Associate Director, Accessibility Services

Under the supervision of the Senior Director, Office of Student Accessibility (OSAS), the Associate Director contributes to the successful functioning of the department in tactical and strategic ways, serving as both a practitioner and a leader on the team. This role provides compliance leadership for the core service areas of Assistive Technology & Alternative Format, Notetaking and Deaf/Hard of Hearing services. This role manages a team of Professional Staff who actively foster the full and meaningful inclusion of students with disabilities at the University. The Associate Director also participates in day-to-day direct student service, campus partner support, issue resolution, documentation review, and caseload management.

The individual in this role exhibits effectiveness and understanding of accommodation and service delivery, of challenges to the provision of both, and can independently issue-spot and problem-solve in a way that is both legally compliant, student-centered and exhibits best practices in the field. The Associate Director is a flexible problem solver and can quickly adopt new technologies to meet individualized student needs. The Associate Director provides input and recommendations for continuing organizational development and improvement specifically related to the core service areas. The Associate Director contributes significantly to policy and procedure review and revision; is a leader in developing strategies for service that facilitate student access and simplify processes; and can lead implementation of new materials and methods.

The Associate Director makes broad-reaching and impactful contributions to the department, the Division and to the University. This role is involved in supervision, training, problem-solving, team building and the technical direction of staff, and contributes significantly to budgeting, personnel management, program development, information technology management, data collection and program assessment. This role supports and advises the Senior Director on strategic decisions and future directions as part of OSAS leadership and represents OSAS in place of the Senior Director when needed.

The Office of Student Accessibility (OSAS) is a large and highly collaborative team with twenty-three full time staff members who embrace a culture of excellence, supportiveness, and inclusivity. USC has demonstrated significant institutional commitment to supporting its students with disabilities and the team that serves them, consistently approving new staff positions in response to increased student need. OSAS strives to support our staff through growth opportunities, and we are highly committed to professional development. Our commitment to our people has resulted in career advancement opportunities through internal promotion. The successful candidate will demonstrate an ability to contribute to this positive, collaborative team culture.

Application Procedure: Please include a cover letter with your CV/resume. It can be added to the application at the same time/place you add your CV/resume.

Key Responsibilities

The general responsibilities/duties aligned with the Associate Director are as follows.

Oversee multiple core accessibility service areas which may include Assistive Technology & Alternative Format, Notetaking Services and Deaf/Hard of Hearing Services and supervise Lead Specialists and staff for each service area.
Collaborate as a key contact for academic departments and campus partners to educate and promote accessibility services and engage in campus wide initiatives.
Knowledge and ability to implement assistive technology and digital accessibility in various educational settings (i.e. Libraries, Websites, Classrooms, etc).
Other duties as assigned. May include cross-training to assist different programs within the unit or the Division of Student Affairs.

Essential Skills and Knowledge

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.
Budget Management: Experience with tracking expenditures in departmental budgets, processing reimbursements, managing purchase orders and reconciling invoices. Familiarity with hiring/onboarding agencies and Independent Contractors. Familiarity with vendor pricing and ability to negotiate services.
Technology: Knowledge of operating systems (PC, Mac). Adeptness with basic office software (Microsoft Office Suite), email (Outlook), and internet. Ability to provide alternative format in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Google Drive, SharePoint and/or OneDrive. Working knowledge of or preferred proficiency in various programs, including Kurzweil, Dragon, JAWS, NVDA, Macintosh VoiceOver and Zoom Text. Comfort and ability to learn department database to access, update and edit student records as well as to learn other assistive technologies.
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, parents, 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.
Judgement: Sound professional judgement, 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 ensure quality assurance for core service areas. 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 relevant field (i.e. Education/Special Education; Counseling; Higher Ed Administration)
3 years’ experience in relevant field

Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate Degree in relevant field (i.e. Education/Special Education; Counseling; Higher Ed Administration)
Direct experience in higher education disability services
5 years working with students with disabilities in a higher education setting

The annual base salary range for this position is $ $77,543-$92,000. 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.