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, students and staff that make the university a great place to work.  

As a community of Dornsife College “we are committed to the creation, preservation, and communication of fundamental knowledge in all its forms…as well as a lifelong passion for learning and a commitment to the betterment of society.”  The academic mission of Dornsife College can only be realized to its fullest potential when we build and protect a representative, equitable, inclusive culture of scholarship for students, faculty, and staff.  This is not done through initiatives but by embedding these values into the everyday interactions, relationships, policies, and practices of the College.  What is required is a seamless integration of the tenets of equity and inclusivity into every facet of academic life.  If we want our scholars, staff, and students to be able to give their very best, we must create an academic environment that portends success.  

Success is possible when every member of the Dornsife community owns their role as a steward of the culture in which we learn, research, and work; when we believe that it is because of who we are that we are able to do what we do: achieve excellence, together. 

Achieving a robust and inclusive academic culture requires more than just the completion of a task, but includes that person’s capacity to contribute positively to the relationships and culture of their office or department.  Therefore, any applicant seeking to advance the mission of Dornsife College should also be assessed on their capacities beyond the technical elements of their work, and demonstrate an understanding of their impact on others, and to articulate how they contribute positively to those around them.

Survey Director for the Understanding America Study

The Understanding America Study (UAS) is a nationally representative household panel, currently comprising approximately 15,000 respondents representing the entire U.S. It is planned to grow to 20,000 by the end of 2025. The study is a probability-based Internet Panel recruited by Address Based Sampling. Potential respondents without Internet are provided with tablets and broadband Internet. Panel members answer questions about once or twice a month. In addition to surveys, the panel provides an environment for innovative data collection, including educational or behavioral interventions, experiments in decision making, the use of wearable computing, biomarker collection, passive measurement, methodology experiments, etc. The current team responsible for the UAS consists of about 15 professionals, including a group of expert software developers.

The study is housed at the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) at the University of Southern California (USC). CESR is a multi-disciplinary research center with federal grants and contracts across a wide range of economic and social research.  Its dynamic and diverse staff of 110 come from more than 15 countries and have varied academic training.  CESR is located on the downtown Los Angeles campus of USC and at the USC Capital Campus, in Washington DC.

Position Description

 For our fast-growing enterprise we are looking for a senior survey director who will help us continue to build a unique environment for scientific research in the social sciences. The survey director will assist the principal investigator in managing all phases of this complex project, including:

• Sampling, recruiting, and retention of panel members.
• Managing the implementation of data collection and recruitment/retention experiments in the panel, including the logistics of purchasing and distribution of wearable devices.
• Overseeing and scheduling new surveys; working with CESR researchers and the Institutional Review Board to ensure compliance with human subjects protection regulations.  
• Maintaining or initiating client contacts; working with clients on project development and timely production of high-quality deliverables. Providing technical support and consultation to clients
• Contributing to expansion and continual improvement of the panel operations and data integrity and quality.
• Developing data collection sections for proposals, operational plans, and budgets.
• Staying abreast of relevant developments in the field of survey research and panel management. Contributing to the field of research and to CESR dissemination through publications and presentations at profess