Climate & Sustainability Project Manager (Project Administrator)

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

USC Dornsife Public Exchange is seeking a Project Manager (PM) to support its growing Climate & Sustainability Practice. Founded in 2020, Public Exchange fast-tracks collaborations between academic researchers and partners across public and private sectors to solve complex problems. In 2023, the Climate and Sustainability Practice was established, driving high-impact initiatives like ShadeLA and the California Solar Canal Initiative, and addressing areas such as electrified mobility, water conservation, and climate communications. Project Managers are crucial to the Public Exchange model, responsible for identifying new partners, scoping research questions, drafting proposals, setting up and managing projects, and delivering rigorous, actionable, and high-impact findings. The PM will work closely with the Climate & Sustainability Practice Director, team members, the Strategy & Operations Team, and university partners. This role encompasses the full project lifecycle, including identifying opportunities, managing day-to-day execution, developing stakeholder relationships, monitoring budgets, addressing operational challenges, and ensuring maximum impact. Ideal candidates are committed to social impact, familiar with climate and sustainability issues, intellectually curious, and adaptable to emerging challenges.

Requirements

• Strong commitment to social impact
• Familiarity with climate & sustainability issues (clean energy, transportation, adaptation, community resilience, environmental justice, or similar fields)
• High degree of intellectual curiosity
• Flexibility and willingness to take on emerging challenges in new topic areas
• Collaborative with an entrepreneurial spirit
• Extremely organized, detail-oriented
• Strong communicators
• Diplomatic
• 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
• Excel in juggling multiple responsibilities
• Problem solving skills
• Experience managing grants or contracts
• Understand the soft skills required to keep a team cohesive & aligned, and resolve conflicts when they arise
• Understand the role and opportunity that data, research, and evaluation can play in tackling complex social issues, particularly in climate & sustainability
• Minimum 3 years of experience (combined education/experience acceptable as substitute)
• Master's degree (combined experience/education acceptable as substitute)
• Directly related education and project administration experience in specialized field represented by project
• Aptitude for learning and using tools that keep our 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

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
• Excellent benefits and perks
• Member of the Trojan Family

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees