Statistical Programmer/Data Analyst

Department: Prospect Development & Analytics
Job #: 71856
Reports to: Associate Director of Analytics

Position summary:
The Statistical Programmer/Data Analyst provides reliable and timely qualitative and quantitative data and trend analysis that supports the strategic and tactical planning and operational effectiveness of key fundraising programs, including annual, major, principal and planned giving. Specifically, the Statistical Programmer/Data Analyst studies internal and external data and employs data mining, predictive modeling, forecasting and statistical analysis techniques to help identify, classify, understand and cultivate prospects capable of making philanthropic contributions to the University of Michigan as well as to provide assessments of program effectiveness.

Key responsibilities:

Modeling, Statistical Analysis & Prospect Identification (70%)

• Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Analytics and in collaboration with development teams in the Office of University Development (OUD) and across campus, identify specific fundraising issues for review and analysis.
• Engage in market research, data mining and modeling activities to determine trends and provide increased understanding and hypothesis testing of patterns in alumni and donor behavior, identifying and forecasting growth opportunities and addressing challenges.
• Collaborate with department colleagues and those in major giving, annual giving and planned giving, as well as specific school, college and unit partners, in prospect identification at all levels. Develop and execute propensity and predictive behavioral models to support the development of short- and long-term engagement strategies.
• Gather, filter and segment large data sets for the purposes of identifying, classifying and refining rated prospect lists and pools for fundraising activities. Identify overall trends and patterns in giving, volunteerism, event participation, etc. and search for explanations and underlying causes.
• Develop predictive model custom scoring and provide recommendations to unit managers and fundraisers for how to interpret, understand and apply scoring in various fundraising activities.
• Use various software tools (Excel, Access, SPSS, SAS, R, SQL Server, Weka, Tableau, MapPoint, PowerPoint, among others) to analyze and present the data analysis relative to specific development -related needs. Techniques used include regression and time trend or RFM analysis, cross-tabulation, pivotal table analysis, segmentation etc.
• Synthesize information and disseminate results through written reports, maps, charts, graphs and presentations.

• Leverage available data sources and retrieve, query and append data from internal databases, and external data sources such as electronic screening services, census records, surveys, focus groups, demographic studies, marketing data, etc.
• Work with the OUD Development Services team, as well as other relevant University and external data and business intelligence resources, to obtain, share, append and maintain information needed for market analysis and strategic planning projects.
• Identify sources of data on campus and manage the interactions and relationships with data owners.
• Stay abreast of current and emerging trends in philanthropy, fundraising, higher education and business intelligence; communicate to department and senior leadership as appropriate.

• Work with University staff as an internal consultant to define quantitative analytics needs and guide team to meet those needs.
• Collect marketing and benchmarking data that supports the business processes/outcomes of U-M's fundraising efforts.
• Work with prospect research analysts and fundraisers to offer decision support and to promote the cultivation of prospects at the appropriate levels and through the appropriate channels.
• Promote and support data-driven decision making within the development community.
• Perform other duties as assigned. (5%)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required, with demonstrated competencies in applied marketing research, sales and/or marketing analysis, social science research and/or similar fields.
• Related experience conducting projects in market research, statistics, fundraising or relevant fields.
• Fluency in computer technologies, including high level of proficiency and understanding with data mapping, data mining and statistical software tools, (Excel, Access, SPSS, SAS, R, SQL Server, Weka, Tableau, MapPoint, among others). Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and relational database software programs a must.
• Demonstrated analytical and creative problem-solving skills required.
• Proven research and analytical techniques, emphasizing the ability to gather, evaluate and synthesize complex and large sets of data from various sources and present information in a clear and cohesive manner. Must demonstrate ability to present information in formal and informal settings and impart understanding of complex ideas and statistics to others.
• Highly developed interpersonal, written and oral communications skills required.
• High degree of professionalism ethical sensitivity and discretion; ability to maintain a commitment to confidentiality.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities and meet challenging and changing deadlines.

• Advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in SQL programming is preferred and reporting utilizing Oracle or MS-SQL Server or related experience a plus.

For other current openings in Development, please visit our website at: www.giving.umich.edu/careers