Associate Senior Vice President for Development

The University of Southern California seeks an accomplished advancement executive to serve as Associate Senior Vice President for Development focused on principal and transformational giving. This leader will shape and execute enterprise-wide philanthropic strategies, personally advance USC's most significant gift opportunities, and align partners across the university around ambitious institutional priorities.

The Associate Senior Vice President’s leadership will encompass three principal areas:

• Lead a portfolio composed primarily of prospects with the capacity to make gifts of $10 million or more.
• Drive the closure of $25 million or more in gifts annually, including at least $10 million for health sciences and the establishment of at least one endowed chair.
• Provide strategic leadership for principal and transformational giving, international philanthropy, athletics principal gift fundraising, and the university’s East Coast regional strategy.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, the Associate Senior Vice President will serve as both an enterprise advancement leader and one of USC's most senior frontline fundraisers. The role requires the ability to mobilize leaders and fundraising teams across a complex institution while personally advancing relationships and gift opportunities of extraordinary scale.

Additional Key Responsibilities

• Build and advance a robust proposal pipeline, including five to seven proposals of $10 million or more, five to nine proposals in the $1 million to $9.99 million range, and at least one proposal at the $100 million level.

• Lead strategic planning and execution for comprehensive fundraising initiatives, aligning philanthropic opportunities across academic, research, health sciences, athletics, and broader institutional priorities.

• Establish fundraising priorities, governance processes, and accountability frameworks, and lead senior teams responsible for principal giving, international philanthropy, and regional fundraising.

• Bring renewed focus to USC's international fundraising strategy and build the organizational capacity to grow annual international philanthropy from its current level of more than $35 million toward a goal of more than $75 million.

• Drive the university's East Coast regional strategy and significant philanthropic opportunities supporting USC Athletics.

• Partner with executive and academic leaders, fundraisers, and other colleagues to advance complex gift opportunities requiring university-wide coordination and to foster a culture of collaboration and shared accountability.

• Support the university president, trustees, and volunteer leaders in advancing principal and transformational gift opportunities, including preparing for and staffing donor meetings and travel and participating in trustee meetings as requested.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or combined experience and education as a substitute for the minimum education requirement.
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least eight years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of comprehensive fundraising strategies, principal and transformational giving, planned giving, donor engagement, and advancement operations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop enterprise-wide initiatives, lead executive teams through complex organizational change, and build partnerships with executive leaders, academic leaders, governing bodies, fundraisers, donors, and external constituents.
• Exceptional judgment, communication, negotiation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to influence decisions and manage multiple high-priority initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide fundraising within a complex institution, preferably in higher education.
• Demonstrated record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing principal gifts of $10 million or more.
• Experience planning or leading a comprehensive campaign and guiding organizational transformation through fundraising initiatives.
• Expertise in international philanthropy and global fundraising strategy.
• A record of partnering effectively with executive leadership, governing boards, and academic leaders on institutional fundraising priorities.

The Successful Candidate

The ideal candidate will have the credibility to engage USC's most senior leaders and donors, the discipline to translate ambitious goals into coordinated action, and the leadership to strengthen teams, systems, and partnerships for lasting performance.

Required Documents and Additional Information

Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.

The budgeted salary for this position is $412,000 to $463,000. 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. 

USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff & their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions once you meet Program's eligibility; tuition benefits for staff & their family; free professional development online courses; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses & free tram pick up services; discounts to football, basketball & other campus events.

#LI-Hybrid

Required Education: Bachelor's degree
Preferred Education: Master's degree
Required Work Experience: 10 years with 8 years in a leadership role
Required Skills: Knowledge of comprehensive fundraising strategies, principal giving, planned giving, and philanthropic
engagement. Knowledge of executive leadership practices, organizational governance, and strategic planning. Knowledge of higher education advancement principles and philanthropic best practices. Knowledge of fundraising operations and donor engagement. Skill in developing enterprise-wide strategic initiatives aligned with institutional priorities. Skill in leading executive teams through organizational change and complex initiatives. Skill in building collaborative partnerships across executive leadership, academic leadership, and external constituents. Skill in evaluating organizational performance and establishing strategic priorities. Skill in negotiating and facilitating complex philanthropic strategies and partnerships. Ability to influence executive decision-making through strategic leadership and collaboration. Ability to lead multiple institutional initiatives with competing priorities. Ability to exercise independent judgment in matters of institutional significance. Ability to communicate complex strategies with executive leadership, governing bodies, and external stakeholders. Ability to foster collaboration, accountability, and organizational alignment across multiple functions.
Preferred Skills: Knowledge of comprehensive campaign planning within higher education. Knowledge of international philanthropy and global fundraising strategy. Knowledge of principal and transformational giving strategy development. Experience leading enterprise-wide fundraising organizations within complex institutions. Experience partnering with executive leadership, governing boards, and academic leadership on institutional
fundraising initiatives. Experience leading organizational transformation through strategic fundraising and campaign initiatives.

                                                  

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 Appendix D 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 (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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