Director of Advancement, Major Gifts

The University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering seeks a high-performing fundraiser with documented success of raising support at the 100K-1M levels. USC, founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles 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,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, alumni, and staff that make the university an extraordinary lifelong community of friends.

The Director of Advancement will join a large, dynamic, collaborative and well-supported advancement team. The team values diversity and is committed to a culture of belonging as exhibited in respectful dialogue, inclusiveness, collaboration, and the cultivation of meaningful, long-term relationships with faculty, staff, alumni and donors. Major Gift Officers work independently and coordinate their fundraising activities with other Viterbi gift officers and university colleagues that are a part of the greater central advancement and academic unit teams.

This position reports to the Assistant Dean for Advancement at the Viterbi School of Engineering and is responsible for the strategic management of a portfolio of 75 prospects donors, parents and friends.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Qualifies and cultivates newly identified major gift prospects for USC Viterbi giving priorities.

• Solicits and stewards major gift prospects, maintaining a prospect pool at various stages of development.

• Participates in the development of fundraising goals and short- and long-term strategies.

• Increases base of support from major donors through outreach and building relationships, including face-to-face meetings, telephone and virtual contact and correspondence.

• Obtains contributions from new major gift donors and renews support from prior major gift donors.

• Works with donors and their advisors in structuring gifts and monitors compliance with donor restrictions.

• Stewards donors by providing regular updates and reports; collaborates with stewardship colleagues.

• Researches data for proposal development and writes proposals for presentation to individual prospects.

• Identifies, develops, and recommends prospects for volunteer and engagement opportunities across the university.

• Participates in events to engage, cultivate and steward major gift prospects and donors.

• Works collaboratively with colleagues in University Advancement, including colleagues in Los Angeles, regional offices, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving and special projects staff.

• Updates and maintains accurate, prompt and appropriate prospect and donor information and other record keeping in the prospect management and donor relations system, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

• Represents the school or department at professional and University meetings, seminars and conferences for professional development.

• Communicates goals and priorities of school or department to various professional communities.

• Responsible for following all protocols for prospect and donor management, contact reports, and any other prospect and donor reporting and monitoring established by USC Advancement and implemented and adhered to by the Viterbi School. Ensure compliance with University fundraising policies, goals and procedures

Job duties may be added or modified as needed.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the mission of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Viterbi staff are expected to facilitate a culture of support and service, to model civility and respectful engagement at all times, and to maintain the highest ethical standards and to maintain strict confidentiality across all facets of their work.

Additional Information:

This is a hybrid position. The Director of Advancement will be expected to work onsite for one day per week. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.

The annual base salary range for this position is $121,951-140,033 When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope of 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experienced senior fundraising professional with a demonstrated track record of personal closing gifts of 100K – 1M

• Expertise in major campaign fundraising, preferably at a complex research university

• Must be highly proficient at portfolio management and prospect strategy development

• Significant experience conducting face-to-face donor meetings and solicitations

• Familiarity with planned giving vehicles helpful

• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Written and verbal communication skills and the ability to interact effectively with prospects and major donors

• Self-starter, team player, and detail-oriented

• Knowledge of University fundraising preferred

• A valid driver’s license is required; with weekend and evening work expected.

• Master’s degree preferred

• Local and domestic travel required

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree

• 5 years of work experience

• Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Required Applicant Documents:

A resume/CV and a cover letter are required. Please feel free to upload your application materials in a single document.

USC and the Viterbi School:

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is 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,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is.

Founded in 1905, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is named for Andrew Viterbi who developed an algorithm to connect the world’s citizens. Similarly, the school, located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international business in the heart of the Pacific Rim, is a hub for entrepreneurship that connects students from 64 countries.

USC Viterbi is a pioneer in restoring sight to the blind; restoring memory to sufferers of Alzheimer’s; and socially assistive robots to aid seniors with stroke or children with autism. It is the home of the first operational quantum computing center in academia. Our alumni include Neil Armstrong, first human on the moon; A.C. Mike Markkula, co-founder of Apple; and Wanda Austin, former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation.

The USC Viterbi School is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs (U.S. News and World Report). Under the leadership of Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, the school helped re-imagine the 21st century engineer, pioneering the Grand Challenge Scholars Program in schools across the globe. Our mission is to serve California, the nation and the world. At USC Viterbi, we call this the enabling power of Engineering+.