Academic Program Specialist

About the role

The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking an Academic Program Specialist to work in Academic Innovation and Research Engagement (AIRE). The largest and oldest of the USC schools, USC Dornsife functions as the academic core of the university, offering courses and advancing knowledge across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. AIRE supports the operations of affiliated academic research centers and institutes across the humanities, social sciences, and life sciences, providing comprehensive expertise in academic programming, financial administration, event planning, communications, business operations, and administrative services.

The Academic Program Specialist will partner with faculty, researchers, students, and staff to coordinate academic programming, research activities, events, communications, and the day-to-day operations of a portfolio of research centers and institutes. Through AIRE’s collaborative service model, this position provides comprehensive administrative support to an assigned portfolio of research centers and institutes.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates and supports academic events, seminars, workshops, conferences, and guest lectures, including scheduling, logistics, travel arrangements, catering, and on-site event support.
• Prepares and distributes communications, newsletters, reports, presentations, and promotional materials to support research center activities and outreach.
• Supports the day-to-day operations of assigned research centers and institutes by coordinating meetings, maintaining records, responding to inquiries, and serving as a primary point of contact for faculty, researchers, students, and visitors.
• Assists with budget administration by monitoring operating budgets, processing financial transactions, tracking expenditures, reconciling accounts, preparing financial reports, and researching and resolving discrepancies.
• Coordinates the recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and training of student workers.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

Requirements

• Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education.
• Minimum Experience: 2 years. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum experience.
• Minimum Field of Expertise: Experience in higher education and/or customer service.

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills for interacting with both domestic and international stakeholders.
• Demonstrated attention to detail.
• Proven ability to plan, implement, and coordinate program logistics.
• Demonstrated database/data entry experience.
• Proven project management and problem-solving skills, able to handle multiple timelines, changing priorities, and fluctuating workloads.

Pay

The hourly rate range for this position is $28.88 – $33.82. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s 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.

Schedule

This is a 100% full-time, on-site/on-campus position.