Public Exchange Project Manager (Project Administrator)

USC Dornsife Public Exchange is reimagining how research serves the public. Public Exchange fast-tracks collaborations between academic researchers and partners across the public and private sectors to tackle complex problems 2025 Public Exchange became a national network launching its second location at Washington University in St. Louis.

USC Dornsife Public Exchange has a Health and Well-being Practice that has built collaborations to address food Insecurity disaster recovery healthcare worker and caregiver burnout homelessness prevention and more. It also has a Climate and Sustainability Practice that has built large-scale high-impact collaborations such as ShadeLA and the California Solar Canal Initiative. Across both Practices Public Exchange projects involve partnering with local government agencies national non-profits industry associations health systems companies and more.

The Role

Public Exchange is hiring a Project Manager (PM) to support our growing team with a portfolio focused within the Health and Well-being Practice. PMs are essential to the Public Exchange model they help to identify new partners; scope research questions; draft proposals; develop launch and manage projects; and create rigorous actionable and high-impact deliverables. Ideal candidates will have a demonstrable commitment to social impact familiarity with social issues of high national importance (particularly related to health and well-being) a high degree of intellectual curiosity and the flexibility and willingness to learn and take on emerging challenges in new topic areas.

The PM will work closely with the Health and Well-being Practice Director and fellow team members the Strategy & Operations Team and a broad array of university partners to develop and execute projects. The PM will be responsible for the success of their projects leading work across the full project lifecycle: identifying partner and funder opportunities drafting proposals managing day-to-day execution developing stakeholder relationships monitoring project-level budgets addressing operational challenges and ensuring maximal impact.

In addition the PM serves as the primary student talent coordinator for Public Exchange projects which frequently include student researchers and volunteers. The PM may also assist with high-priority operations projects across all of Public Exchanges projects and team members. Examples may include: creating launching and managing new systems and processes to channel the vast pool of student talent at USC toward maximum social impact in connection with Public Exchange projects or operationalizing procedures for project budget reporting.

The ideal candidate is:

Committed to working on social impact issues
Candidates should have experience or demonstrable interest in working on social impact issues relevant to the Health and Well-being Practice (e.g. food insecurity homelessness affordability caregiving environmental health disaster response and recovery health innovation). A degree focused in public policy public health urban planning social science or other related fields is a plus.

Collaborative with an entrepreneurial spirit
PMs at Public Exchange have a bias for action they are extremely organized decisive detail-oriented strong communicators diplomatic and comfortable coordinating across large and diverse teams. Public Exchange is a fast-paced growing many ways we are still at an early stage of our growth. An entrepreneurial spirit comfort with the unknown and willingness to pitch in and build things from zero with a small mighty team is essential.

Experienced in managing projects
Project management is the beating heart that drives Public Exchange requiring careful organization tracking and delivery of tasks on deadlines. Candidates should excel in juggling multiple responsibilities setting priorities problem solving and have experience managing grants or contracts. Project managers should understand the soft skills required to keep a team cohesive and have the emotional intelligence necessary to identify and resolve conflicts when they arise.

Respect for research and academia
Candidates should understand the role and opportunity that data research and academic evaluation can play in tackling complex social issues particularly related to the priority areas of the Health & Well-being Practice (e.g. food and nutrition healthcare and informal caregiving homelessness disaster response and recovery environmental health health tech).

Job Responsibilities:

• Project Development: Develop project strategies and scopes of work in consultation with faculty research partners partner organizations and the Public Exchange strategy & operations team to execute projects for maximum social impact;
• Project Management: Develop long- and short-term project plans including timelines milestones and deliverables;
• Daily Workflow: Manage day-to-day workflow of project portfolio and support research teams to execute against the project plans;
• Project Delivery: Lead all project kick-off routine partner and research team meetings as well as final presentation meetings;
• Relationship Management: Maintain strong relationships with all project partners research team members and key project stakeholders;
• Coordination: Serve as the primary point of contact for project partners ensuring they remain updated on project progress and that deliverables exceed expectations;
• Issue Spotting and Risk Management: Operate with attention to risk management information security contractual compliance with a keen eye for potential pitfalls or emerging risks;
• Budget: Work with Public Exchanges operations team to manage project finances ensuring timely transfer of funds to research team members and payment of direct research expenses;
• Communication and Pitching: Lead project communications coordinating with Public Exchange Communications Manager as well as university and partner communications teams including developing presentation decks messaging press releases web and social media content videos and other materials;
• Project Strategy: Continually seek strategic opportunities to build on project work deliver for partners and increase project impact.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelors degreedegrees in public policy urban planning social sciences environmental studies or other related fields are a plus
• At least 3-5 years experience leading multi-stakeholder cross-functional projects
• Recent work experience within a company non-profit university or government agency designing products policies or programs related to health or well-being issues
• Track record of creative problem-solving and being solution-driven
• Demonstrated capacity to quickly understand and synthesize complex ideas and concepts
• Strong analytical and communications skillsyou must be able to quickly and clearly communicate in writing
• Aptitude for learning and using tools that keep our hybrid team working as one unit: Google Workspace Asana Slack Canva etc. required
• Experience supporting primary or academic research projects is a plus

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Experience: 3-5 years combined education/experience acceptable as substitute for minimum experience

Anticipated Hiring Range:

The annual base salary range for this position is $83000 - $87000. 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 candidates work experience education/training key skills internal peer alignment federal state and local laws contractual stipulations grant funding as well as external market and organizational considerations.

This position is funded on gift accounts.

Location:

Hybrid L.A.-based; approximately 80% remote. Applicants outside of Los Angeles but open to relocation within three months encouraged to apply.

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.

• Job openings are posted for a minimum of (5) five business days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended so please apply on the same business day if interested.

• To support the well-being of our faculty and staff USC provides benefits-eligible employees with a broad range of perks to help protect their and their dependents health wealth and future. These benefits are available as part of the overall compensation and total rewards package. You can learn more about USCs comprehensive benefitshere.

• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

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 theBackground Screening Policy Appendix Dfor specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.

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