Public Exchange Climate and Sustainability Practice Director

USC Dornsife Public Exchange is reimagining how research serves the public. Founded in 2020 at USC, Public Exchange fast-tracks collaborations between academic researchers and partners across the public and private sectors to define, analyze and solve complex problems together. In 2025, Public Exchange became a national network through a partnership with Washington University in St. Louis-working collaboratively to accelerate the use of evidence in decision‑making across the country.

In 2023, USC Dornsife Public Exchange established a Climate and Sustainability Practice drives flagship, high-impact initiatives such as Shade

LA and the California Solar Canal Initiative . Other projects have addressed electrified mobility, water conservation, and climate communications, in partnership with the City and County of Los Angeles, the United Nations Foundation, the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance, and leading non‑profits.

POSITION SUMMARY

We are seeking a strategic, collaborative, and impact‑driven leader with deep understanding of climate‑related issues to guide and grow Public Exchange's Climate & Sustainability Practice. This role sits at the intersection of research, policy, and on‑the‑ground action‑ideal for someone who can lead teams, build broad coalitions, and translate ideas into real‑world impact.

The Practice Director will oversee Public Exchange's growing portfolio of applied climate projects while helping shape the next generation of initiatives in this space. Over the next three years, a major focus will be leading Shade

LA-a signature regional campaign built to deliver a lasting legacy of expanded natural and build shade across the region, connected to the series of several major sporting events hosted in Los Angeles in the coming years. This work goes far beyond research: it requires coordinating a large and diverse coalition of public agencies, community partners, architects, designers, and funders; facilitating fundraising efforts to support implementation;

and fostering innovation to deliver visible, lasting results.

In addition to Shade

LA, the Practice Director will help advance initiatives such as the California Solar Canal Initiative and other applied projects and will have broad latitude to develop new projects, pilot cross‑sector collaborations, and shape the future direction of Public Exchange's climate work.

The ideal candidate combines visionary leadership with a hands‑on, get‑it‑done attitude-equally comfortable in strategy sessions with senior partners and in the details of program delivery. They will thrive in interdisciplinary, cross‑sectoral, cross‑cultural teams and in situations with complexity and uncertainty, leading with empathy and a servant‑leader approach. Public Exchange is a new program and still at an early stage of its growth.

An entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to pitch in and work with a small but mighty team to build a program from the ground up is essential, as are intellectual curiosity and a commitment to innovation and social impact.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Key Areas of Responsibility

Strategic Leadership

• Update and implement the Climate and Sustainability Practice strategic plan to maximize the impact of Public Exchange's work in this area, working closely with the Executive Director (ED) and Director of Strategy and Operations (DSO).

• Lead delivery of Public Exchange projects and initiatives, including Shade

LA, coordinating coalition partners; guiding policy and implementation strategy; securing resources for delivery; and driving innovation to achieve measurable outcomes.

Partnership & Brand Building

• Engage with USC and external faculty to understand areas of expertise and identify opportunities for alignment with Public Exchange's climate and sustainability projects.

• Maintain awareness of USC faculty research in climate and sustainability, and continually identify opportunities to match USC experts with emerging needs in the public and private sectors.

• Build relationships that expand Public Exchange's visibility and reputation among potential partners, funders, and thought leaders.

Project Oversight & Team Management

• Oversee…