Lead Specialist

Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS)

About OSAS

The Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) is the unit on campus responsible for ensuring equitable access to the University setting for a diverse population of students with disabilities. With a focus on accessibility, inclusivity and creating environments free of discrimination, OSAS team members assess and approve reasonable accommodations and services for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, both on campus and on-line.  

About the Opportunity

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Policy, Programming & Evaluation, the Lead Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting an assigned caseload of several hundred students and providing day-to-day student services on behalf of OSAS. The Lead Specialist will provide support and training to Lead Specialists and Accessibility Specialists regarding their specified service area in addition to carrying a caseload and liaising with faculty. This individual is a key team member and contributor in a fast-paced environment that fosters the full and meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities at the University.

This role requires the ability to work efficiently under deadlines, manage details, and address multiple tasks with rapid response. The Lead Specialist will work closely with faculty to understand curriculum design and required course learning outcomes for their assigned program area in order to determine fundamental alterations. This individual must possess demonstrated effective interpersonal skills and be able to maintain appropriate professionalism in the face of challenging communications that arise from a variety of sources. The Lead Specialist should be adept with basic Microsoft Office software and be able to learn and make effective use of the department s student records management database. Additionally, the Lead Specialist role involves guiding the work of other staff, such as Accessibility Specialists, as well as graduate and undergraduate student staff. The Lead Specialist should be comfortable working with a variety of graduate and professional programs.

The Office of Student Accessibility Services is a highly collaborative, highly functional team, with a culture of achievement, supportiveness, and inclusivity.  The OSAS team has defined and committed to core values of: Accountability, Care, Collaboration, Integrity, Leadership and Skilled Communication. It is important that the successful candidate demonstrate an ability to contribute positively to the team dynamic.

Key Responsibilities
The general responsibilities/duties aligned with the Lead Specialist are as follows:

• Maintenance of a caseload of several hundred students with disabilities. The individual in this role is expected to attend and/or lead weekly documentation review meetings.
• Training Specialists on their designated service area and the accommodations that typically apply to students in that area.
• Ability to determine fundamental requirements of USC courses and programs in collaboration with USC faculty and programmatic departments.
• Offer targeted presentations to campus partners in a variety of modalities (in-person, Zoom, hybrid) on OSAS policies and processes.
• Documentation review and caseload management in a manner that is legally compliant, student-centered and reflective of best practices in the field. The Lead Specialist will be adept in discussing accommodations and limitations of students with diagnosing clinicians.
• The individual in this role must exhibit effectiveness in understanding and applying disability-related laws to accommodation and service delivery, as well as to issue identification and problem-solving.
• All OSAS staff are expected to maintain student records in accordance with FERPA guidelines.
• This role will also cross-train to be additional support in one or more primary services or programs provided by OSAS and will be a significant contributor to strategic departmental projects. This may include data collection and high-level reporting to support division needs.
• In addition, the successful candidate must demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.
• Please note: This position requires working some evenings and weekends and additional duties as assigned.

Essential Skills

• Disability-related laws: 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.
• Technology: Knowledge of operating systems (PC, Mac). Adeptness 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.
• Teamwork: 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.
• Communication: 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.
• Judgment: 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.
• Time and Project Management: Proven ability to successfully manage and shift between multiple competing priorities, complete necessary work by established deadlines, and provide quality assurance to all deliverables. This individual will demonstrate attention to detail, effective issue identification, excellent organizational skills, trouble-shooting and problem-solving skills and proactivity in work and communication. It is essential that the successful candidate can deliver high quality, time-sensitive work and operate effectively in varying levels of intensity within the department.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a relevant field (i.e. Disability Studies; Counseling Psychology; Special Education; Rehabilitation Counseling; Higher Ed Administration/Student Affairs; etc.)
• Three years working with students with disabilities in a higher education setting
• Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate Degree in a relevant field (i. e. Disability Studies; Counseling Psychology; Special Education; Rehabilitation Counseling; Higher Ed Administration/Student Affairs; etc)
• 5 years working with students with disabilities in higher education.
• Additional experience with teaching, law school, external work placement accommodations, peer mentorship programming is preferred to contribute to other programmatic needs.

The annual base salary range for this position is $69,126.38 - $85,149.81. 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.

#LI-MN1

Minimum Education:
- Bachelor's degree
- Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Minimum Experience:
- 2 years

Minimum Field of Expertise:
- Student personnel administration

                                                  

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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