Academic Program Specialist -Graduate Affairs

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" comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university a unique place.

The USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is seeking an Academic Program Specialist to join its team. The Academic Program Specialist will provide professional administrative support to the Graduate Affairs Office at the School of Pharmacy. These activities will occur under the direct supervision of the Associate Director for Graduate Programs but will involve extensive interaction with other key personnel, most importantly the Assistant Dean for Assessment and Associate Dean for Graduate Education.

General Statement of Responsibilities

The Academic Program Specialist is responsible for support with recruitment and providing student support for Graduate Programs at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The program specialist is responsible for coordinating, marketing, and supporting invitational programs/functions for the Office of Graduate Affairs. They will represent the school both on and off campus and online to prospective students and other individuals or organizations interested in obtaining information about the graduate programs available at the USC Mann School. Additional support activities include:

• Planning, coordinating, and implementing in-person and online recruitment activities for prospective students such as informational open house events, interview events, campus visits, and special events. Facilitates logistics and arranges for special services and refreshments as needed.

• Assisting in development of promotional material, including social media and newsletter, for the various programs.

• Working with respective MS degree programs on expansion and targeted marketing.

• Counseling prospective applicants on the admissions process and program-specific admission requirements.

• Providing MS student support and advising from admission and orientation through completion.

• Coordinating recruitment presentations with local universities and student organizations and with the PharmD recruitment team where applicable.

• Tracking of recruitment effort outcomes and metrics to be shared and presented to program directors and faculty

• Contributing to analysis of recruitment data and discussion of strategy.

• Managing and maintaining the website for the various graduate programs which includes updating recruitment efforts, open house and interview dates, and the addition of new programs as applicable.

• Coordinating program services with other offices and staff on Campus. Serves as a resource for program information.

• Budgeting, reporting and creating/maintaining databases for program records, evaluations, reports and accreditation.

• Providing daily administrative support for academic unit.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• This position requires: 1) domestic travel to conferences, graduate school fairs and other forums, 2) the ability to load and transport admissions materials, displays and other equipment, and 3) the ability to work some evening and weekend hours, especially during the recruitment season or events such as orientation.
• The successful applicant will possess strong cross-cultural interpersonal and writing skills, including public speaking skills and the ability to present the school in a positive way to diverse populations.
• The specialist will have experience in student affairs.
• The specialist requires knowledge of internal and external systems, processes, and resources for prospective applicants such as WebAdmit and Liaison EMP.
• The successful applicant will be a team player and highly organized.

The hourly rate range for this position is $29.00 - $35.00. 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.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 2 years. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum experience Minimum Field of Expertise: Experience in higher education and/or customer service. Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills for interacting with both domestic and international stakeholders. Demonstrated attention to detail. 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.