Executive Director of Development

University of Southern California; Los Angeles, Northern (CA, KY); On-site; USD 151,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Professional development support

Job summary

USC Marshall School of Business is seeking an Executive Director of Development to join its External Relations team. The role will oversee Corporate and Foundation Relations and Annual Giving, managing a portfolio of principal gift prospects and donors in Southern California with a focus on $1M+ gifts.

The position leads fundraising strategies, collaborates with academic leadership and faculty, and drives donor-centric engagement to secure transformative gifts and advance USC’s mission.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of experience in major gifts fundraising.
• Experience in a higher education environment preferred.
• Ability to solicit gifts of $1M+.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Corporate and Foundation Relations and Annual Giving and the directors in these areas to support fundraising success.
• Manage a portfolio of 50 principal gift prospects and donors within an assigned geographic region.
• Identify and cultivate potential principal gift donors to support USC Marshall through endowment and current use gifts.
• Develop donor-centered solicitation strategies for major gift prospects and plan long-range engagement strategies.
• Conduct face-to-face meetings and visits with donors and potential donors.
• Meet or exceed annual and monthly fundraising goals and successful gift closures.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Portfolio management

Donor relations

Alumni engagement

Education

Master’s degree

Job description

Executive Director of Development Office of External Relations USC Marshall School of Business

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world‑class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” comprised of the faculty, students, staff, alumni and parents that make our university a world‑class research institution. USC’s Marshall School of Business is seeking an Executive Director of Development to join its External Relations team. The Office of External Relations provides opportunities for alumni, parents and friends of the school to engage through philanthropic support and volunteer service to support the mission of the school. The Executive Director of Development will serve as part of the front‑line fundraising group and report to the Assistant Dean, External Relations. The Executive Director is a newly created position to oversee Corporate and Foundation Relations, Annual Giving and to serve as a principal gift officer with an annual goal of upwards to $10M. The Executive Director will manage a portfolio of potential and current donors who can make gifts to USC Marshall of at least $500,000 with a focus on $1M+ gifts. The Executive Director will execute and participate in the development of sophisticated fundraising plans to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward alumni, parents and friends. The USC Marshall Office of External Relations relies on strong partnerships with our leadership, faculty, and campus partners. Our strategy emphasizes the long view, honoring a donor’s lifelong relationship with USC and empowering those who come after us to successfully build on our efforts.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Oversee Corporate and Foundation Relations and Annual Giving and the directors in these areas to support their fundraising success.
• Manage a portfolio of 50 principal gift prospects and donors within an assigned geographic region.
• Identify and cultivate potential principal gift donors to support the USC Marshall School of Business through endowment and current use gifts.
• Utilize knowledge of prospects’ interests to develop and execute sophisticated, donor-centered solicitation strategies for major gift prospects.
• Plan long-range, multi-step engagement strategies.
• Plan and conduct face-to-face meetings and visits with donors and potential donors.
• Responsible for meeting or exceeding assigned annual and monthly goals including, but not limited to, goals for face-to-face visits, solicitations, successful gift closures, and dollars raised.
• Success will be measured by the Executive Director’s ability to uncover prospective donors’ philanthropic interests; the quality of their prospect strategies; their ability to move donors from cultivation to solicitation, and the successful closure of gifts.
• Strategically leverage academic leadership, including Dean, Senior Associate Dean, faculty, and other gift officers in process of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors to USC Marshall.
• Maintain knowledge of planned giving opportunities; use knowledge in prospect cultivation and solicitation as appropriate.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.
• The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in principal and major gifts fundraising, corporate and foundation relations and annual giving.
• Experience in a higher education environment, preferably in a business or professional school.
• Demonstrated persistency and ability to cultivate and close on major gifts.
• Ability to professionally form and leverage relationships with top prospects, engage key constituents, and secure significant gifts through effective relationship management on an ongoing basis.
• The ideal candidate will bring the highest levels of professionalism, organization, collegiality, self-motivation, and a strong desire for continuous improvement.
• Exceptional active listening skills: ability to draw out interests, motivations, and objections to advance gift conversations
• Strategic and conceptual thinker with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and handle even difficult situations with aplomb and a sense of humor
• High level of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and initiative
• Team orientation and natural inclination toward collaboration and leading through influence.
• Willing to mentor colleagues as appropriate
• Goal oriented and results driven
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently
• Must be capable of working across disciplinary and interdisciplinary lines, and interacting successfully with a diverse constituency of varying abilities, backgrounds, interests and beliefs
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Passion for transformative power of higher education and business schools.
• Interest in business, and the ability to be a persuasive advocate for business education.
• Knowledge of complex academic institutions and experience staffing academic leaders in development work is preferred.

Anticipated Hiring Range:

The annual base salary range for this position is $151,435.99 - $198,266.85. 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.

USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions*; tuition benefits for staff and their family; free Professional Development classes; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services; discounts to sporting and other campus events.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Why join the USC Marshall School of Business?

The USC Marshall School of Business is ideally positioned to address the challenges of a rapidly changing business environment and is ranked as one of the country’s top schools for accounting, finance, marketing, consulting, entrepreneurship and international business studies. USC Marshall builds on the unique opportunities that stem from its Los Angeles location on the Pacific Rim, its interdisciplinary and impactful research, the momentum generated by the University of Southern California, and the unparalleled engagement of the Trojan Alumni Family. With ready access to industries defining the new business frontier, including bio-technology, life sciences, media, entertainment, communications and healthcare, this vast network offers USC Marshall graduates exceptionally strong support for success in the global marketplace. For more information on the USC Marshall School of Business, visit: www.marshall.usc.edu . . USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy AppendixD for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at [phone], or by email at [e-mail]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law. Notice of Non-discrimination Employment Equity Read USC’s Clery Act Annual Security Report USC is a smoke-free environment Digital Accessibility

USC is a leading private research university located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles – a global center for arts, technology and international business. As the largest private employer in the city – responsible for more than $5billion annually in economic activity in the region – we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills. As a USC employee, you will enjoy excellent benefits and perks, and you will be a member of the Trojan Family - the faculty, staff, students and alumni who make USC a great place to work.