Advancement Transformation IT/Data Analyst

The University of Southern California Division of University Advancement seeks a collaborative, technically skilled, and solutions-oriented Advancement Transformation IT/Data Analyst to help build the next generation of data- and AI-enabled solutions for USC Advancement.

Working at the intersection of applied AI, low-code automation, analytics, and advancement operations, the Analyst will design and deliver solutions that help modernize how Advancement teams work, make decisions, and engage USC’s alumni, donors, and broader community. The role will partner across Advancement and with University IT and other stakeholders to translate business needs into practical, user-centered technology and data solutions.

The Analyst will design and deliver AI-enabled solutions using USC’s approved AI stack—including Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio, the Power Platform, Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI Foundry, OpenAI ChatGPT and Codex, Google Gemini with NotebookLM, and GitHub Copilot—alongside the data integrations, analytics, and lightweight machine-learning models that make those solutions useful to Alumni Engagement, Donor Relations, Prospect Development, Annual Giving, Gift Management, and Advancement Services.

Key Responsibilities

AI-Enabled Solutions, Data & Analytics — 25%

• Design and deliver AI-enabled solutions using USC’s approved AI stack alongside the data integrations, analytics, and lightweight machine-learning models needed to support Advancement priorities.

• Partner with Advancement stakeholders to understand business needs and translate them into practical AI, automation, analytics, and data solutions.

• Support solutions serving Alumni Engagement, Donor Relations, Prospect Development, Annual Giving, Gift Management, Advancement Services, and other Advancement functions.

• Apply emerging AI, analytics, automation, and technology capabilities to improve business processes, decision-making, productivity, and user experiences.

Business Analysis & Solution Design — 25%

• Develop requirements, conceptualize designs, and recommend business processes and solutions that support core organizational functions.

• Communicate and present recommended improvements, solutions, and decision-making rationale to business and technical stakeholders.

• Deliver user-centered solutions that balance stakeholder needs, business goals, data, and technical opportunities or constraints.

• Collaborate with analysts, technical teams, and other partners to identify application and service interdependencies and complementary designs.

User-Centered Design, Innovation & Solution Delivery — 25%

• Engage in human-centered design and standard business-analysis methodologies to identify problems, opportunities, and sustainable solutions.

• Participate in user research to understand stakeholder pain points, challenges, and needs.

• Build, design, test, and support solutions that meet customer needs and expectations.

• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, approaches, standards, and best practices, identifying opportunities for innovation and greater system functionality.

• Develop appropriate project-analysis documentation, which may include business requirements, scope matrices, use cases, future-state proposals, and user-acceptance testing plans.

Stakeholder Partnership, Adoption & Continuous Improvement — 25%

• Collaborate with a broad range of Advancement and university partners to anticipate, analyze, and articulate business problems and identify appropriate short- and long-term solutions.

• Establish strong working relationships with business and technical stakeholders and communicate technical topics effectively to non-technical audiences.

• Support the adoption of new solutions and business processes through documentation, training, and other enablement activities.

• Collaborate with team members and management to implement effective solutions that support Advancement Transformation priorities.

• Contribute to process improvement, innovation, and continuous improvement across the team and organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or combined experience/education as a substitute for minimum education.

• Two years of relevant experience.

• Proven record of delivering end-to-end, user-centered products, considering stakeholder requirements, user research, market analysis, data, customer feedback, and technical constraints or opportunities.

• Experience conducting or facilitating requirements-gathering interviews or sessions.

• Experience using analytics tools to measure results, document success, identify opportunities, and support decision-making.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools and applications, an understanding of Lean and Agile methodologies, and familiarity with computer programming concepts.

• Experience developing test strategies and plans using accepted testing methodologies or frameworks, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present technical topics in a business-oriented manner to non-technical audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to establish strong working relationships with a wide range of team members, clients, and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

• Four or more years of relevant experience.

• Experience in IT, business administration, higher education, or related fields.

• Experience in advancement, fundraising operations, higher education, or another complex, multi-stakeholder environment.

• Familiarity with data, analytics, automation, AI, and emerging technology solutions.

• Experience supporting business transformation, process improvement, or technology-enabled change initiatives.

• Experience with Python and SQL.

• Experience with Microsoft Fabric or comparable data platforms such as Databricks or Snowflake.

• Experience with Power BI and Power Platform tools, including Copilot Studio, Power Apps, or Power Automate.

• Working knowledge of applied LLM and generative AI patterns, including prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), evaluation approaches, and agentic workflows.

• Experience building or supporting responsible AI solutions, including grounding, citations, confidence thresholds, bias and hallucination testing, and human-in-the-loop design.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, community, well-being, open communication, and accountability.

Impact of the Role

The Advancement Transformation IT/Data Analyst will help establish the technical and analytical foundation for USC Advancement’s transformation efforts. Through AI-enabled solutions, automation, analytics, data integration, and user-centered technology, the Analyst will help Advancement teams work more effectively, make better-informed decisions, and devote more time and attention to building meaningful relationships with USC’s alumni, donors, and community.

The role will contribute to scalable and measurable solutions that advance fundraising effectiveness, operational efficiency, and alumni and donor engagement while helping USC Advancement build the capabilities needed for a more data-driven and AI-enabled future.

Required Documents and Additional Information

Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.

The anticipated hiring range for this position is $110,000–$140,000. 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.
 

USC is an equal opportunity 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 observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

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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