CAREER CENTER

Executive Director – Community Partnerships

About USC

The University of Southern California (USC) is one of the world’s leading private research universities located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology, and international business. With two primary campuses, USC is home to the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and 22 exceptional academic schools. The University enrolls approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 28,500 post-graduate students from all fifty U.S. states, and more than 115 countries. USC is also the largest private sector employer in Los Angeles with over 26,000 people, including 4,700 faculty, 16,000 staff, 4,800 student workers, and responsible for more than $8 billion annually in economic activity in the region. In 2022, the university will surpass $1 billion annually in sponsored research.

The Health Sciences campus houses renowned specialized care and research in cancer, stem cell and regenerative medicine, orthopedics, and sports medicine. The campus includes three patient care facilities: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Hospital of USC, and the USC Roski Eye Institute. With the County of Los Angeles, the university operates LAC+USC Medical Center, one of the nation’s largest public teaching hospitals. USC faculty staff these and many other hospitals in the region, including the internationally acclaimed Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Verdugo Hills Hospital, and Arcadia Methodist Hospital.

At the heart of the University are its students. USC prides itself on its student diversity, enrolling more underrepresented minority students than any other private institution in the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the most underrepresented minority graduate students nationwide. The University provides $740 million annually in total financial aid and one out four students are Pell Grant eligible. There are more than 450,000 living alumni in the Trojan Family. USC alumni can be found in positions of leadership all over the world, with more than half living in California.

About USC University Relations

USC University Relations (UR) supports the university’s leadership, faculty, staff, and students in building meaningful, long-lasting partnerships to advance the institution’s mission and enhance the quality of life for USC and its surrounding communities to build a shared vision. With more than 200 professionals, UR partners with community stakeholders and leaders at the local, state, and federal levels of government. The department’s scope includes government relations, community partnerships, civic engagement and economic partnerships, pre-K-career education programs, and the USC Radio Group.

UR operates major community and civic programs across Los Angeles, with a special emphasis on the neighborhoods adjacent to the University Park and Health Sciences campuses. This includes providing Head Start early childhood education to hundreds of children at seven locations, educating and mentoring thousands of LAUSD students from kindergarten to career, and providing capacity building to hundreds of businesses and community organizations. USC Radio Group is nation’s largest classical music provider including flagship stations KUSC-Los Angeles and KDFC-Bay Area.

We are hiring an Executive Director, Community Partnerships to join the department’s Community & Local Government Partnerships team. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, this multifaceted role manages USC’s community partnership programs in our campus-adjacent neighborhoods. This includes exploring new collaborative opportunities along with supporting students, faculty, and staff with their initiatives.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Project manage community partnership initiatives together with community residents and stakeholders adjacent to the University Park and Health Sciences campuses.

• Partner with USC Health Sciences, including Keck Medicine of USC and Keck School of Medicine, on their community-serving health programs and related research.

• Build new partnerships, and/ or expand existing partnerships with community organizations and residents

• Plan and lead large community co-design sessions, roundtable meetings, and other direct outreach efforts.

• Manage the Associate Director of Community Partnerships Programs role in supporting USC’s student, faculty, and staff with their community programs, research, and other initiatives.

• Help assess quality of USC’s partnerships and programs. Modify existing or create new opportunities to maintain or enhance efficacy.

• Support the team’s role in helping design and plan special community serving events focused on building community and USC’s role in providing volunteers and ability to call attention to the historic significance of our local neighborhoods. 

• Serve as a USC representative with external audiences at meetings and events.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualities and skills:

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities while meeting deadlines.

• At least 5-7 years of community engagement and/or campaign experience, preferably in Southern California.

• Experience supervising staff and successfully working cross-functionally with colleagues.

• Ability to clearly communicate, both verbally and in writing; Spanish proficiency preferred.

• Ability to successfully recruit and coordinate community and USC volunteers.

• Ability to help organizations build community serving capacity, and assist USC stakeholders in successfully connecting with diverse stakeholders.

• Experienced community organizer with ability to manage and run field operations.

• Experience with South Los Angeles and Eastside communities and other diverse constituencies.