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.
The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking a Program Assistant in the Center for Political Future. The largest and oldest of the USC schools, USC Dornsife functions as the academic core of the university, offering courses and advancing knowledge across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
The Center for Political Future (CPF) is a non-partisan center housed in the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Our 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.” The Center has several departments and initiatives that further its mission: the Unruh Institute of Politics, a Political Conversations series, a Fellows Program, the USC Dornsife/LA Times Poll, and large-scale conferences.
Originally founded in 1978 as the USC Institute of Politics and Government, it was renamed in 1987 as the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics after the late California politician. In 2018, the Unruh Institute became part of the new Center for the Political Future. Longtime political rivals, Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy head the Center as Director and Co-Director respectively. Shrum is a longtime Democratic strategist for politicians including Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and John Kerry. Murphy is a veteran Republican campaign strategist and has worked for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeb Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. The Center's Executive Director is Kamy Akhavan, former CEO of ProCon.org.
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The Program Assistant will serve as the Office Manager and as an assistant to Bob Shrum, Mike Murphy, and Kamy Akhavan. The ideal candidate should come across as polished and professional, hold themselves to the highest standards, and be able to work calmly in high-pressure environments.Responsibilities:
- Handling purchasing supplies, setting up vendors, coordinating vendor payments, securing purchase orders and, track shipments.
- Maintaining office supply inventory, handling basic A/V needs in the office.
- Updating multiple budget accounts monthly, maintain donor database.
- Arranging repairs and cleaning as needed.
- Supporting the Center Leadership Circle program, plus other related tasks to keep the office and virtual office operations running smoothly.
- Scheduling, fielding requests for media interviews.
- Drafting letters of recommendation and thank you correspondence.
- Conducting background research for events and programs.
- Setting up and running Zoom meetings.
- Serving as liaison to the political science department and various other campus entities, taking dictation, and other executive assistant functions.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Clear writing and meticulous proofreading skills.
- Strong customer service orientation
- Possesses a deep knowledge of political figures and writers, loves politics, works well independently and in teams.
- Takes criticism with a growth mindset, and sincerely believes in the CPF mission.
- Existing knowledge of WorkDay, Jaggaer, and Concur is a plus.
Hourly range: The hourly rate range for this position is $24.30-$24.50. 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.
Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.
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.
The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer that Values Diversity.
Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 1 year, Combined education/experience as substitute for minimum experience Minimum Field of Expertise: Administrative support services
