Distance Education Operations Specialist

DEN@Viterbi (DEN) is the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s graduate online engineering program that supports more than 40 master’s degrees and noncredit programs in a hybrid model, supporting faculty and students in the classroom and students online.  DEN’s infrastructure consists of 18+ hybrid classrooms and learning environments including learning management systems, lecture recording, database systems, and staff in areas of classroom operations, instructional services, technical support, systems administration, software programming, and advisement services. DEN supports additional engineering classrooms spaces related to instructor and user support for DEN managed instructional spaces.

The role of Instructional Operations Specialist is to facilitate the dissemination of the same learning content taught to the on-campus students to our distance students through the support of interactive classroom conferencing technologies, lecture capture, and instructional operations support via a hybrid modality. This is achieved through distance education training and technical support of control room and classroom operations and instructional technologies for classroom delivery of synchronous and asynchronous e-Learning systems and services.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Ensuring proper operations of live and recorded lectures, talks, and/or seminars by providing instructor, interactivity, and capture support of classroom activities and related peripherals including computers, electronic boards, webcast encoder applications, cameras and interactive technologies.

• Interfacing with instructors, staff members, student workers, and students to provide training, instructional support, capture and delivery of content via AV systems and conferencing set-ups (Webex, Zoom, other unified communications platforms).

• Supervising student workers to ensure that they are executing their job functions appropriately.

• Engaging in verbal and written communications to provide instructions, relevant information, and offer/confirm support to appropriate parties.

• Planning and conducting hands-on training sessions on such topics as hardware and software applications including related policies and procedures for faculty, staff and students. Scheduling faculty, staff and/or student training sessions.

• Performing routine operations equipment maintenance and troubleshooting.

• Establishing and maintaining software and documentation libraries and inventories. Maintaining and updating list of software and hardware needs for all courses.

• Staying informed of new technologies and hardware to improve quality of distance education operations. May make recommendations as appropriate.

• Conducting interviews of student workers to see if they are up to task to perform job responsibilities. Providing training to those hired on equipment operations, policies and procedures, and appropriate conduct.

Job duties may be added or modified as needed.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the mission of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Viterbi staff are expected to facilitate a culture of support and service, to model civility and respectful engagement at all times, and to maintain the highest ethical standards and to maintain strict confidentiality across all facets of their work.

Preferred Qualifications:

Minimum Education:

High school or equivalent

Specialized/technical training

Minimum Experience:

2 years

Minimum Field of Expertise:

Experience with capturing and delivering e-Learning Systems (via web and other electronic formats) and providing interactive conferencing set-up and support (web, phone, and audio/visual conferencing). Operations level experience with e-Learning Systems and services. Knowledge of support of instructional operations and technologies inside studio classrooms, such as computers, electronic boards, and other interactive conferencing technologies. Knowledge of computing environments and specific support for e-Learning hardware and software. Knowledge of streaming and conferencing technologies. Computer support and troubleshooting experience. Knowledge of networks and digitizing process. Knowledge of video and editing systems and processes.

Preferred Education:

Specialized/technical training

Preferred Experience:

3 years

Skills: Administrative:

Communicate with others to gather information

Coordinate work of others

Prioritize different projects

Understand and apply policies and procedures

Video editing (e.g., DaVinci Resolve, AVID, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, video compression for web)

Skills: Other:

Analysis Assessment/evaluation

Organization

Planning

Problem identification and resolution

Supervisory skills

Teaching/training

Skills: Machine/Equipment:

Audio/Visual equipment 

Computer network (department or school)

Encoders/decoders/digitizing computers Fax

Teleconferencing equipment

Supervises: Level:

Supervises employees and/or student workers

Working Conditions:

Occasional bending, reaching, climbing; Occasional exposure to adverse conditions

Additional Information:

This is an onsite position at USC’s University Park Campus located in Los Angeles, California. This position is not eligible for remote work as we are listed as essential employees. Work hours are typically late afternoons to evening coverage hours Monday through Friday typically 2-10pm dependent on class schedules. There is the possibility of additional Saturday hours worked, with overtime eligibility, spread amongst the other Specialist based on needs and projects that arise. There is also the possibility of restructuring of work hours based on the class schedules and surrounding area classroom spaces.

The hourly rate range for this position is $33.42 - $39.14.  When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope of 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 Applicant Documents:

A resume/CV and a cover letter are required. Please feel free to upload your application materials in a single document.

USC and the Viterbi School:

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is 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 what it is.

Founded in 1905, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is named for Andrew Viterbi who developed an algorithm to connect the world’s citizens. Similarly, the school, located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international business in the heart of the Pacific Rim, is a hub for entrepreneurship that connects students from 64 countries.

USC Viterbi is a pioneer in restoring sight to the blind; restoring memory to sufferers of Alzheimer’s; and socially assistive robots to aid seniors with stroke or children with autism. It is the home of the first operational quantum computing center in academia. Our alumni include Neil Armstrong, first human on the moon; A.C. Mike Markkula, co-founder of Apple; and Wanda Austin, former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation.

The USC Viterbi School is consistently ranked among the top graduate programs (U.S. News and World Report). Under the leadership of Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, the school helped re-imagine the 21st century engineer, pioneering the Grand Challenge Scholars Program in schools across the globe. Our mission is to serve California, the nation and the world. At USC Viterbi, we call this the enabling power of Engineering+.

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