Project Specialist

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: 

To be considered for this opportunity, please include a cover letter with your CV/resume.  It can be added to the application at the same time/place you add your CV/resume, or as one document.

About USC

The University of Southern California (USC) is a leading private research university. The university offers students a world-class education with highly ranked programs in virtually every field — from cinema to the sciences — as well as unparalleled research, internship, and professional opportunities in a wide array of organizations including nonprofits, Fortune 500 companies and global businesses.

About USC Student Life

Student Life is a collective of departments, programs, and people all dedicated to one mission: supporting the students’ journey as a Trojan! From career support and campus activities to wellbeing resources, community centers, and the Trojan Welcome Experience, we’re here to help you thrive in every part of your USC experience. Learn more at https://studentlife.usc.edu/our-vision-mission-and-purpose/

About the Opportunity

USC Student Life seeks a highly organized, collaborative, and service-oriented Project Specialist to support the Associate Vice President for Administration and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Vice President for Student Life. This position plays an important role in advancing initiatives that foster student success, strengthen the student experience, and cultivate a vibrant campus community.

The Project Specialist serves as a key operational partner, managing complex projects, planning events, coordinating communication efforts, and facilitating collaboration across departments. The ideal candidate is a skilled project manager and thoughtful communicator who can manage multiple priorities, build strong working relationships, and ensure the effective and timely execution of high-impact initiatives. Primary focus areas include event/meeting planning, operations, community building, project management, communication, and assessment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage multiple concurrent projects in partnership with the Associate Vice President for Administration and Chief of Staff, ensuring alignment with Student Life priorities and student success goals.
• Develop project plans, coordinate cross-departmental teams and working groups, monitor milestones, and promote timely execution, accountability, and clear reporting of outcomes.
• Lead the planning and execution of leadership meetings, staff gatherings, student engagement programs, seasonal celebrations, and other events that foster connection and community.
• Coordinate event logistics and timelines, including scheduling, invitations, reminders, materials, facilities, vendors, and other operational needs.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for event participants, campus partners, vendors, and other stakeholders, providing clear, timely, and welcoming communication.
• Develop and coordinate communications that support divisional projects, events, and initiatives, including correspondence, invitations, presentations, reports, and informational materials.
• Prepare briefings, presentations, meeting materials, and logistical plans to support leadership participation in meetings, committees, events, and other engagements.
• Assist with planning and implementing data-collection efforts, including recommending methods for data acquisition, management, and quality control.
• Develop and maintain databases and other records for tracking and reporting purposes, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of information.
• Research, gather, organize, and analyze information for project and administrative reports; summarize findings and recommend effective approaches for presenting results.
• Create charts, graphs, tables, dashboards, and other visual materials that clearly communicate data, progress, outcomes, and impact.
• Prepare project status reports and coordinate the production and distribution of materials to ensure deadlines are met and stakeholders remain informed.
• In addition, the successful candidate must demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of three (3) years of directly related professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including coordination of complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and maintain strong attention to detail.
• Strong organizational, analytical, verbal, and written communication skills.

Preferred Requirements

• Five (5) years of directly related professional experience.
• Master’s degree.
• Prior leadership experience within higher education.

The hourly base rate for this position is $30.00-40.00. When determining an offer, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, education, training, key skills, internal peer alignment, applicable laws, contractual requirements, grant funding, and market conditions.

#LI-MN1

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 the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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