Assistant Director (Program Administrator)

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.  

As a community of Dornsife College “we are committed to the creation, preservation, and communication of fundamental knowledge in all its forms…as well as a lifelong passion for learning and a commitment to the betterment of society.”  The academic mission of Dornsife College can only be realized to its fullest potential when we build and protect a representative, equitable, inclusive culture of scholarship for students, faculty, and staff.  This is not done through initiatives but by embedding these values into the everyday interactions, relationships, policies, and practices of the College.  What is required is a seamless integration of the tenets of equity and inclusivity into every facet of academic life.  If we want our scholars, staff, and students to be able to give their very best, we must create an academic environment that portends success.  

Success is possible when every member of the Dornsife community owns their role as a steward of the culture in which we learn, research, and work; when we believe that it is because of who we are that we are able to do what we do: achieve excellence, together. 

Achieving a robust and inclusive academic culture requires more than just the completion of a task, but includes that person’s capacity to contribute positively to the relationships and culture of their office or department.  Therefore, any applicant seeking to advance the mission of Dornsife College should also be assessed on their capacities beyond the technical elements of their work, and demonstrate an understanding of their impact on others, and to articulate how they contribute positively to those around them.

THE CENTER FOR THE POLITICAL FUTURE (CPF) is a non-partisan center housed in the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The CPF mission is to “combine rigorous intellectual inquiry, teaching, and practical politics to advance civil dialogue and research that transcends partisan divisions and finds solutions to pressing national and global challenges.”

CPF has attracted thousands of participants to thousands of events, classes, internships, scholarships, polls, workshops, conferences, and its world-class Unruh Institute. CPF continues to develop top-quality political leaders who can work across political divides to advance a healthier democracy.

CPF is the only institute of politics in America led by a bi-partisan team. Longtime political rivals, Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy, are Director and Co-Director respectively. Shrum is a longtime Democratic strategist for politicians including Ted Kennedy, Al Gore and John Kerry. Murphy is a veteran Republican campaign strategist who worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney. The Center's Managing Director is Kamy Akhavan, former CEO of ProCon.org.

The Role

CPF seeks to hire a full-time Program Administrator to serve as the Assistant Director of the Center.

The Assistant Director is primarily responsible for coordinating and executing the 70+ events that CPF hosts annually. Specific duties include securing venues, acquiring permits, establishing partnerships, managing speakers, securing all A/V including Zoom and livestream and podcast, tracking metrics, and working with staff and partners for all aspects of running the events. Some of those events include the Warschaw Political Conference, the Climate Forward conference, the Combating Antisemitism series, skills-building workshops, political panel discussions, National Voter Registration Day engagement fair, Young Women’s Leadership Conference, and many more.

The Assistant Director also manages the paid student staff at the Center, including their timesheets, schedules, professional development, task delegation, supervision, and oversight for successful completion of their many required duties.

The Assistant Director works with political student organizations to help amplify CPF events through their networks and vice versa, as well as to create spaces where political student leaders can engage across difference in support of stronger civic life at USC and the broader community.

The role requires the ability to communicate effectively with high-profile speakers, donors, guests, and colleagues in advancing the CPF mission through events and other programs. The Assistant Director reports directly to the Executive Director.

Day-to-day activities will include: scheduling, securing speakers, securing partners, coordinating meetings, recording impact metrics, mentoring student staff, filling out required paperwork to secure venues and catering, acquiring permits, processing honoraria, arranging for travel and lodging for speakers, drafting thank you correspondence, conducting background research for events and programs, setting up and running Zoom meetings, serving as liaison to political student organizations, and handling special projects from senior CPF leadership.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate has significant event production experience and strong familiarity with university protocols.

The ideal person should be meticulously organized, highly professional, have a strong customer service orientation, possess a deep knowledge of political figures and writers, love politics, work well independently and in teams, take criticism with a growth mindset, and sincerely believe in the CPF mission. 

The ideal candidate should come across as polished and kind, hold himself or herself to the highest standards, and be able to work calmly in high-pressure environments.

The Assistant Director performs other related duties as assigned or requested. CPF reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Existing knowledge of WorkDay, Concur, Canva, and social media advertising is a plus. 

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.
• The position is non-exempt and salaried. Pay is monthly.
• USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services; discounts to sporting and other campus events.

Salary range: The annual base salary range for this position is $83,893.54 - $86,000. 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).
• 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.

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.  

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 3 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related professional experience in area of program specialization.