Lead Specialist, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services

University of Southern California•Los Angeles, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) is responsible for ensuring equitable access for students with disabilities. The Lead Specialist for Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Services, reporting to the Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services, will provide day-to-day services to students, engage in outreach and education, and facilitate accommodations specifically for DHH students. This leadership role requires subject matter expertise, significant responsibility, and contributions to strategic departmental projects. The position involves direct student service, support for faculty and campus partners, documentation review, and caseload management with a student-centered approach, ensuring legal compliance and adherence to best practices in DHH services. The individual must effectively apply disability-related laws to accommodation and service delivery, problem-solving, and issue identification. Proficiency in basic Microsoft Office software and the ability to learn the department's student records management database are necessary. This role also includes guiding the work of other staff, such as Assistive Technology Coordinators and student staff. All OSAS staff must maintain current knowledge of disability-related laws and comply with FERPA guidelines. OSAS fosters a collaborative, high-achieving, supportive, and inclusive team environment. The successful candidate must be capable of working both independently and collaboratively, demonstrating strong communication, attention to detail, and a thorough understanding of ADA and Section 504 standards.

Requirements

Master’s degree in a relevant field (i.e., Education/Special Education; Counseling; Rehabilitation Counseling; Higher Ed Administration, Deaf Studies, Communicative Disorders and Interpreting) OR combined experience/education as a substitute for the minimum education.
3 years’ experience in a relevant field.
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.
Experience tracking expenditures in departmental budgets, processing reimbursements, managing purchase orders, and reconciling invoices.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Attention to detail, effective issue identification, excellent organizational skills, trouble-shooting and problem-solving skills and proactivity in work and communication.
Ability to deliver high quality, time-sensitive work and operate effectively in varying levels of intensity within the department.

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

Maintain a caseload of students with disabilities, with subject matter expertise in DHH documentation review, including audiology and speech/language assessments, and the ability to review documentation for other disabilities (medical, psychological-education, neuropsychological reports) in accordance with laws and best practices.
Attend and actively participate in weekly documentation review meetings.
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.
Provide multi-directional guidance to students, parents/guardians, OSAS staff, academic unit contacts, vendors, and other University personnel.
Coordinate and implement DHH services for undergraduate and graduate students across on-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 HIPAA-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, which may include cross-training to assist in different accommodation service areas and other departmental project needs.