge of SQL, R, and Tableau to perform data extraction, analytics, and modeling.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and good understanding of databases.
- Ability to use current MS desktop office applications and adapt to and use future technologies.
- Excellent written/oral/interpersonal communication skills. Must be able to write concise analytical documents with attention to accuracy and detail.
- Strong initiative, organizational ability, independent judgment, and attention to detail.
- Ability to analyze and synthesize information, to manage several projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
- Ability to effectively communicate both orally and through writing to respond and resolve any concerns or issues with other University Advancement Staff positively and professionally.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team.
Additional Requirements:
- May require valid vehicle operator''s license where needed to perform duties of the position.
- Other skills and/or physical abilities required to perform duties of the position.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Application Materials
Resume and cover letter
Together-we-will Statement
The university is requiring all MSU students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with limited exceptions. Learn more at:
https://msu.edu/together-we-will/Special Instructions
If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Patricia Karam, Director of Recruitment at [email protected].
All candidates must submit an application, resume and cover letter through the Michigan State University Human Resources web-based system, the URL for this website is careers.msu.edu. Please indicate the position number 784153 when submitting your application.
Screening of applicants will continue until the position is filled.
MSU is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
MSU is committed to achieving excellence through cultural diversity. The university actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of color, veterans and persons with disabilities.
Michigan State University Advancement is seeking a Business Analyst who will work in conjunction with others to provide prospect trend analytics to inform portfolio management. The Business Analyst will work to identify and validate new pools of prospects, as well as specific pools for units, alumni relations, and fundraising initiatives.
Work Hours
STANDARD 8-5
Remote Work Statement
MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.
Bidding eligibility ends May 31, 2022 at 11:55 P.M.
