Project Specialist

The Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) at the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking a Project Specialist to join its team. The project specialist will work in a multidisciplinary environment in support of research to facilitate longitudinal and cross-country analyses on aging, health, and retirement. This position requires an individual with a public health or public policy background who is capable of understanding, communicating, and contributing to research on complex policies affecting older people in the United States and internationally, as well as institutional characteristics that may influence health, late-life cognition, and dementia care. This position will focus on documenting and contextualizing international and state-level differences in education policy and practice.

Job responsibilities include:

• Acquiring a strong understanding of country-specific differences in social and economic policy, such as education policy
• Collecting, interpreting, and documenting complex information on country-specific policy related to educational systems. Countries will include those in the European Union and United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Brazil, and Chile.
• Working with a team to manage information and data collection, conducting descriptive analysis, and creating reports
• Assisting with organizing and scheduling activities to meet research objectives and study protocol compliance
• Developing approaches for concisely communicating country-specific differences in social and economic policy
• Participating in writing of reports, research papers, articles and other documentation of project status and/or administrative activities or project results

Qualifications:

• Ability to produce careful and detail-oriented work
• Ability to collect and interpret information from a variety of languages leveraging tools such as Google Translate
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities 
• Minimum education: Bachelor’s Degree (Master’s Degree strongly preferred)
• Minimum Experience: 2 years
• Major in public health, public policy, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, quantitative social sciences, or related field required.

Position Location: Los Angeles, CA (University Park Campus)

Minimum Field of Expertise: Economics or other quantitative social science.

This is a grant-funded position.

Hourly range: The hourly rate range for this position is $29 - $33.34. 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 Minimum Experience: 2 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related education and experience to be able to advise on project procedures and analysis techniques