Assistant Dean of Advancement and Chief Development Officer

University of Southern California; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Southern California seeks an Assistant Dean of Advancement and Chief Development Officer to lead all fundraising activities, including major gifts, foundation relations, and donor stewardship. This role partners with the Dean and senior leaders to align fundraising with strategic priorities and drive campaigns, grants, and communications.

The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of major gifts, cultivate relationships with alumni and patrons, and guide strategic plans to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field.
• Minimum of five years of fundraising leadership.
• Proven success securing major gifts and managing donor relationships.
• Experience developing strategic fundraising plans.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work with senior leaders and volunteers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy.
• Manage major and principal gift prospects.
• Oversee foundation relations and grant management.
• Lead donor engagement through events and communications.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and central advancement.

Skills

Major gifts

Donor relationships

Strategy development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Assistant Dean of Advancement and Chief Development Officer

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance invites applications for the position of Assistant Dean of Advancement and Chief Development Officer. Reporting to the Dean, this individual will be the primary officer overseeing all activities related to advancement, major gift solicitation, foundation relations, planned giving, and donor stewardship. They will work closely with the Dean to align fundraising priorities with the school's strategic vision and goals. Additional responsibilities include campaign planning and management, prospect identification/research, grant writing and advancement communications.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an accomplished development professional to partner with visionary academic and artistic leadership to advance the School's mission of excellence in dance education, performance, research, community engagement, and innovation.

Position Summary

The Assistant Dean of Advancement and Chief Development Officer will develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising and engagement strategy to support the School's strategic priorities. The successful candidate will build meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, foundations, corporations, community leaders, parents, and arts patrons while serving as a trusted advisor to the Dean and senior university leadership.

The Assistant Dean of Advancement and Chief Development Officer will manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects and lead initiatives that increase philanthropic support for scholarships, faculty excellence, artistic programming, facilities, research, and strategic growth. In addition, this individual will be responsible for all aspects of foundation relations, including research, cultivation, solicitation, program development, proposal development, reporting, grant management and stewardship.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive advancement strategy aligned with the School's strategic plan and university fundraising priorities.
• Serve as a member of the School's senior leadership team and advise the Dean on fundraising opportunities and donor engagement.
• Collaborate closely with central advancement, alumni relations, communications, and university leadership.

Fundraising

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward major and principal gift prospects.
• Identify and develop new donor pipelines among alumni, parents, arts patrons, foundations, corporations, and community partners.
• Lead fundraising initiatives in support of campaign priorities, endowments, capital projects, scholarships, and programmatic needs.
• Prepare compelling fundraising proposals, case statements, and donor communications.

Relationship Management

• Build effective partnerships with Kaufman faculty, students, alumni, Board of Councilors, and cross-campus stakeholders.
• Facilitates programs and deans' initiatives designed to engage Kaufman alumni, supporters, and the external community. Maintains relational cohesiveness and engages donors through performances, events, campus visits, and personalized stewardship opportunities.

Team Development and Management

• Provide leadership, mentorship, and supervision to Kaufman advancement staff, resource workers, and student employees. Establishes and monitors performance goals, provides performance feedback and coaching, and supports professional developments. Sets appropriate deadlines to ensure timely completion of work.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, inclusion, and high performance.

Perform other related duties as assigned. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in advancement, development, fundraising, or related leadership roles
• Demonstrated success securing major gifts and managing complex donor relationships
• Experience developing and implementing strategic fundraising plans
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior leaders, volunteers, faculty, and donors

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in related field (Business, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Arts Administration/Leadership)
• Experience in higher education advancement, particularly within an R1 research university
• Experience fundraising for the performing arts, arts education, cultural institutions, or creative disciplines
• Track record of securing seven-figure and transformational gifts
• Experience working within comprehensive fundraising campaigns
• Knowledge of alumni engagement, donor stewardship, and advancement operations

Additional Information

The annual base salary for this position is $130,000 - $135,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

To support faculty and staff well-being, USC provides benefits-eligible employees with a broad range of benefits and perks to help protect their and their dependents' health, wealth, and future. These benefits are available as part of the overall compensation and total rewards package.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Minimum & Preferred Requirements

• Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree
• Additional Education Requirements: Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education
• Minimum Experience: 5 years
• Minimum Skills: Major campaign, fundraising, public relations and/or volunteer management experience.
• Preferred Education: Master's degree
• Preferred Experience: 7 years