Executive Director of Development

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 appr