Assistant Director, Stewardship and Advancement Operations

Assistant Director, Stewardship and Advancement Operations @ The USC Thornton School of Music

About the USC Thornton School of Music

For more than 140 years, the USC Thornton School of Music has held a distinguished place among the nation's leading music schools, recognized for artistic excellence, rigorous training, and deep connections across the music profession. Today, Thornton is shaping a vision for the future of music education that honors this tradition while embracing innovation across genres and disciplines.

Under the leadership of Dean Jason King, Thornton is building an environment where artists become musicians who are beyond category in their excellence, rigor, and ability to think beyond boundaries. This vision calls for an Advancement enterprise that is equally ambitious, connecting donors, alumni, industry leaders, and institutions with opportunities to invest in students, faculty, programs, and the future of music.

The Opportunity

The USC Thornton School of Music invites applications for the position of Assistant Director, Stewardship and Advancement Operations.Reporting to the Director of Advancement, this position is a key member of Thornton's Advancement team, primarily responsible for donor stewardship and the day-to-day operations that support a strong, responsive, and effective fundraising program.

This is a multidimensional, hands-on Advancement role for someone who is equally comfortable working with people, systems, and details. The successful candidate will manage stewardship activities and communications, maintain accurate donor and gift information, coordinate gift administration, produce reports and materials, and help ensure Advancement priorities move forward effectively. They will also build and steward relationships with donors and alumni through regular meetings, communications, campus engagement, and events, while participating in cultivation, annual giving, and other fundraising activities.

The ideal candidate understands that effective stewardship is both about getting the details right and making donors feel connected to the impact of their partnership with Thornton.

Key Responsibilities

Donor Stewardship & Engagement

• Own and manage Thornton's donor stewardship program, including gift acknowledgements, donor recognition, impact reports, annual stewardship for scholarships, endowments and other funds, pledge reminders, and related activities.
• Develop thoughtful and compelling stewardship communications and materials that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and strengthen donor relationships.
• Prepare donor research, briefing materials, talking points, and follow-up communications to support donor meetings and cultivation activities.
• Build and steward relationships with donors and alumni through regular one-on-one meetings, personalized communications, campus visits, performances, and other engagement opportunities.
• Serve as a key liaison with USC Central Advancement Stewardship to coordinate requirements, resources, and deadlines.

Advancement Operations, Systems & Gift Administration

• Own day-to-day Advancement operations that support accurate, timely, and well-coordinated execution of donor and fundraising activities.
• Maintain and interpret donor and gift information in advancement and university systems, including producing reports, lists, tracking tools, and other materials to support stewardship and fundraising.
• Manage and maintain donor gift agreements and related documentation, partnering with Thornton Finance, USC Central Gift Services, and other university partners to track and process gifts, monitor commitments and restrictions, and ensure gifts are administered in accordance with donor intent.
• Reconcile donor and gift information and work with appropriate partners to resolve discrepancies and maintain data integrity.
• Develop and maintain calendars, workflows, tracking tools, and processes that keep stewardship and fundraising activities organized and on schedule.
• Identify opportunities to improve Advancement systems, processes, and efficiency.
• Participate in developing and managing the Advancement budget.
• Supervise student employees providing Advancement administrative support.

Advancement Communications & Annual Giving

• Write, edit, and produce donor-facing communications, including stewardship reports, newsletters, website content, correspondence, proposals, impact stories, and other Advancement materials.
• Draft and edit briefings and other materials for the Dean and Advancement leadership in preparation for donor meetings and events.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and other members of the Thornton community to identify stories and information that demonstrate the impact of donor support.
• Administer Thornton's Annual Fund in partnership with Advancement leadership, including solicitation communications, coordination, tracking, and reporting.
• Conduct and support prospect research and identification efforts, using donor information, research tools, and other available resources to help prioritize prospects and inform cultivation strategies.
• Support broader Advancement initiatives and special projects as assigned.

Donor Engagement, Events & Collaboration

• Participate in planning and hosting donor visits, campus and off-site meetings, performances, and special events, including evening and weekend events throughout the year.
• Serve as a point of contact for Thornton board members and volunteers, supporting meeting logistics, materials, communications, and follow-up.
• Support the stewardship, engagement, and recruiting efforts of the USC Thornton Parents Council.
• Collaborate with the Dean's Office, Thornton faculty and staff, USC Central Advancement, Finance, Gift Services, and other campus partners to advance shared goals.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree. Combined experience/education as a substitute for minimum education.
• Five years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in advancement, development, donor relations, stewardship, fundraising operations, or a related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling donor communications, fundraising proposals, reports, and other audience-appropriate materials.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines with accuracy and follow-through.
• Experience working with donor data, financial information, databases, and reporting or reconciliation processes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, including Excel/Sheets for reporting and data management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven or more years of relevant professional experience, preferably in higher education, the nonprofit sector, performing arts, music, entertainment, or a related field; experience in or demonstrated understanding of the music and performing arts industries is highly desirable.
• Experience managing donor stewardship or donor relations programs and developing stewardship reports, impact materials, and other donor communications.
• Experience with advancement CRM systems such as Salesforce and enterprise systems such as Workday.
• Experience with annual giving, prospect research, donor identification, or other fundraising activities.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, faculty, senior leaders, and cross-campus partners.
• Strong judgment, adaptability, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Familiarity with email marketing, event management, project management, content management, and other technologies that support Advancement work; comfort using emerging tools, including AI, for drafting, research synthesis, data analysis, workflow efficiency, and other aspects of Advancement work is desirable.

Working at Thornton

This role is based primarily on-site at the USC Thornton School of Music, where in-person collaboration is an important part of supporting the school's Advancement work and community. Because the position is closely connected to donor meetings, concerts, performances, and special events, evening and weekend hours will be expected throughout the year. Occasional hybrid work arrangements may be considered when feasible and in accordance with university policy and business needs. A valid driver's license is required.

Why Thornton?

Joining the USC Thornton Advancement team offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of music, higher education, philanthropy, and the creative industries. This position provides an opportunity to build meaningful donor relationships while helping ensure that the systems, communications, and stewardship practices behind those relationships are thoughtful, effective, and connected to Thornton's ambitious vision for the future of music education.

Application Requirements

Applications must include a resume and cover letter specifically outlining how the candidate's experience and qualifications are relevant to this position. Applications submitted without a cover letter may not receive full consideration.

The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $90,000.

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 and training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.