The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university a great place to work.

The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking an Academic Program Specialist in the Department of Middle East Studies. 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.

The Department of Middle East Studies (MDES) is committed to the teaching and study of the languages, cultures, peoples, and societies throughout the Middle East region. MDES is home to an interdisciplinary major and minor in Middle East Studies, a minor in Iranian Studies, and a minor in Arabic. The department organizes lively and exciting lectures, colloquia, conferences, and film series on a broad range of topics ranging from politics and economics to history and the arts.

Job Summary:

Plans and implements academic program services and activities. Provides administrative and/or operational support to team members and/or managers responsible for program development and performance to ensure overall success.

Describe specific responsibilities:

• Plans and administers department programs.
• Oversees department communication. Maintain and optimize Department pages within each platform to increase visibility of its social media content.
• Manages department’s web presence. Generate, edit, publish and share content (original text, images, video or HTML) that supports the department's development vision and goals.
• Prepares and processes a variety of business transactions such as vendor payments, invoices, and reimbursements for staff and faculty.
• Collaborate with other departments to manage reputation, identify key players and coordinate actions.
• Communicates with students and processes awards, prizes, and scholarships.

Preferred qualifications:

• 2-4 years of experience in administrative support or program support services in directly related field.
• Excellent consulting, writing, editing (photo/video/text), presentation and communications skills.
• Positive attitude, detail and customer oriented with strong multitasking and organizational abilities.
• Fluency in English. Familiarity with Middle Eastern languages and cultures a plus.

Hourly range: The hourly rate range for this position is $27 - $30. 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.

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.
• USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six months of employment; tuition benefits for staff and their family; free Professional Development classes; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services; discounts to sporting and other campus events.

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

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer that Values Diversity.

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. 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.