Practice Group Leader, Financial Services

Career Services Specialist

USC Marshall School of Business
Career Services Department

The Marshall Career Services team, comprised of more than 30 professional staff, and more than 30 undergraduate and graduate student staff, lead the charge to ensure all of Marshall’s approximately 8,200 undergraduate, specialty MS, and MBA students have the support and connections to achieve their professional goals. Our team is currently in a period of change and rallying around a new set of strategic values:

• relationship-centered (we prioritize strong relationships with all internal and external stakeholders, especially students)

• career-outcome-driven (we connect students to as many opportunities and employers as possible and actively build the networks that lead to employment),

• innovative practice (we maintain a current, tech-forward, and competent practice)

• team-centered (we value our people and foster a supportive, balanced, and authentic work environment). 

These values are reshaping how we function as a team and deliver career services. We are thrilled to be recruiting for several roles and are excited to recruit future team members that share our enthusiasm for defining the future of career services and continuing to build Marshall’s reputation as the best business school!   

The MBA team in Marshall Career Services is looking to recruit an experienced career services professional to join the team as a Practice Group Leader (PGL) for our financial services practice, including investment banking, private wealth management, financial technology, financial services, corporate finance, asset management, etc. The PGL will build a finance-related practice consisting of an employer portfolio, alumni-in-residence, executives-in-residence, student clubs, peer advisors, and other resources, all of which facilitate MBA students, particularly full-time MBA students successfully securing internships and full-time jobs. This is an exciting time to join the MBA team, which just reorganized around this new model.  This position reports to the Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Career Services.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Serve as lead strategist for the assigned practice group; make strategic decisions on how to use limited time and resources to best drive the professional success of a cohort of MBA students pursuing respective practice area

• Ensure the delivery of career education – resume and cover letter reviews, interview preparation, industry-specific preparation – through one-on-one, group advising, and workshops with the full-time staff, peer advisors, alumni, technology, or other resources

• Build and maintain an appropriate employer portfolio to facilitate the professional success of respective practice area, including adequate opportunities to drive successful internship and full-time career outcomes for MBA students; actively work to grow the employer portfolio year-over-year

• Plan and coordinate a diverse range of employer-facing events, providing leadership and support to the Practice Group Coordinator; drive strong student engagement and participation in career-enhancing programs

• Leverage the incredible Trojan Network, intentionally connecting students to alumni, alumni to students, and capitalizing on the network’s willingness to support and enhance Marshall Career Service’s various career initiatives.

• Cultivate and maintain an Alumni/Executive-in-Residence program to scale the practice group’s reach and impact; intentionally train and deploy a highly qualified group of alumni volunteers eager to support the professional success of MBA students

• In line with the Marshall Career Service’s strategic value of career-outcome-driven, actively monitor the internship and full-time career outcomes of all full-time MBA students, working aggressively to implement continual solutions to drive outcomes as high as possible

• Lean into Marshall Career Service’s strategic value of relationship-centered, actively leaning into building positive relationships with students; establish relationships with and advise student clubs and their leaders, take opportunities to attend club events and be visibly present, and lean into communication during times of conflict

• Conduct one-on-one and group meetings with MBA students, as needed; participate in career preparation programs to support incoming MBA students and to prepare for entry into the practice group model

• Be a creative and entrepreneurial leader; each practice group is unique based on the nuances of that particular industry and the specific students, requirin