Program Specialist - Fellowship Programs

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 faculty, students and staff that make the university what it is.

The USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy, Fellowship Programs, seeks a full-time Program Specialist. The Mission of the USC Mann School of Pharmacy Fellowship Program is to create Post-Doctoral Fellowship training programs that develop professionals to meet future needs. We achieve this by providing innovative, cross-functional, and collaborative training centered on projects while embedded with industry partners. The USC Mann Industry Fellowships are an interdisciplinary partnership providing multi-year fellowships, joint academic and industry research projects, and a culture of belonging and cross-pollination with USC Mann.

The Program Specialist is responsible for operational delivery, execution, and coordination of multiple aspects of the Fellowship programs at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy, including but not limited to Fellowship Recruitment, Meeting Logistics, Fellowship Administration, and Finances and Budgets.

The Program Specialist responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Operational Delivery and Execution – Drives completion of assigned tasks in support of priority Fellowship deliverables, utilizing clear and effective communication, collaborative teamwork with internal and external stakeholders, and proactive follow-up and resolution. Utilizes project management and risk management tools including dashboards, project plans, Gantt charts, and trackers to monitor progress and flag risks to delivery, demonstrating good judgement and proposing solutions for overcoming obstacles.
• Coordination and Organizing – Utilizes well-developed organizational skills to coordinate both internal and external meetings, according to defined scope, timelines and budgets. Able to develop agendas with stakeholder input and guidance, manage meeting time for impact, efficiency, and effectiveness, organize logistics and tactical details, communicate and liaise with external vendors and speakers, facilitate, oversee, and troubleshoot meeting delivery, and develop, implement, and summarize feedback surveys with spirit of continuous improvement.
• Fellowship Administration and Recruitment – Supports Fellowship and individual Fellows in achievement of Program Goals and Professional Objectives throughout life-cycle of program as follows: Recruitment, Interviews/Offers, Program and Industry Partner On-boarding/Orientation, Personal Development Planning, Goal Setting, Quarterly Reports (with Industry Partners), Coursework Registration, Job Search, Program Off-boarding, and Fellowship Graduation. Responsible for accurate, timely, and detail-oriented updates and maintenance of key Fellowship documents including Brochures, Website, Marketing materials, Fellowship information, Application Portal and Interviews, and Offers, and Fellowship Alumni Tracking, Engagement, and Outcomes/Program Assessment.
• Finances and Budgets – Monitors and reconciles budget activity, processes financial transactions such as PO, invoices, and expense reimbursement. Directly support the Fellowship Program Directors and other Fellowship Staff with administrative functions as needed.
  
  
  

The ideal candidate for this role will consistently exhibit and role-model essential leadership and team working behaviors to succeed in this role including: Communication, Teamwork and Collaboration, Solution-Orientation, Proactivity, and Customer/Client-Focused. The Program Specialist reports to the Senior Director, Fellowship Programs and will work closely with the Program Administrator and other internal and external stakeholders. They will need to be comfortable working with ambiguity, exhibit good judgement, and be able to work with limited supervision.

Required

Required & Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in program coordination, higher education, or related field
• Strong organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• MS Word, PPT, Excel
• Sharepoint
  
  
  

Preferred

• Experience supporting fellowship, residency, or academic programs
• Familiarity with pharmaceutical/biotech industry or clinical research environments
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Trello, Asana, Excel dashboards, Gantt charts)
• Budget tracking or financial operations experience (i.e. concur, workday)
• Survey Monkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms, Web-based surveys
  
  
  

The hourly rate range for this position is $32.00 - $35.50. 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 Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related professional experience in program specialization, e.g., counseling or teaching.

Job ID REQ20163370 Posted Date 04/09/2026

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