Business Strategy Analyst, Athletics

The University of Southern California (USC) is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles and a global center for arts, technology, and international business, USC is also one of the largest private employers in the City of Los Angeles.  We are searching for exceptional individuals to help us fulfill our mission: developing individuals and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit. As an employee of USC, you will be part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is.

USC Athletics aims to inspire champions in competition and in the classroom. We exist to enrich the lives of students to positively impact our community and world for generations to come. Operating with the four core values of Competitive Spirit, Togetherness, Passionate Pride for USC, and Our Courage to Blaze the Trail, the Trojans choose to lead by example. With over 600 student-athletes competing throughout USC’s 23 sports programs, USC Athletics is committed to serving as the unmatched, unquestioned top destination for talented student-athletes to reach their fullest potential in all that they do and offering student-athletes the ability to compete for NCAA and Big Ten championships while working toward a degree from one of the world’s leading universities.

JOB DESCRIPTION

USC Athletics is looking to hire a Business Strategy Analyst to join our staff and student community of 600+ individuals.  This role is responsible for working with cross-functional teams to create revenue strategies, analyze key revenue streams including ticketing, donations, and merchandising, and uncover hidden opportunities for USC Athletics. This role will also participate in strategic pricing efforts, maintain revenue forecasting models, and work closely with stakeholders to align business intelligence initiatives with organizational goals.

Additional requirements include producing clear management-level dashboards to visualize data from across the business and from various sources, including our ticket partner and internal CRM. Data visualizations will include ticket sales and gameday information in charts and heat maps, as well as dashboards on key metrics across all business lines. Projects will range across other areas of the business including fan experience, athletic development, and corporate partnerships. Potential analyses include ticket pricing, attendance projections, ticket sales velocity, season ticket member retention, season ticket member lead scoring, and gameday satisfaction.

Reporting directly to the Associate Athletic Director for Business Analytics, the Business Strategy Analyst will work in collaboration with the department’s external team, marketing and ticket sales, development office, ticket operations staff, and other units within the department. The ideal candidate will have a background in business strategy, consulting and creating data models and dashboards, and the ability to handle multiple projects at once and work well with others since many projects will involve working cross-functionally in the development of analyses and new opportunities. Knowledge of and experience working in higher education preferred. Understanding of the unique culture and needs of college athletes preferred.

This position serves a large student and staff population, must demonstrate a commitment to improving outcomes for a variety of populations, and is expected to contribute to the program’s demonstrated commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all. USC Athletics is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity.

This is an exempt position, with the hours of work mostly confined to a Monday-Friday schedule with some limited work expected in evenings and on weekends.

Roles and responsibilities to include:

• Design and implement reports and Tableau dashboards that support the business needs of the athletic department.

• Provide insights and make recommendations to ticketing, gameday, and development groups based on data findings through data visualizations and presentations.

• Monitor secondary ticket marketplace to understand listings and sales by seating area as compared to primary tickets.

• Create management dashboards to visualize data around ticket sales (primary and secondary markets) and utilization as well as gameday satisfaction, by seating area and by game.

• Perform ad hoc analyses and measurements to gauge the effectiveness of various initiatives.

• Assist in managing data integrity with ticket office and development staff.

• Data engineering and ETL/ELT with Snowflake data warehouse.

• Work with third party data partners.

• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree (preferably in economics, business, data analytics, computer science, business intelligence, statistics, or mathematics), as well as 1 year of experience (2-3 years preferred, ideally in a data analytics or business intelligence role). Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education.

• Experience working in higher education and/or a sports related field (collegiate or professional) ideal.

• Strong skills in software for data visualization (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI, DOMO) required, with Tableau experience strongly preferred.

• Strong SQL skills required.

• Strong skills in Microsoft Excel required.

• Ability to analyze data and summarize analysis in a digestible format required.

• Knowledge of statistical programming package, like Python, SAS, or R preferred.

• Experience working with Paciolan ticketing and Fundraising software strongly preferred.

• Experience working with Snowflake data warehouse preferred.

• Strong familiarity and experience using Salesforce CRM and Salesforce Service Cloud preferred.

• Experience working on projects related to ticketing and pricing is a plus.

• Ability to multi-task and move projects forward.

• Highly organized and detail-oriented individual.

• Strategic, curious, and thoughtful.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to build relationships to drive business.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

Salary Range

The annual base salary range for this position is $82,593.47 - $92,252.23. 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 alignment, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

To Apply

All candidates must submit a resume with their application. Additional materials may be requested at a later date. All USC employees will undergo reference checking and background screening prior to hire.

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.

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 uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 1 year, Combined education/experience as substitute for minimum experience Minimum Field of Expertise: Working knowledge of database, spreadsheet, wordprocessing and statistical software programs in mainframe and personal computer environments; research & statistics.