Assistant Director, Stewardship and Advancement Operations

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The USC Thornton School of Music is seeking an Assistant Director, Stewardship and Advancement Operations to join its Advancement team. This role reports to the Director of Advancement and is crucial for supporting a strong, responsive, and effective fundraising program. The position involves managing donor stewardship activities and communications, maintaining accurate donor and gift information, coordinating gift administration, producing reports, and ensuring Advancement priorities are met. The ideal candidate will be adept at working with people, systems, and details, and will understand the importance of both accuracy and donor connection in stewardship. This role also involves participating in cultivation, annual giving, and other fundraising activities, as well as building relationships with donors and alumni through meetings, communications, events, and campus engagement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
Combined experience/education as a substitute for minimum education.
Five years of relevant professional experience.
Experience in advancement, development, donor relations, stewardship, fundraising operations, or a related field.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling donor communications, fundraising proposals, reports, and other audience-appropriate materials.
Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines with accuracy and follow-through.
Experience working with donor data, financial information, databases, and reporting or reconciliation processes.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, including Excel/Sheets for reporting and data management.
A valid driver's license is required.

Nice To Haves

Seven or more years of relevant professional experience, preferably in higher education, the nonprofit sector, performing arts, music, entertainment, or a related field; experience in or demonstrated understanding of the music and performing arts industries is highly desirable.
Experience managing donor stewardship or donor relations programs and developing stewardship reports, impact materials, and other donor communications.
Experience with advancement CRM systems such as Salesforce and enterprise systems such as Workday.
Experience with annual giving, prospect research, donor identification, or other fundraising activities.
Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, faculty, senior leaders, and cross-campus partners.
Strong judgment, adaptability, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and complex environment.
Familiarity with email marketing, event management, project management, content management, and other technologies that support Advancement work; comfort using emerging tools, including AI, for drafting, research synthesis, data analysis, workflow efficiency, and other aspects of Advancement work is desirable.
Volunteer experience in fundraising, campaign or non-profit environments.
Experience with email marketing, website development/coding and Adobe Creative Suite.
Extensive customer service experience.
Fluent in one or more language in addition to English (e.g., Spanish).

Responsibilities

Own and manage Thornton's donor stewardship program, including gift acknowledgements, donor recognition, impact reports, annual stewardship for scholarships, endowments and other funds, pledge reminders, and related activities.
Develop thoughtful and compelling stewardship communications and materials that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and strengthen donor relationships.
Prepare donor research, briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up communications to support donor meetings and cultivation activities.
Build and steward relationships with donors and alumni through regular one-on-one meetings, personalized communications, campus visits, performances, and other engagement opportunities.
Serve as a key liaison with USC Central Advancement Stewardship to coordinate requirements, resources, and deadlines.
Own day-to-day Advancement operations that support accurate, timely, and well-coordinated execution of donor and fundraising activities.
Maintain and interpret donor and gift information in advancement and university systems, including producing reports, lists, tracking tools, and other materials to support stewardship and fundraising.
Manage and maintain donor gift agreements and related documentation, partnering with Thornton Finance, USC Central Gift Services, and other university partners to track and process gifts, monitor commitments and restrictions, and ensure gifts are administered in accordance with donor intent.
Reconcile donor and gift information and work with appropriate partners to resolve discrepancies and maintain data integrity.
Develop and maintain calendars, workflows, tracking tools, and processes that keep stewardship and fundraising activities organized and on schedule.
Identify opportunities to improve Advancement systems, processes, and efficiency.
Participate in developing and managing the Advancement budget.
Supervise student employees providing Advancement administrative support.
Write, edit, and produce donor-facing communications, including stewardship reports, newsletters, website content, correspondence, proposals, impact stories, and other Advancement materials.
Draft and edit briefings and other materials for the Dean and Advancement leadership in preparation for donor meetings and events.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, and other members of the Thornton community to identify stories and information that demonstrate the impact of donor support.
Administer Thornton's Annual Fund in partnership with Advancement leadership, including solicitation communications, coordination, tracking, and reporting.
Conduct and support prospect research and identification efforts, using donor information, research tools, and other available resources to help prioritize prospects and inform cultivation strategies.
Support broader Advancement initiatives and special projects as assigned.
Participate in planning and hosting donor visits, campus and off-site meetings, performances, and special events, including evening and weekend events throughout the year.
Serve as a point of contact for Thornton board members and volunteers, supporting meeting logistics, materials, communications, and follow-up.
Support the stewardship, engagement, and recruiting efforts of the USC Thornton Parents Council.
Collaborate with the Dean's Office, Thornton faculty and staff, USC Central Advancement, Finance, Gift Services, and other campus partners to advance shared goals.