Office Manager

This position is a full-time, 1-year fixed-term role (renewable) with a fully onsite work arrangement at the University Park Campus in Los Angeles.

About the Role

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) is a growing multi-disciplinary center studying decision making and human behavior over the life-course. We are seeking an Office Manager to run day-to-day operations, AV for meetings, and special projects and events. This role supports a busy office of ~100 faculty and staff on the University Park campus, as well as Capital Campus and offsite employee needs.

Responsibilities

• On-boarding new staff, computer and software acquisition, and offsite storage management
• Mail and delivery coordination, supply inventory, and purchasing
• Requisition creation, invoicing, and use of Workday financial report systems and Concur
• Staff meeting arrangements, audio/visual setup, and travel arrangements and expenses
• Managing site-specific needs such as keys, facilities requests, space management, Zoom lines, and emergency planning
• Assisting the Executive Director and Co-Director with center-related expense tracking, purchases, travel, and meeting arrangements
• Overseeing student workers and an administrative assistant
• Website editing and updates (WordPress or similar)
• Event planning for seminars, conferences, and team-building social gatherings
• Advanced accounting, financial management, budgeting, and reporting
• Public speaking and presentation tasks
• Multi-tasking with regular tasks and new assignments while managing multiple deadlines
• Maintaining connections among multiple sub-centers within the department
• Backing up the admin assistant team and providing warm hospitality for guests

Requirements

• Expected to work onsite 5 days per week at USC University Park Campus in Los Angeles, CA
• Expertise in software and technology, including computers, phones, networks, Zoom, Workday, and video/sound equipment for meetings and seminars
• Event planning experience for seminars, conferences, and team-building social gatherings
• Advanced accounting/financial management, budgeting, and reporting experience
• Public speaking and presentation skills
• Ability to multi-task with regular tasks and a steady influx of new tasks while managing multiple deadlines
• Schedule flexibility to accommodate building requests and deliveries
• Safe lifting and sorting of supplies and other materials, up to 20 lbs.
• At least 3 years’ experience managing an office of similar size
• Experience in an academic environment and with Workday preferred

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree (or combined experience/education as substitute)
• Minimum Experience: 3 years in office management combined with budget administration

Pay

The annual base salary range for this position is $85,782.45 - $87,000. When extending an offer, USC considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal/state/local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, and external market/organizational considerations.

This position is funded by a contract/grant/gift and may be contingent upon receipt of necessary funding. In the event of funding changes, employment adjustments or termination may occur with one month’s written notice. No severance benefits are provided for contract/grant-funded positions, but final paychecks will include pay for days worked and accrued/unused vacation (sick days are not paid out).

About CESR

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to discovering how people around the globe live, think, interact, age, invest, and make important life-changing decisions. Our research deepens the understanding of human behavior in economic and social contexts, with the ultimate goal of improving social welfare by informing and influencing decision-making in public and private sectors. CESR leads a creative revolution in how scientists conduct social science and economic research through innovative technology.

About the USC Schaeffer Institute

The USC Schaeffer Institute develops evidence-based solutions to address the nation’s most pressing policy issues. It serves as a policy laboratory, fostering civic engagement and providing a forum to reach federal policymakers. Established in 2024, it houses three flagship programs: the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service, and the Center for Civic Society. The institute is home to over 150 scholars and staff, including three Nobel Laureates and seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, with offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

About the Sol Price School of Public Policy

Ranked among the foremost schools of public policy in the nation, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy generates uncommon knowledge for the common good. The school’s interdisciplinary approach addresses critical issues such as health-care policy, homelessness, sustainability, and congestion. Founded in 1929, it includes four departments: Public Policy and Management, Health Policy and Management, Wilbur H. Smith III Department of Real Estate Development, and Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis. The school’s research centers and initiatives, including the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and the Bedrosian Center on Governance, account for over $100 million in externally funded research grants and contracts.