Academic Program Manager - Life Sciences Academic Service Hub

Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California (USC) is a leading private research university located in the heart of Los Angeles and the city’s largest private employer. As a member of the USC community, you will join a world-class institution and become part of the Trojan Family, a community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni dedicated to advancing knowledge, discovery, and innovation.

The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is the university’s largest and oldest academic unit and serves as its academic core. USC Dornsife advances knowledge and provides educational opportunities across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Through a divisional framework, Dornsife’s Academic Service Hubs provide specialized administrative and operational support to approximately 35 academic departments across the college. Each hub supports a designated academic division, tailoring services to the needs of its departments and their faculty, staff, and students.

The mission of the Academic Service Hubs is to deliver responsive, coordinated, and high-quality support that strengthens academic operations and fosters faculty success, instructional excellence, and research engagement.

The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is seeking an Academic Program Manager for the Life Sciences Academic Services Hub. This position coordinates and manages key academic and faculty affairs processes, providing guidance and operational support to departments within the Life Sciences division.

Working collaboratively with department leadership, faculty, staff, and Dornsife Faculty Affairs, the Academic Program Manager helps ensure that faculty-related processes and academic operations are completed accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with university policies and established procedures. The successful candidate will be highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and skilled at managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic academic environment.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

Faculty Affairs and Career Development

• Coordinate faculty review and promotion processes, including dossier preparation, documentation, review timelines, and submission requirements.
• Support faculty recruitment and hiring activities, coordinating administrative processes, required documentation, and communication with relevant stakeholders.
• Facilitate faculty professional development activities and provide administrative support for initiatives that promote faculty growth and success.
• Coordinate faculty leave processes, ensuring appropriate documentation, timely communication, and adherence to university policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and confidential faculty records and personnel files in accordance with university requirements.

Policy, Compliance, and Process Coordination

• Partner with Dornsife Faculty Affairs and department leadership to interpret and implement applicable faculty policies, procedures, and requirements.
• Monitor deadlines and documentation requirements for faculty-related processes, proactively identifying potential issues and facilitating timely resolution.
• Maintain organized records and support compliance with university policies, internal procedures, and applicable reporting requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve administrative workflows, standardize processes, and enhance service delivery across supported departments.

Academic Operations and Departmental Support

• Coordinate academic scheduling and staffing activities in collaboration with department leadership and relevant university partners.
• Provide responsive administrative support to faculty, staff, and department leadership, helping resolve questions and address operational needs.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects, recurring academic processes, and time-sensitive assignments while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Communicate process updates, deadlines, requirements, and other relevant information clearly and consistently to stakeholders.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, particularly in academic departments or faculty affairs.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex administrative processes and manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and time management.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Proficiency with common office productivity tools and the ability to learn university administrative systems.

Salary Range:

The annual base salary range for this position is $98,113.29–$115,882.50.

When extending an offer of employment, USC considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education and training, key skills, internal peer alignment, applicable 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.
• 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.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 5 years. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum experience Minimum Field of Expertise: Experience managing learning programs for adults. Demonstrated experience in management/leadership roles, building and maintaining relationships with domestic and international stakeholders. Proven budget oversight and planning experience. Outstanding interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, with exemplary attention to detail. Experience in higher education and/or customer service. Proven ability to plan, implement, and coordinate program logistics. Demonstrated database/data entry experience. Proven project management and problem solving skills, able to handle multiple timelines, changing priorities, and fluctuating workloads.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. 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 theBackground Screening Policy Appendix Dfor specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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