Prospect Researcher

**Job no**: 493760
**Work type**: Full time fixed-term
**Location**: Melbourne - CBD
**Categories**: Philanthropy
- Exciting opportunity to work with our Development team in this fixed term role funded to 2027
- Be part of the transformation of ACM and the Arts Precinct
- $97,159.92 p.a. plus 11.5% superannuation

**About this role**:
The primary purpose of this role is to drive philanthropic and corporate partnership growth by using a wide variety of biographical, organisational, and financial sources to identify major donor and business prospects. This role supports the Major Giving fundraisers and our Partnerships Manager by conducting research on individuals, corporations, and trusts and foundations developing valuable insights including wealth screenings and in-depth profiling to enable targeted relationship building and growing a strong fundraising pipeline.

**Full-time fixed term role to 31 December 2027. Salary band 4.1 $97,159.92 plus superannuation.**

**Your Skills and Experience (Key Criteria)**

To be successful, you will have:

- Relevant tertiary qualification or professional experience in a prospect research role with a non-profit organisation, or advanced training in prospect research for philanthropic support with a knowledge of development, the donor lifecycle and engagement activities.
- Proven understanding of frontline fundraising, campaign experience and partnership acquisition within the not-for-profit or university sectors.
- Strong critical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to analyse and organise information to identify philanthropic patterns, tendencies and relationships among individuals, trusts and foundations.
- Exceptional qualitative research and writing skills, with the ability to produce analytical reports tailored for different audiences, ensuring attention to detail.
- Demonstrated success in assessing, mapping, scoping and vetting prospective donors and corporate partners.
- Excellent relationship management skills, with the ability to navigate complex organisations, collaborate with multiple stakeholders, and build external relationships with key individuals.
- High-level organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines for both internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, tact and discretion, especially when handling sensitive information in a public sector organisation.
- Experience with database management and data analysis is desirable.

**About the Development business unit**

The Arts Centre Melbourne program is made possible by a combination of state, federal and local government funding, self-generated income, philanthropy and corporate partnerships. The Development Team is responsible for cultivating strong relationships that lead to financial investment and support the organisation’s wide-ranging cultural, education, access, commissioning, wellbeing, and collection programs.

The desire is to grow philanthropic, partnership and government contributions to further extend this reach and impact.

**Corporate partnerships**: Arts Centre Melbourne has a reputation as an innovative and trusted partner. Our partners align with our values and help amplify our impact through collaborative initiatives and goals, bringing valuable experience, expertise and networks that help expand our reach.

**Government support**: Support from all levels of government nationally and internationally ensure that Arts Centre Melbourne can deliver on its cultural and educational mission and ensure that community needs are met by fostering access to the arts, and enabling initiatives that focus on diversity, social equity and inclusion of all Victorians.

**Philanthropy**: Arts Centre Melbourne has a strong legacy of philanthropy. Two of our most significant programs were funded by and named after their benefactors - The Betty Amsden Participation Program and The Kenneth Myer Asian Theatre Series (now Asia TOPA).

The current philanthropic program covers the following areas:

- Major Giving (Arts Angels, Bequests, President’s Club and Capital Campaign)
- Fundraising Campaigns and Membership
- Trusts and Foundations and Private Ancillary Funds

All philanthropic money raised is directed to the following areas:

- Access and inclusion - breaking down barriers to the performing arts across diversity, distance, disability, and disadvantage.
- Education and creative learning - inspiring and training the next generation of creatives and industry workers.
- Commissions - supporting new works, bold ideas, and extraordinary talent.
- Collections - preserving Australia’s cultural heritage and telling our stories.

Philanthropic giving is also a key part of realising the ambitions of Reimagining Arts Centre Melbourne as part of the broader Melbourne Arts Precinct redevelopment. A successful philanthropic Capital Campaign (Imagine Anew) will be critical to raising vital funding to make this vision a rea