Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

3d • $74,000 - $84,000

About The Position

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, staff, and students that make the university a great place to work. The USC Equity Research Institute and the USC Department of Sociology invite applicants to apply for a one-year 2026 ERI Turpanjian Postdoctoral Scholar, renewable for a second year. The USC Equity Research Institute (ERI) is a research unit headed by Professor Manuel Pastor and situated within the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. Founded in 2007, ERI provides forward-looking, actionable research to support community-based organizations, funders, and other stakeholders working towards social, racial, economic, and environmental justice. ERI produces data-driven analysis and rigorous research to inform movements and policy; leads convenings and communications that deepen and broaden our reach into key audiences; engages in strategic collaborations that leverage our strengths for broader impact; and models an effective, sustainable, and racially-just research center. For more information about us and our projects, visit: https://dornsife.usc.edu/ERI . For this Postdoctoral Scholar position, we seek candidates who will advance the Turpanjian mission, which is to support deepening knowledge of the ways civil society institutions and grassroots actors are transforming the economic and social landscape of the 21st Century . We invite applicants whose scholarship addresses intersections and tensions in emerging organizing models and active tools for social change. While the focus is on social movements in the United States, we also welcome applicants whose scholarship utilizes transnational and comparative analysis to contextualize these movements. Potential areas of inquiry include but are not limited to new forms of social movement organizing, including the role of digital organizing and social media; the interplay between electoral politics and social movements; the tensions and possibilities of organizing across communities, issue areas, regions, and demographics; the challenges of building broad fronts to protect democracy; and new ways of framing and working for economic and racial justice.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate.
• Applications must include: (1) a cover letter, (2) C.V., (3) a detailed description of the nature of the research undertaken during the fellowship period, (4) a relevant writing and analysis sample up to 30 pages, and (5) contact information for three references.
• All documents are required for consideration.

Nice To Haves

• Possess strong communication skills to work effectively within the team, and a diversity of stakeholders and sectors.
• Completed all requirements for their doctoral degree by August 1, 2026.
• Graduating doctoral students and pre-tenure professors with a doctorate in a social science discipline

Responsibilities

• Contribute to cross-campus collaborations.
• Conceptualize and plan activities (such as workshops or a symposium) that will engage the campus community on issues of civil society and social change.
• Teach one course in the department of Sociology.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.
• The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees