Marketing Strategist, Graduate Admission, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering seeks a highly motivated and innovative Marketing Strategist to develop data-driven marketing plans that attract students and promote our position as a leading graduate program.

The Marketing Strategist will conduct market research and provide strategic guidance to inform the development of new programs and drive enrollment to existing programs. The candidate will help ensure our programs align with current and future job market demands and stay apprised of emerging trends in marketing, web design, and social media. Leveraging digital marketing and marketing automation strategies, the Marketing Strategist will also enhance the university’s brand and engagement through website optimization, email marketing, performance analysis, and content creation across multiple mediums.

The ideal candidate will be data-driven, creative, and strategic, with a solid understanding of higher education marketing, digital strategies, and brand development. The position will report directly to the Assistant Dean of Graduate Admission, with a dotted line to the Associate Dean of Corporate Engagement and Programs, with close collaboration across admission, marketing & recruitment, international offices, and academic departments.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Market research: Research needs of prospective students (international, domestic, non-traditional students, etc.), evaluate competitor landscape, analyze market and applicant data to define target audiences
• Benchmark Analysis: For all engineering and computer science programs, conducting regular SWOT analysis and recommendations for enrollment growth
• Labor Market Data Analysis: For engineering and computer science graduates across industries; global analysis is needed
• Brand strategy: Assist in strengthening he Viterbi School’s brand, connecting with all student audiences across markets
• Digital marketing: Use digital marketing strategies to activate the brand (SEO, etc.), provide regular reports on outcomes, and adjust marketing strategy accordingly
• Content marketing: Create content across various media (presentations, web collateral, video) 
• Website optimization: Refine the university's website to improve visibility and usability
• Trend awareness: Stay up to date with emerging trends in marketing, web design, and social media
• Recommendations for Implementations: Recommend strategies for success for a variety of graduate programs, encompassing the needs for all audiences and markets

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 Marketing Strategist will be expected to work onsite for 3 per week. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.

The annual base salary range for this position is $85,089.00 - $96,075.83. 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

• Master’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in higher education marketing, digital marketing, or a similar role
• Proven experience with data-driven marketing, benchmarking techniques, and working in teams with diverse stakeholders to execute marketing campaigns
• Ability to analyze complex data and translate it into actionable marketing strategies
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Proficiency in marketing automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Pardot, HubSpot, or similar)
• Drive to take initiative, experiment with new strategies, and continuously improve marketing performance to meet enrollment goals
• A keen eye for quality and consistency in branding, messaging, and content
• Resourceful and innovative in addressing challenges and finding new opportunities for reaching and engaging prospective students.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in higher education marketing, digital marketing, or a similar role

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+.