Lead Specialist for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services

Office of Student Accessibility’s (OSAS)

Application Process:

Please include a cover letter with your resume/CV.

About OSAS

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) is the unit on campus responsible for ensuring equitable access to the University setting for a diverse population of students with disabilities. With a focus on accessibility, inclusivity and creating environments free of discrimination, OSAS team members assess and approve reasonable accommodations and services for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, both on campus and on-line.

About the Opportunity

Under the supervision of the Office of Student Accessibility’s (OSAS) Assistant Director, the Lead Specialist for Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Services will be responsible for providing day-to-day service to students on behalf of OSAS, and actively engaging in outreach, education and facilitation of accommodations particularly related to DHH services. This individual is a key team member and contributor in a fast-paced environment that fosters the full and meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities at the University. This role is a leadership role within the Unit, and as such, provides subject matter expertise, carries high-impact responsibility levels, and significantly contributes to strategic departmental projects.

We are seeking to fill a full-time position. The Lead DHH Specialist is responsible for direct student service, faculty and campus partner support, documentation review, and caseload management in a manner that is student-centered, legally compliant, and reflective of best practices in the field, especially as it pertains to DHH services. The individual in this role must exhibit effectiveness in understanding and applying disability-related laws to routine and complex accommodation and service delivery, as well as to issue identification and problem-solving. All OSAS staff are expected to maintain current working knowledge of all relevant disability-related laws, and to operate in accordance with FERPA guidelines.

OSAS is a highly collaborative team with a culture of high achievement, supportiveness, and inclusivity. The successful candidate must be able to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating strong collaboration, attention to detail, and a thorough understanding of effective communication and accessibility standards under the ADA and Section 504.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Lead Specialist must have a working knowledge of reviewing DHH documentation, including but not limited to, audiology, speech and language assessments and ability to review documentation for other disabilities in accordance with laws and best practices which may include medical, psychological-education, and neuropsychological reports.
• Coordinate with vendors to confirm availability, assign interpreters / CART providers, and manage service delivery schedules.
• Assign the optimal provider to each course, event, or accommodation based on skill, setting, and logistics.
• Track provider availability, manage substitutions or last-minute changes, and ensure coverage continuity.
• Coordinate with faculty/departments/Information Technology Services to obtain class materials (slides, transcripts, scripts) in advance to support accurate and timely service delivery.
• Maintain a master schedule for interpreters, CART providers, and captioners.
• Collect feedback from students and faculty about provider performance and service satisfaction.
• Monitor provider performance, maintain evaluation of metrics, and flag issues for correction or reassignments.
• Oversee and coordinate remediation of course-related media content, in-house, and with external vendors.
• Maintain equipment or supplies inventory tied to DHH services (e.g. FM systems, headphones, wireless mics).
• In collaboration with facilities staff, instructors, and the Office Manager, coordinate classroom Assistive Hearing/Listening Technology and related logistics, including room setup, lighting, seating, and audio arrangements to support interpreters and transcribers.
• In collaboration with the Office Manager, maintain routine records, review and approve invoices, reconcile billing discrepancies, and ensure timely payment to vendors.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills and maintain appropriate professionalism in the face of challenging communications that arise from a variety of sources. This role will be involved in providing multi-directional guidance to students, parents/guardians, OSAS staff, academic unit contacts, vendors providing services, and other University personnel.
• This role requires the ability to work efficiently under deadlines, manage details, and address multiple tasks with rapid response.  The DHH Coordination Specialist should be adept with basic Microsoft Office software and be able to learn and make effective use of the department’s student records management database in accordance with FERPA guidelines.
• Coordinate and implement DHH services for undergraduate and graduate students across campus, online programs, and/or external placement settings (i.e. fieldwork, clinical, and practicum sites), ensuring effective implementation of necessary assistive technology and communication access solutions in HIPPA protected environments.
• Actively engage in professional development and remain current on best practices, emerging technologies, legal standards, and research related to Deaf/Hard of Hearing accessibility and communication services in higher education.
• Other duties as assigned. May include cross-training to assist in different accommodation service areas and other departmental project needs.

Essential Skills and Knowledge:

• Disability-related laws: Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, understand, and apply disability-related laws (i.e. ADAAA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) to routine accommodation and service delivery, as well as to basic issue-identification and problem-solving. Maintain student records in accordance with FERPA guidelines.  
• Budget Management: Experience tracking expenditures in departmental budgets, processing reimbursements, managing purchase orders, and reconciling invoices.
• Technology: Knowledge of operating systems (PC, Mac). Adept with basic office software (Microsoft Office Suite), email (Outlook), and internet. Ability to format in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Google Drive, SharePoint and/or OneDrive. Comfort and ability to learn department database to access, update, and edit student records. 
• Teamwork: Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team, as well as independently. Commitment to ensuring the on-going, successful functioning of the unit via day-to-day and longer-term operations. Willingness to assist staff as needed. 
• Communication: Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills demonstrated across a wide range of populations (e.g. students, faculty, academic department contacts, University and Division staff, as well as the OSAS staff). The ability to adapt to various communication styles and maintain professionalism in the face of challenging communications. Exhibit discretion with private and/or confidential student, staff, or other departmental information. 
• Judgment: Sound professional judgment, exhibited in areas including, but not limited to: raising issues to the appropriate team member(s), effective prioritization, responsiveness, proactivity, assisting students in distress, safety measures on behalf of the office, etc. 
• Time and Project Management: Proven ability to successfully manage and shift between multiple competing priorities, complete necessary work by established deadlines, and ensure quality assurance for DHH services and accommodations. This individual will demonstrate attention to detail, effective issue identification, excellent organizational skills, trouble-shooting and problem-solving skills and proactivity in work and communication. It is essential that the successful candidate can deliver high quality, time-sensitive work and operate effectively in varying levels of intensity within the department. 
• In addition, the successful candidate must demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in relevant field (i.e. Education/Special Education; Counseling; Rehabilitation Counseling; Higher Ed Administration, Deaf Studies, Communicative Disorders and Interpreting)
• 3 years’ experience in relevant field
• Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preferred experience in Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) services and student personnel administration
• 5 years working with students with hearing disabilities in a higher education setting

The annual base salary range for this position is $72,045.33 - $ $85,149.81. 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

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