Manager of Strategic Initiatives

About the role

The Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking a Manager of Strategic Initiatives (Program Administrator) to join the Dornsife Advancement team. This role serves as both an executive partner and a strategic connector, combining strong administrative precision with sharp project management, writing, and donor research skills.

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as the CDO’s trusted partner and first point of contact—managing calendars, meetings, travel, expenses, and follow-up actions with accuracy and foresight.
• Anticipate needs, prioritize requests, and exercise sound judgment to manage competing demands on the CDO’s time.
• Prepare and organize briefing materials, agendas, and presentation decks for donor, Dean, and campus meetings.
• Draft, edit, and proofread executive communications, donor correspondence, and leadership reports, ensuring clarity, tone, and alignment with Dornsife’s priorities.
• Collect, synthesize, and summarize information from multiple departments for internal and external audiences.
• Handle confidential information with discretion and represent the CDO’s office with professionalism and diplomacy.
• Track and reconcile expenses, manage reimbursements, and monitor operational budgets with accuracy and transparency.

Strategic Initiatives & Project Management

• Lead and track cross-departmental projects and communications that advance Advancement’s strategic goals, including key objectives for the upcoming university-wide campaign.
• Coordinate goal-setting, decision-tracking, and implementation of priorities emerging from the CDO and Leadership Team.
• Write and edit materials, including briefings, gift proposals, talking points, internal announcements, donor messages, and event content, often under tight deadlines.
• Work with the Business Intelligence team to conduct and synthesize donor and prospect research to prepare the CDO for meetings, events, and briefings—summarizing giving history, interests, and strategic opportunities in clear, concise formats.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Stewardship & Operations, Events, and Business Intelligence teams to ensure seamless execution of leadership briefings, donor events, gift proposals, gift agreements, and stewardship deliverables.
• Partner with the Dean’s Office and campus units on high-level initiatives that require coordination and follow-through.
• Use strong critical thinking to determine when to act independently, delegate, or elevate decisions.
• Attend Leadership Team meetings to capture outcomes, track next steps, and maintain accountability (non-voting participant).
• Support internal communications and culture-building efforts that enhance transparency and collaboration across Advancement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree preferred.
• Five or more years of progressive experience in executive support, project management, communications, or marketing—preferably within higher education, advancement, or nonprofit environments.
• Exceptional writing and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear, compelling materials for multiple audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and competing priorities.
• Discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment in handling confidential information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and CRM/project management systems (Salesforce, Advance, Asana, etc.).
• Experience supporting a senior executive, dean, or chief officer in a large, complex organization.
• Proven record of balancing tactical execution with strategic insight—seeing both the details and the larger goals.
• Familiarity with advancement, fundraising, or communications strategy.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and ability to bring structure and clarity to complex workflows.