Project Administrator

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

1d

About The Position

USC’s Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry is seeking a collaborative, adaptable, and service-oriented Project Administrator for the Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. The position supports the Ausderau Lab, which works to improve health, participation, and well-being for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their care partner communities, with emphasis on community-engaged research, health equity, implementation science, and meaningful inclusion in research.

The Project Administrator will play a central role in the PCORI-funded HEALTH 4 ME comparative effectiveness research study. This multi-state, community-based cluster-randomized trial, conducted with Special Olympics programs, aims to improve healthcare access, health self-advocacy, and health outcomes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The role coordinates the study’s day-to-day administration across participating states and partner organizations, supporting completion of activities according to study protocols, sponsor requirements, and established timelines. The position also provides operational guidance to project personnel and supports the Principal Investigator.

The role requires strong organization, attention to detail, communication, and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to manage multiple concurrent activities and deadlines in a dynamic, mission-driven academic environment. USC describes a range of employee benefits and programs supporting staff and their families, work-life balance, and employee well-being.

Requirements

• Master’s degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience consistent with USC requirements for the Project Administrator classification.
• At least three years of directly related research or project administration experience.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex projects with multiple activities, timelines, personnel, and deliverables.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to establish and maintain project management systems, prioritize competing responsibilities, meet deadlines, maintain accurate documentation, and independently follow activities through completion.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with investigators, research staff, community partners, and external organizations.

Nice To Haves

• Doctoral degree in occupational therapy, public health, psychology, social work, education, rehabilitation, health sciences, research administration, or a related field.
• Experience administering large externally funded, multi-site, or community-based research projects.
• Experience managing sponsor reporting requirements, coordinating budgets or subcontracts, supervising or guiding project staff, managing research data systems, and working with community partners.
• Experience with PCORI-funded research, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and/or community-engaged research.

Responsibilities

• Administer and coordinate day-to-day operations of the multi-state HEALTH 4 ME project, including timelines, work plans, meetings, cross-site communication, milestones, deliverables, and partner coordination.
• Develop, implement, and maintain project procedures, tracking systems, documentation processes, and organizational systems for consistent study operations across participating sites.
• Coordinate recruitment, participant tracking, data collection, and data management; monitor the completeness, quality, and timely completion of study activities.
• Coordinate PCORI-required reporting and sponsor communications, tracking milestones, recruitment, deliverables, project activities, and progress-report information.
• Support administration and monitoring of project budgets, subcontracts, purchasing, expenditures, and other resources in collaboration with the Principal Investigator and administrative staff.
• Provide operational guidance to research staff and project personnel, coordinate training and communication of project procedures, and monitor assigned activities.
• Support preparation of study reports, presentations, dissemination materials, and other project documentation.

Benefits

• USC offers a wide variety of benefits and programs that support staff and their families.
• USC describes support for work-life balance and employee well-being.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level