Skip to content
CV Rocket
Get started
How it worksThe enginePricingBlogContactSign in

Open nowPosted yesterday

Director, Advancement - Major Gifts

usc1,091 open roles

Pay
$132,563 – $148,831 a year
Where
Los Angeles, CA - Downtown
Work mode
Hybrid
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Your applicationOpen nowDirector, Advancement - Major Giftsusc · Los Angeles, CA - Downtown

  1. YouYes, apply to this one.

  2. CV RocketCV written for this posting.

  3. 25 readersRecruiter, hiring manager, skeptic. Round after round.

  4. CV RocketApplied on usc's own form.

The reply lands in your private mailbox

3×more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

The clock on this job

Early applications get read.

13.3% of postings close within 7 days. Measured by our own scanner across the market. usc postings stay open a median of 14 days.

Share of postings closed within
  1. 2.1%1 day
  2. 4.6%3 days
  3. 13.3%7 days
  4. 21.3%14 days
  5. 35.7%30 days
  6. 59.1%60 days
This job: posted yesterday

usc median: 14 days open

The posting

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Advancement team supports the School’s philanthropic, alumni, industry, and constituent engagement priorities through coordinated fundraising, donor relations, stewardship, communications, events, and advancement operations. Working in close partnership with school leadership, academic departments, faculty, university advancement colleagues, alumni, donors, and external partners, the team advances university fundraising campaigns and school-level fundraising plans while building long-term relationships that support Viterbi’s strategic priorities and philanthropic goals.

Position Overview

The Director, Advancement - Major Gifts manages a portfolio of approximately 75 major gift prospects, developing and implementing strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts of $250K–$5M+ in support of the School’s highest priorities. Working independently and collaboratively with Viterbi leadership, faculty, and University Advancement colleagues, the Director builds donor relationships and secures philanthropic support for the School.

Core Job Duties

  • Manage a portfolio of approximately 75 major gift prospects, primarily $1M+, developing individualized strategies, contact plans, and solicitation pathways.
  • Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of making gifts of $250K–$5M+.
  • Develop and present compelling fundraising proposals for priorities including endowed chairs and professorships, graduate fellowships, capital projects, and program support.
  • Partner with the Dean, faculty, academic leaders, and Advancement colleagues to develop gift opportunities, strengthen donor relationships, and secure philanthropic commitments.
  • Prepare and staff university and school leaders for donor meetings, solicitations, and follow-up.
  • Identify and engage volunteers who can assist with prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
  • Develop and implement effective donor stewardship plans and coordinate recognition and follow-up with university and school partners.
  • Manage prospect activity, travel, and cultivation strategies to maximize fundraising effectiveness and productivity.
  • Maintain timely and accurate prospect records, contact reports, forecasts, and next steps in accordance with University Advancement policies and procedures.
  • Achieve established fundraising revenue, activity, pipeline, and proposal goals.

Preferred Position Qualifications

  • Demonstrated success as a fundraising professional, including personally securing major gifts of $250K–$5M+.
  • Experience with major gift fundraising and campaigns, preferably at a complex research university.
  • Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with donors, faculty, administrators, board members, trustees, and university partners.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including fundraising proposal development and presentation.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital tools for prospect management and contact documentation.
  • Master’s degree preferred.
  • Valid driver’s license required; evening and weekend work may be necessary to support donor engagement and fundraising priorities.

Additional Expectations: Job duties, responsibilities, and assignments are subject to change based on business needs, advancement priorities, university fundraising campaigns, school-level fundraising plans, donor and constituent needs, emerging technologies, and organizational requirements. The incumbent is expected to work with agility, adapt to changing priorities, support alignment between university-wide fundraising initiatives and Viterbi School priorities, identify opportunities for innovation, and contribute to continuous improvement across the advancement and fundraising enterprise.

Work Modality and Travel: This position is designated as hybrid. The employee must be available to work onsite as needed to support business operations, donor and constituent meetings, fundraising meetings, school and university events, campaign activities, peak-cycle priorities, and constituent needs. The position may require local, domestic, and international travel, as well as occasional evening or weekend work to support donor engagement, fundraising events, campaign activity, and other advancement priorities. Any hybrid work arrangement must comply with the Viterbi School of Engineering Flexible Work Arrangement Policy and is subject to approval, operational needs, and change in accordance with that policy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The annual base salary range for this position is $132,562.81 - $148,831.35. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope of responsibilities, work experience, education and training, skills, internal equity, and market conditions.

DISCLAIMER This description outlines the general nature and level of work performed; it is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or skills required. Management may assign or reassign duties to respond to organizational priorities and evolving needs.

Please include a cover letter and resume when applying.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree

Addtional Education Requirements Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Minimum Experience: 5 years

Minimum Skills: Major campaign, fundraising, public relations and/or volunteer management experience.

Preferred Education: Master's degree

Preferred Experience: 7 years

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

  • Notice of Non-discrimination
  • Employment Equity
  • Read USC’s Clery Act Annual Security Report
  • USC is a smoke-free environment
  • Digital Accessibility

If you are a current USC employee, please apply to this USC job posting in Workday by copying and pasting this link into your browser:

https://wd5.myworkday.com/usc/d/inst/1$9925/9925$156346.htmld

From $25, paid onceGet the CV for this job

What happens when you press

One press. We do the rest.

  1. A CV for this posting

    Written against usc's own wording, from every piece of relevant proof in your profile.

  2. 25 readers review it

    Recruiter, hiring manager, skeptic and more read every draft, round after round. You get the best round.

    The review screen in CV Rocket: how each CV was read, round by round.

  3. We apply on usc's form

    Our application engine gets through the hardest forms there are. Where a question needs you, AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

    An application in CV Rocket: every answer filled in on the employer's form.

  4. Every reply, sorted

    usc's answer lands in your private mailbox, and we classify it on arrival: interview, question, rejection.

    The CV Rocket inbox: each employer reply classified as an interview, an action or a rejection.

  5. Reply with AI

    AI helps you write the email, checks it and sends it. We show you whether the recruiter read it.

  6. The interview in your calendar

    Full integration with your calendar. The invitation goes straight in.

    An interview invitation in the CV Rocket inbox, added to the candidate's calendar.
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Why it works

3×

more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

ChatGPT writes a CV and never learns what happened to it. We see every reply. For each CV we know:

  • How it was written, and how the review scored it
  • When we applied, and how long after the posting went up
  • Which posting, which company, which city
  • Who got the interview, and who heard nothing

That is how we know which CVs get called.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

The numbers game

More applications. More interviews.

Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting and paid once. Send enough of them and the law of large numbers finds you the job.

Get the CV for this job
By hand5–10
With CV Rocket100
applications a day

Nearby

Live postings like this one

Same employer first, then the same role elsewhere.

Before you press

Straight answers

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

What if my background isn't good enough?

We make the most of the background you have. The CV uses every piece of relevant proof your profile holds, and one of the 25 readers reads your whole profile and flags what the CV left out.

Do you really apply for me?

Yes, on the employer's own form, the hardest ones included. Where a question needs you, you answer it right there and AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

Is it a subscription?

No. You pay once per CV, from $25. Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting.

One job. One CV.
Paid once.

Pick the posting you want. We write for it, apply for you and catch the reply.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.