Job Abstract

At the forefront of innovation and leadership within the Viterbi School of Engineering, the Assistant Dean of Graduate Admission plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of engineering education. Responsible for devising and executing comprehensive graduate admission strategies, this role calls for an exceptional strategist with a talent for identifying and engaging diverse student populations across the globe. Reporting directly to the Senior Associate Dean, the Assistant Dean will collaborate closely with academic departments to create targeted initiatives, ensuring the Viterbi School remains a beacon of excellence in engineering education.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Developing and implementing cutting-edge recruitment and conversion strategies for domestic and international graduate students enrolling in on-campus master’s or PhD programs.

• Overseeing the marketing budget, resource allocation, and production of marketing materials, ensuring brand consistency and message effectiveness.

• Spearheading marketing campaigns that include, but are not limited to brand awareness, search engine marketing, email marketing, social media, direct mail, print advertising, and public relations campaigns.

• Managing the ongoing review and development of the Viterbi Graduate Admission website, which includes creating engaging content for graduate student audiences.  

• Conducting comprehensive market research to inform strategies and measure impact.

• Fostering strong relationships with all engineering departments and external partners to enhance recruitment efforts.

• Leading and mentoring a dedicated team of admission and recruitment professionals (in Los Angeles and abroad) and student workers, driving towards innovation and excellence in all endeavors.

• Managing the merit-based scholarship and fellowship application and review process for incoming on-campus graduate students.

• Developing analytical and informational reports across multiple data sources, and extracting critical insights for marketing, recruitment, and conversion strategies.

• Reviewing and providing recommendations for Customer Relationship Management Tools, i.e. Salesforce, for tracking communication and fostering relationships with prospective graduate students.

• Emphasizing the need for an outstanding strategist capable of advancing school-wide recruitment initiatives across diverse student populations, underlining the strategic aspect of the role.

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our mission. We strive for a culture of support, respect, and ethical integrity

Additional Information

Preferred Qualifications.

• A proven track record in admission strategy and execution, particularly within higher education.

• Strong leadership skills with experience in managing diverse teams.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.

• Proficiency with CRM Tools (i.e., Salesforce), print and digital marketing , analytic tools and platforms, as well as MS Office and graphic design software.

• An MBA or Master’s degree in Communications is desirable, along with at least 7 years of marketing experience.

Additional Information:

This is a hybrid position. The Assistant Dean of Graduate Admission will work onsite 4 days of the week, with flexibility to work remotely as projects dictate. This position is not eligible for fully remote work.

“The annual base salary range for this position is $ $165,441.53 - $185,867.85. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope of 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.

Required Applicant Documents:

A resume/CV and a cover letter are required. Please feel free to upload your application materials in a single document.

USC and the Viterbi School:

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is.

Founded in 1905, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is named for Andrew Viterbi who developed an algorithm to connect the world’s citizens. Similarly, the school, located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international business in the heart of the Pacific Rim, is a hub for entrepreneurship that connects students from 64 countries.

USC Viterbi is a pioneer in restoring sight to the blind; restoring memory to sufferers of Alzheimer’s; and socially assistive robots to aid seniors with stroke or children with autism. It is the home of the first operational quantum computing center in academia. Our alumni include Neil Armstrong, first human on the moon; A.C. Mike Markkula, co-founder of Apple; and Wanda Austin, former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation.

The USC Viterbi School is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs (U.S. News and World Report). Under the leadership of Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, the school helped re-imagine the 21st century engineer, pioneering the Grand Challenge Scholars Program in schools across the globe. Our mission is to serve California, the nation and the world. At USC Viterbi, we call this the enabling power of Engineering+.

USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action 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 will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance. 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 uschr@usc.edu.  Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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