CAREER CENTER

The Associate Vice Provost for Student Life Administration serves as key liaison and strategic-planning consultant to the Vice President for Student Life and senior leadership by developing, managing, analyzing, and optimizing business strategies, short- and long-term budgets, administrative processes, and controls for accuracy and oversight. The position leads high-level resource strategy and management and directs all financial and administrative operations, including oversight of budget and finance, facilities and space management, human resources, technology, and strategic planning. To help Student Life serve students efficiently and effectively, we’re seeking an experienced administrative leader with outstanding organizational, communication, and leadership skills and an ability to develop innovative solutions. The incumbent will work closely with the Vice President to strategize and develop long-term tactics to maximize resources and enhance Student Life impacts.

Strategic Planning

• Serves as key liaison and strategic-planning consultant to Student Life senior leadership, developing, administering, managing, analyzing, and optimizing business strategies, short- and long-term budgets, financial processes, and controls for accuracy and oversight.

• Collaborates closely with both internal and external partners on strategy implementation processes. Monitors processes throughout all phases of implementation, using agreed upon metrics, to ensure alignment goals and maximize success.

• Develops, implements, and monitors day-to-day operational systems and processes to provide visibility into the goals, progress, and obstacles of strategic resources.

• Collaborates in the establishment of quantifiable, measurable elements for use in monitoring program workflows, effectiveness, and success. Sets and communicates priorities and performance standards, and assesses operations with said criteria.

• Identifies and develops opportunities for continuous improvement, leveraging expertise, relevant industry trends, leading practices, processes, roles, and procedures to ensure best possible outcomes.

• Designates priorities and protocols to manage and minimize risks, and maximize return on resource investments for department and university operations.

• Delivers counsel for managing resources, processes, and systems to support sustainable growth and improve value of work produced and delivered.

Human Resources

• Collaborates and coordinates with Provost human resources regarding organizational structure and staffing needs, providing insight for management and succession planning.

• Conducts workforce analysis and works with Student Life leadership to make staffing and compensation recommendations in alignment with departmental and divisional goals and objectives.

Financial

• Collaborates with Provost Finance to direct the fiscal and operational activities for Student Life departments, consolidating and resolving multiple needs. Manages expenses for general operations and tracks the division’s revenue margins and conduct budget reviews to maximize profits.

• Drafts and reviews financial plans to monitor and project financial activity by evaluating the impact of current and long-range plans on financial resources. Conducts analysis, with recommendations, of both short and long range business opportunities in support of the revenue and strategic objectives of the unit and the university.

• Develops comprehensive financial and trend analysis and recommends resources to specific programs and department activities. Identifies budgetary strategies, underutilized resources, and cost control methods.

Enterprise Systems

• Provides strategic planning, operational guidance, and implementation leadership to Student Life units providing best-fit solutions to campus administrative and academic business systems needs.

• Collaborates with Provost IT on the assessment, architecting, and implementation of enterprise systems, streamlining business processes, and designing multi-year technology roadmaps.

• Works closely with campus partners to develop requirements, verify business processes, and implement solutions per strategic priorities and roadmaps; and collaborating with seniors leadership on the deployment of reliable, standardized enterprise applications, platforms, and infrastructure

Space

• Collaborates with university Space Planning and Management professionals to oversee Student Life’s building inventory and makes the best possible use of these physical assets and to plan for future needs.

• Consults and makes recommendations for facilities, spaces, and equipment, working closely with university stakeholders.

• Develops policies, guidelines, and operational procedures around the use of Student Life space in collaboration with partners throughout the university

Business Continuity

• Oversees the administration of the Student Life business continuity program.

• Develops, maintains, and updates division-wide emergency plans for prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response. Facilitates the development of unit-specific emergency response plans for appropriate departments, schools, and specialized teams.

• Coordinates annual updating and testing of business continuity plans and disaster recovery plans.

Experience

• Master’s degree in business administration, financial management, or directly related field.

• Ten years’ experience working with administrative, financial, governance, budget, and human resource policies and processes.

• Experience as a Senior Business Officer or Administrative Services Director in a large or complex team. Knowledge of university financial and administrative systems.

• Experience at a large, complex, higher education institution in an urban area.

• Extensive knowledge and demonstrated understanding of business planning, strategy, operations, finance, and management. Experience with budget planning and management, business case development, project management, and organizational change practices.

• Experience in space planning and management.

• Proven ability to interpret, analyze, and apply pertinent policies, rules, procedures, best practices, regulations, and requirements, and evaluate the risks and benefits of different solutions.

• Extensive experience developing, implementing and controlling budgets with multiple funding sources, financial systems, and policies.

• Demonstrated ability to work with large datasets, and fluency with analytical and statistical modeling techniques.

• Exemplary interpersonal, analytical, and oral and written communication skills to produce concise and logical reports, proposals, and correspondence.

• Ability to present ideas and solutions in nontechnical, business-friendly terms and translate complex ethical, legal and compliance concepts.

• Demonstrated experience interacting with a broad spectrum of leaders and community members, exercising diplomacy, good judgment, and discretion.

• Ability to deftly manage highly confidential, complex, politically, and time-sensitive matters, meeting strict deadlines and delivering quality services.

• Demonstrated ability to articulate visions and strategies that inspire, and drive excellence aligned to business priorities.

• Proven ability to successfully multitask and shift priorities.

• Experience resolving conflicts, problem solving, and encouraging partnerships.

• Experience with human resources processes, recruiting and hiring job candidates, and supervising and coaching managers.

Other desired knowledge, skills, abilities:

• Strong management and leadership skills including ability to interpret, synthesize, and communicate complex issues. High level of political acumen and ability to establish and enhance professional partnerships to build collaborative systems to positively impact student success and wellbeing with key university areas including Office of General Counsel, Department of Public Safety, Academic Programs, Alumni Affairs, Advancement, Government Relations, and more. Extensive knowledge of student and community development as well as risk mitigation, emergency response and crisis response.

The budgeted salary for this position is $169,962 - $205,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff & their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions once you meet Program's eligibility; tuition benefits for staff & their family; free professional development online courses; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses & free tram pick up services; discounts to football, basketball & other campus events.

The University of Southern California values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.

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About University of Southern California (USC)

USC is the leading private research university in Los Angeles—a global center for arts, technology and international business. With more than 47,500 students, we are located primarily in Los Angeles but also in various US and global satellite locations. As the largest private employer in Los Angeles, responsible for $8 billion annually in economic activity in the region, we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills across a variety of academic and professional schools and administrative units. As a USC employee and member of the Trojan Family—the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make USC a great place to work—you will enjoy excellent benefits, including a variety of well-being programs designed to help individuals achieve work-life balance.

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