Climate & Sustainability Project Manager (Project Administrator)

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

19h • Hybrid

About The Position

USC Dornsife Public Exchange is reimagining how research serves the public. Founded in 2020 at USC, Public Exchange fast-tracks collaborations between academic researchers and partners across the public and private sectors to define, analyze and solve complex problems together. In 2025, Public Exchange became a national network with its second location at Washington University in St. Louis—working collaboratively to accelerate the use of evidence in decision-making across the country. In 2023, USC Dornsife Public Exchange established a Climate and Sustainability Practice that drives flagship, high-impact initiatives such as ShadeLA and the California Solar Canal Initiative. Other projects have addressed electrified mobility, water conservation, and climate communications, in partnership with the City and County of Los Angeles, the United Nations Foundation, the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, and leading non-profits. Public Exchange is looking for a Project Manager (PM) to support the growing Climate & Sustainability Practice. PMs are essential to the PX model — helping to identify new partners, scope research questions, draft proposals, set-up and manage projects, and deliver rigorous, actionable, and high-impact findings. Ideal candidates will have a strong commitment to social impact, familiarity with climate & sustainability issues, a high degree of intellectual curiosity, and the flexibility and willingness to take on emerging challenges in new topic areas. The PM will work closely with the Climate & Sustainability Practice Director and fellow team members, the Strategy & Operations Team, and university partners to deliver projects. The PM is responsible for the success of their projects, contributing to the full project lifecycle: identifying partner and funder opportunities, drafting proposals, managing day-to-day execution, developing stakeholder relationships, monitoring project-level budgets, addressing operational challenges, and ensuring maximal impact.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of experience (combined education/experience acceptable as substitute for minimum experience).
• Master's degree (combined experience/education acceptable as substitute for minimum education).
• Directly related education and project administration experience in a specialized field represented by the project.
• Commitment to working on climate & sustainability issues.
• Experience working on climate & sustainability issues (clean energy, transportation, adaptation, community resilience, environmental justice, or similar fields).
• Collaborative with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Extremely organized, detail-oriented, strong communicator, diplomatic, and comfortable coordinating across large and diverse teams.
• Willingness to pitch in and work with a small, but mighty team to build from the ground up.
• Experience managing projects, grants, or contracts.
• Ability to excel in juggling multiple responsibilities and problem-solving.
• Understanding of the soft skills required to keep a team cohesive & aligned, and resolve conflicts when they arise.
• Understanding of the role and opportunity that data, research, and evaluation can play in tackling complex social issues, particularly in climate & sustainability.
• Aptitude for learning and using tools that keep a hybrid team working as one unit: Google Workspace, Asana, Slack, Canva, etc.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, planning, social science, environmental studies, or cognate field.
• At least 3-5 years experience leading multi-stakeholder social impact projects.
• Recent work experience within a company, non-profit, university, or government agency designing products, policies, or programs related to climate & sustainability.
• Creative problem-solving and solution-driven track record.
• Demonstrated capacity to understand and synthesize complex ideas and concepts.
• Strong analytical and communications skills.
• Experience supporting primary research projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop project strategies and scopes of work in consultation with faculty, research partners, partner organizations, and the PX strategy & operations team to execute projects for maximum social impact.
• Develop long- and short-term project plans, including timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Manage day-to-day workflow of project portfolio and support research teams to execute against the project plans.
• Lead all project kick-off, routine partner and research team meetings, as well as final presentation meetings.
• Maintain strong relationships with all project partners, research team members, and key project stakeholders.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for project partners, ensuring they remain updated on project progress and that deliverables exceed expectations.
• Operate with attention to risk management, information security, and contractual compliance.
• Work with PX’s operations team to manage project finances, ensuring timely transfer of funds to research team members and payment of direct research expenses.
• Lead project communications, coordinating with Public Exchange Communications Manager as well as university and partner communications teams, including developing presentation decks, messaging, press releases, web and social media content, videos, and other materials.
• Continually seek strategic opportunities to build on project work, deliver for partners, and increase project impact.
• Identify new partners and funder opportunities.
• Scope research questions and draft proposals.
• Set-up and manage projects, ensuring day-to-day execution.
• Deliver rigorous, actionable, and high-impact findings.
• Monitor project-level budgets.
• Address operational challenges.
• Ensure maximal project impact.

Benefits

• Excellent benefits.
• Health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network.
• Eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six months of employment.
• Tuition benefits for staff and their family.
• Free Professional Development classes.
• Central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services.
• Discounts to sporting and other campus events.
• Reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees