Project Specialist

In order for your application to be considered, you must attach a cover letter and resume to your application.

A collaboration of the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ( and the Sol Price School of Public Policy ( , the USC Schaeffer Center’s mission is to measurably improve value in health through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, and private and public sector engagement.

The Schaeffer Center is seeking a Project Specialist to assist Professor Genevieve Kanter with research activities, working on health policy and economics projects. This position provides the opportunity to gain research skills and knowledge in a collaborative team environment, with access to excellent academic and computing resources, and is excellent preparation for graduate school or advanced research and policy positions.

This position is initially a full-time, 6-month fixed-term position with potential for a one-year renewal and beyond. In-person, hybrid, or remote work options available.

Job responsibilities include:

• Collaborating in the design, execution, and documentation of data collection protocols using online sources and documents

• Writing code to extract data, clean and manipulate datasets, and conduct statistical analysis

• Preparing manuscripts for academic and policy publications

• Drafting documentation, status reports, IRB submissions, grant applications, and other research deliverables

• Preparing charts, tables, statistics, text, and visuals for presentations

• Conducting literature searches using databases such as PubMed, EconLit, and Google Scholar, and maintaining citation databases

• Supervising students and trainees in research protocols

Required competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• good organizational skills

• attention to detail

• ability to meet deadlines

• good communication skills, oral and written

• resourcefulness and excellent web search and lit search skills

• independent and self-motivated

• facility with computer programming (interest and experience in agentic AI a plus)

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s Degree

Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education

Minimum Experience:

2 years

Minimum Fields of Expertise:

• Economics, public policy, or other social science; or quantitative field such as engineering, computer science, or mathematics

• Competency in at least one of the following programming languages: Stata, R, Python

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree

Preferred Experience:

3 years

Preferred Expertise:

Experience or coursework in health, the biological sciences, public policy, or political science is helpful

Compensation

The hourly rate range for this position is $30.25 - $32.68. 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.

This position is initially a full-time, 6-month fixed-term position with potential for a one-year renewal and beyond. In-person, hybrid, or remote work options available.

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Required Documents

Cover letter

Resume/CV

Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable)

Writing sample

Names and contact information of two references

About the USC Schaeffer Center

Since its establishment in 2009, the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics ( has served as an intellectual hub for health policy and health economics research at USC. A collaboration of the USC School of Pharmacy and the Sol Price School of Public Policy, the Schaeffer Center’s mission is to measurably improve value in health through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, and private and public sector engagement. As the home to about 150 faculty, staff, and fellows—including 3 Nobel Laureates—the Center produces some of the leading academic research in its field. As of June 2023, the Schaeffer Center was ranked #5 out of 2,711 institutions in health economics by IDEAS, the largest bibliographic database dedicated to economics. This places the Schaeffer Center in proximity to the economics departments of Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and University of Chicago. Schaeffer Center experts are also frequent advisors on national policy.

Our fellows have served on 38 National Academies panels, and 4 Schaeffer fellows have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Through its unique collaboration with The Brookings Institution and other partners, the Schaeffer Center has developed an effective channel to disseminate its policy research. Center research has been featured by the White House, Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve Board, and other agencies. In 2023, Schaeffer-affiliated faculty testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Senate Finance Committee; and the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health. Center experts are regularly sought out by media outlets—including the New York Times, NPR, Stat, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post—to provide insight on health policy issues. Schaeffer Center faculty are the recipients of approximately $75 million in NIH funding.

About the Sol Price School of Public Policy

Ranked among the foremost schools of public policy in the nation, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy ( generates uncommon knowledge for the common good. The School is composed of overlapping disciplines that generate innovative approaches to critical issues ranging from health-care policy to homelessness, and sustainability to congestion – to name a few. A wide-ranging curriculum, including extensive experiential learning, prepares our graduates to navigate problems that demand multi-layered solutions driven by critical, informed thinking.

The Price School, founded in 1929, is anchored by four departments: Public Policy and Management, Health Policy and Management, Wilbur H. Smith III Department of Estate Development; and Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis. The School’s rigorous academic programs provide students with the knowledge and distinctive opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their professions. Integrating classroom instruction with real-world experience and led by some of the world’s most renowned faculty in their fields, our students establish a clear pathway to successful careers.

Our academic programs are augmented by numerous research centers, institutes and initiatives that provide additional research expertise and experiences, notable among them are: The Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public; The Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy; The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate; The METRANS Transportation Consortium; The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics; and The Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Together, they account for over $100 million in externally funded research grants and contracts.

Our departments and research enterprise provide unmatched breadth and depth to tackle an enormous range of challenges facing our country and the world. Our graduates hold leadership positions across diverse sectors – public, private, and nonprofit – championing the advancement of the common good. They come from around the world and from a variety of cultures and socio-economic backgrounds to create a rich intellectual environment that celebrates, supports and benefits from diverse people and opinions.

About the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences ( is located on the USC Health Sciences Campus, which includes the Keck Hospital of USC, the Norris Cancer Hospital, Doheny Eye Institute, and the flagship LAC+USC Medical Center, along with directing five university- and community-based pharmacies, adding a sixth in South Los Angeles in 2023. Ranked by US News and World Report as the #1 private pharmacy school in the United States, and the #2 overall school according to World Scholarship Forum, the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is recognized for its more than century-long reputation for innovation and leadership in pharmaceutical education, practice, research, and service to the community and to the profession. The school uniquely spans the entire spectrum of pharmaceutical development and clinical care – from drug discovery to regulatory approaches that promote safety and innovation, from delivery of contemporary patient care services to evaluating the impact of care provision on patient outcomes and costs. The school’s dynamic faculty is involved in all levels of pharmacy education: from undergraduate majors to multiple MS and PhD graduate programs, from the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program with dual degree options to a wide variety of advanced clinical residency and fellowship training, and from laboratory to bedside learning experiences. The school has recently received a $50 million endowment from the Alfred E. Mann Foundation to name the school and to support student scholarships, faculty development and recruitment, and integrated biomedical innovation.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree Additional Education Requirements Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 2 years Minimum Skills: Directly related education and experience to be able to advise on project procedures and analysis techniques. Preferred Education: Master's degree Preferred Experience: 3 years