Senior Research Consultant/

THE ROLE/

We are seeking a Senior Research Consultant to provide strategic expertise and guidance within KCI’s Prospect Research team and help shape the research, intelligence and insights that inform our client work and thought leadership. This individual will combine deep Prospect Development expertise with strong analytical and communication skills, while also supporting KCI’s sector-leading compensation benchmarking and consulting services.

This role is ideal for an experienced Prospect Development professional who enjoys both hands-on research and the opportunity to guide people, practices and client strategy. The ideal candidate will be deeply curious about the charitable sector, skilled at uncovering and interpreting public-source information, comfortable working with numerical and financial data, and able to translate complex findings into clear, practical insights for clients.

Research + Analytics is KCI’s centre of expertise for donor, organizational and sector intelligence. We work across KCI to turn data and public-source information into practical insights that strengthen fundraising strategy and client decision-making. We are highly skilled, deeply curious and genuinely passionate about donors and philanthropy.

The Senior Research Consultant will be an experienced subject-matter expert in Prospect Research, working closely with the Vice-President, Research + Analytics to strengthen KCI’s research practice and support colleagues across the organization. Working as part of multidisciplinary project teams, they will help clients advance campaigns and other major initiatives by connecting research findings to strategy and action.

As a skilled practitioner, the Senior Research Consultant will conduct direct research and analysis while also helping to strengthen KCI’s research practices, standards and service offerings. They will lead research components of client engagements, manage assignments and timelines, present findings, train clients and colleagues, and provide guidance and support to others contributing to research work.

This role also offers the opportunity to work across a wide range of charitable causes, clients, and strategic questions, providing meaningful exposure to the diversity of the sector across Canada.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/

Reporting to our Vice-President, Research + Analytics and working in partnership with our team of Consultants and Senior Consultants, KCI’s Senior Leadership Team, as well as other KCI colleagues as appropriate, the Senior Research Consultant will be responsible for:

Prospect Research Service Delivery & Leadership (50%):

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research to prepare clear, concise and insightful profiles, snapshots, reviewed lists and other research products for KCI clients and consultants
• Identify and assess prospective individual, foundation and corporate supporters for KCI client organizations
• Analyze philanthropic history, interests, affiliations and giving patterns to assess potential alignment with specific organizations, sectors or funding priorities
• Review financial and other publicly available information to estimate philanthropic capacity and inform prospect strategy
• Translate research findings into practical insights, implications and recommended next steps for clients and project teams
• Participate in marketing-focused meetings, both internal and with clients, to discuss needs, explain KCI services, clarify project parameters and confirm desired outcomes
• Support KCI marketing leads with content on Prospect Research services for client proposals
• Present research outputs to clients in a variety of formats, including via email, video, in-person and formal presentations
• Serve as the senior research point of contact on selected client engagements, coordinating research contributions, providing guidance and quality review, monitoring activity and timelines, and keeping KCI client leads apprised of emerging issues

Managing KCI Research Resources & Practices (20%): 

• Modify, design, and maintain KCI research templates and standards to ensure KCI research findings are compiled in concise and informative outputs suitable for KCI clients, and aligned with overall project outputs and objectives
• Design and maintain effective approaches for tracking internal data and information, with a focus on efficiency, accessibility and the effective use of team resources
• Monitor media and key data sources for relevant news, updates and announcements on topics such as major gift announcements, campaign updates, charitable job postings, etc.
• Develop and maintain internal resources on fundraising trends, organizational benchmarks, and sector developments to support proposals, studies, and strategic advice
• Develop and maintain case studies and qualitative intelligence on emerging sector issues, such as municipal support for major hospital campaigns, for use in environmental scans, studies, proposals and strategic advice

Supporting Compensation Counsel Projects (20%):

• Utilize internal and external resources to provide research support for compensation benchmarking and counsel projects
• Monitor published reports, public-sector data sources, and other relevant information on compensation levels and practices to inform projects and counsel activities
• Provide confidential support and project management for KCI compensation benchmarking and counsel projects
• Assist in the interpretation of compensation data and emerging practices to support evidence-based recommendations to clients

Support for KCI Analytics Projects (10%):

• Provide qualitative and quantitative analytical support for KCI Analytics projects such as donor surveys and prospect screening
• Work with KCI Analytics consultants to review data, present results in text and visual formats, synthesize key findings and prepare reports
• Present results to clients in a clear and concise manner

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES/

To be successful in this role, the Senior Research Consultant must demonstrate:

• At least eight years of progressive experience in prospect research, prospect development, fundraising intelligence or a closely related field; relevant formal training is an asset
• Demonstrated experience working in a fundraising environment; experience in project-based consulting or another client-service environment is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated strength in distilling key insights and suggesting strategies, directions and potential action steps for targeted donor engagement
• Excellent writing, proofreading, grammar, and spelling skills
• Strong communication and presentation skills; ability to synthesize complex concepts and present information to others in a clear and concise manner in a variety of formats
• Strong computer software skills, including experience with data management and donor databases / charitable CRMs
• Experience synthesizing, analyzing, and compiling qualitative and quantitative data into compelling reports and presentations
• Experience reviewing financial data and drawing out patterns and recommendations
• Sound judgement, professionalism and discretion in handling incomplete, sensitive, confidential or nuanced information
• Curiosity and drive to work through different forms of data and information to explore options for client challenges and opportunities
• Excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail, resulting in the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and relationships in an efficient and systematic manner within a deadline-driven environment
• Experience providing functional leadership within a Prospect Research team or practice, including establishing standards, reviewing work, sharing expertise, and coaching or guiding colleagues, would be considered an asset
• A passion for and commitment to the not-for-profit sector and the positive impact that client organizations have on society, as evidenced through professional experience and/or volunteer work within the sector

LOCATION/

KCI offers a flexible remote/hybrid work model. This position will be based in the Greater Toronto Area, primarily working remotely from a home office, with in-person team office days twice a month at our Toronto Head Office (214 King Street West, Suite 402) at a minimum. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION/

We believe that people are catalysts and that organizations can only achieve their full potential with the right people on their team. This is true both for our clients and for KCI.

As a firm, KCI has a strong commitment to equity and inclusivity. We are proud that our own staff represents various dimensions of diversity, including gender, race, sexual orientation, age, education, physical abilities, and language. We especially welcome interest from candidates who bring lived experience as a Black, Indigenous, or other racialized person, a person with a disability, or an LGBTQ2+ person.

The hiring range for this position is $85,000 to $105,000 per annum, plus a comprehensive vacation and benefits package including: 3 weeks’ vacation plus a winter break in December; group benefits plan; health & wellness program; donations matching program; and group RRSP matching program. In addition, KCI is proud to have expanded ownership of the firm to all employees through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). Over time, this structure will allow employees to become beneficiaries of the future financial success of KCI.

To apply, please send a resume and letter of interest via email to C by August 31, 2026. Please note that we will be reviewing candidates on an ongoing basis; early submission is appreciated. 

This posting is for an existing vacancy. Artificial intelligence will not be used to screen resumes or assess candidates in this search.

ABOUT KCI/

The nature of the Canadian charitable sector has changed – irreversibly. New ideas, new models, new technologies, new generations and new Canadians present opportunities and challenges for Canadian charities. Where do we go from here? At KCI, that’s our favourite question.

We are Canada’s leading consultants to the non-profit sector with professionals across the country in fundraising, strategy development, research & analytics, and executive search.

Our core purpose is to inspire and enable organizations to raise money, to make the dream of better communities and improved lives a reality. And through our 42 years of experience, we’ve helped thousands of organizations craft their strategies, build their teams, and raise billions of dollars. We serve our clients through a wide variety of services, including Fundraising Counsel & Campaigns; Assessments & Strategy Development; Research & Analytics; Communications & Case Development; and Executive Search & Talent Services. 

In doing that work, we firmly place our focus on values and people…both ours and our clients’. We are proudly and resolutely guided by our core values: the highest integrity in all our actions; commitment to excellence and innovation in everything we undertake; openness to new ideas; and collaborative and respectful relationships with our colleagues and our clients. We hire to these values and live them every day.

These values are also deliberately reflected in our ownership structure at KCI.  KCI is employee-owned through an Employee Ownership Trust, with ownership held on behalf of all our employees. For us, employee ownership is more than a structure. It is a natural extension of who we are and how we work: collaborative, accountable, values-driven and built for long-term impact.  This also makes KCI unique. We are Canada’s only philanthropy and talent consulting firm whose ownership is held on behalf of all employees through an EOT. And as one of the first companies in Canada to transition to the new EOT model, KCI is proud to be helping define what broad-based employee ownership can look like in this country.

At KCI, our people are our most valuable resource. We hire the best and brightest, provide them with ongoing training and support, and allow them to work with a range of clients in different regions and charitable sectors across the country. We strive to foster a collaborative culture of professional and personal growth and to recognize, value, and develop the individual skills and contributions of each of our team members. And because we know the future won’t look like the past, we hold capacity building, knowledge sharing, and insight creation at our core. We have made it our business to know What’s Next.

For more information about KCI, please visit: https://kciphilanthropy.com/

KCI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and accessible work environment. KCI will, upon the request of the applicant, provide accommodation during the recruitment process to ensure equal access to applicants with disabilities. If you are selected for an interview and you require accommodation, please inform us.