Careers

The University of Southern California (USC) is a leading private research university located in Los Angeles – a global center for arts, technology and international business. As the city’s largest private employer, responsible for more than $5 billion annually in economic activity in the region, we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills across a variety of academic schools and units. As a USC employee, you will enjoy excellent benefits and perks, and you will be a member of the Trojan Family – the faculty, staff, students and alumni who make USC a great place to work. If you think you’ve got what it takes, please continue reading!

The USC Stevens Center for Innovation is a university-wide resource for USC innovators in the Office of the Provost. Designed to harness and advance the creative thinking and breakthrough research at USC for societal impact beyond traditional academic means, we focus on the licensing of technologies, expanding industry collaborations, and supporting start-ups (http://stevens.usc.edu). USC Stevens is unique as it is partially endowed by a generous donation from USC Trustee and Sequoia Capital partner Mark Stevens. The Center reports to the Vice President of Research and has the full support of the USC Provost.

The USC Stevens Center for Innovation is seeking an organized and proactive Office Coordinator to ensure smooth daily operations and effective communication within the center. This role is essential for facilitating interactions between researchers, staff, students, and external audiences, while maintaining USC’s reputation as a leader in technology commercialization.

Job Responsibilities Include:

· Serve as the primary point of contact for USC Stevens, handling incoming calls, sorting mail, coordinating messages, and arranging guest visits, both in person and via video conferencing.

· Manage office, kitchen, and PPE/emergency supplies, coordinate building maintenance requests, and oversee key assignments and logs.

· Organize and coordinate All Hands Meetings, including sending invites, assisting hosts, creating agendas, and documenting minutes.

· Provide general support for Patent Team: Collect and manage inventor signatures for patent documents, update relevant databases, and ensure proper execution of licensing and other agreements via DocuSign.

· Collaborate with the Communications Team to plan and execute employee development and social events, serving as point of contact with vendors and event hosts.

· Assist with the creation and finalization of expense reports for the executive director and other team members through Concur, ensuring accuracy and compliance with accounting codes.

· Manage legal office hours by screening applicants and scheduling meetings between applicants and mentors.

· Provide general support for the Operations Team, including maintaining vendor relationships, assisting with legal invoice processing, and coordinating the issuance of new P-cards as needed.

· Perform additional duties as assigned to support the smooth functioning of the office.

Qualifications:

Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree

Minimum experience: 2 years

– Administrative experience in an office environment

– Excellent written and oral communication skills

– Experience with a wide variety of courier services

Preferred:

3 years of experience

Experience with procurement, asset management and record retention

Knowledge of university policies and procedures

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion, well-being, open communication and accountability.

The annual base salary range for this position is $28.42 – $33.26 . 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-AW1

Minimum Education: – Bachelor’s degree – Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: – 2 years Minimum Skills: – Administrative experience in an office environment – Excellent written and oral communication skills. – Experience with a wide variety of courier services.

REQ20155676 Posted Date: 10/07/2024

Learn more about this role and apply at usccareers.usc.edu.

The University of Southern California (USC) is a leading private research university located in Los Angeles – a global center for arts, technology and international business. As the city’s largest private employer, responsible for more than $5 billion annually in economic activity in the region, we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills across a variety of academic schools and units. As a USC employee, you will enjoy excellent benefits and perks, and you will be a member of the Trojan Family – the faculty, staff, students and alumni who make USC a great place to work. If you think you’ve got what it takes, please continue reading!

The USC Stevens Center for Innovation is a university-wide resource for USC innovators in the Office of the Provost. Designed to harness and advance the creative thinking and breakthrough research at USC for societal impact beyond traditional academic means, we focus on the licensing of technologies, expanding industry collaborations, and supporting start-ups (http://stevens.usc.edu). USC Stevens is unique as it is partially endowed by a generous donation from USC Trustee and Sequoia Capital partner Mark Stevens. The Center reports to the Vice President of Research and has the full support of the USC Provost.

The USC Stevens Center for Innovation is seeking a detail-oriented Materials Transfer Agreement Admin Senior to manage the negotiation and completion of critical agreements that support the research efforts of USC’s faculty, researchers, and students. This role is crucial to ensuring that these agreements are finalized promptly, thereby avoiding delays in the university’s important research activities.

Job Responsibilities Include:

· Negotiate and complete Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), Data Use Agreements (DUAs), Confidentiality Disclosure Agreements (CDAs) and related contracts that support USC’s research initiatives.

· Ensure the timely completion of all agreements, maintaining efficiency to meet the needs of USC’s growing research community.

· Manage a high volume of agreement requests, with approximately 500+ requests received annually.

· Collaborate closely with faculty, researchers, and administrative staff to understand their needs and ensure agreements align with USC’s goals and policies.

· Maintain accurate records of agreements and track their status to ensure compliance and timely execution.

· Continuously assess and improve processes related to MTA negotiation and completion to enhance efficiency and service delivery.

Qualifications:

Minimum education: Bachelor’s degree

Minimum experience: 3 years

Directly related to faculty research interest in materials transfer agreements, intellectual property/ and or university or non-profit patent and/ or contracting policies and guidelines

Demonstrated skills in and ability to negotiate effectively to successfully represent the university’s position regarding protection of intellectual property and faculty research interest in materials agreements.

Demonstrated understanding of scientific fields, primarily in medicine and the physical sciences.

Ability to comprehend and utilize legal, medical and scientific terminology.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion, well-being, open communication and accountability.

The annual base salary range for this position is $68,654.94 – $75,000.00 . 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-AW1

Minimum Education: – Bachelor’s degree Minimum Experience: – 3 years Minimum Skills: – Directly related experience related to faculty research interest in materials transfer agreements, intellectual property and/or university or non-profit patent and/or contracting policies and guidelines. – Demonstrated skills in and ability to negotiate effectively to successfully represent the university’s position regarding protection of intellectual property and faculty research interest in materials agreements. – Demonstrated understanding of scientific fields, primarily in medicine and the physical sciences. – Ability to comprehend and utilize legal, medical and scientific terminology.

Learn more about this role and apply at usccareers.usc.edu.

The USC Stevens Center for Innovation seeks outstanding candidates for the position of Licensing Manager in engineering and physical sciences.

The USC Stevens Center is a university-wide resource in the office of the Provost whose mission is to help USC innovators make maximum impact with their ideas. As part of this role, the USC Stevens Center manages the university’s intellectual property portfolio stemming from USC’s approximately $1 billion in annual research expenditures and manages related patenting, technology marketing, licensing, and new venture development activity aimed at transitioning the university innovations into commercial applications for the benefit of society. Licensing Managers play a key role in supporting these efforts.

The best candidates will have an advanced degree in either chemistry, material sciences, or engineering, a passion for emerging technologies, very strong organization and communication skills, and a desire to learn and grow. Prior licensing and/or technology assessment experience is preferred but not required. This position provides an opportunity for an entrepreneurial-minded physical science graduate to play an active and critical role as new technologies go from idea to market. This opportunity will allow you to contribute to new approaches in innovation management and licensing within an already bold and forward-thinking academic institution!

Job Accountabilities:

· In this role you will manage a portfolio of University-owned engineering and physical sciences inventions and support intellectual property development, protection, marketing and licensing. You will interact with faculty and researchers and learn about exciting new technologies in the areas of electronics, telecommunications technologies, computing and big data analytics, energy, nanotechnology, and advanced materials. Specifically, you will have the following responsibilities:

· Assisting with the assessment of inventions and identification of commercial applications through research and analysis of markets, competitive technologies, prior art, and patent landscape,

· Manage a portfolio of university inventions.

· Identify potential commercial applications and business partners for university inventions.

· Market university inventions through multiple channels to prospects capable of bringing the inventions to market.

· Negotiate and complete non-complex licenses and related agreements, including the development of business terms and overseeing internal diligence procedures prior to agreement signing

· Assist in the management of complex intellectual property portfolios;

· Coordinate efforts on a wide range of activities with other USC Stevens staff members, university researchers, business partners, law firms, and others; tracking activities in databases and ensuring that information is up to date

· Contribute to ongoing process improvement to enable the USC Stevens Center to deliver high-quality, professional service to a growing base of inventors and business partners.

Preferred Qualifications:

Education

· PhD in a Physical Sciences field

Experience

· 1 year of experience in a corporate or university technology transfer and business development setting

· Ability to gather information and perform research utilizing databases and other online sources.

· Experience directly relevant to evaluating the market potential of early-stage software and inventions in engineering/physical sciences industries, and identifying commercial potential

· Understanding of the patent prosecution process

· Highly self-motivated with outstanding organization and time management skills

· Ability to juggle multiple tasks and complete projects on a timely basis, working both independently and as part of a team

· Eager to take ownership of projects

· Requires a high level of attention to detail

· Outstanding communication skills and ability to convey technical concepts

· Demonstrated ability to develop relationships with collaborators

· Customer service oriented

· Demonstrated perseverance and problem-solving skills

Field of Expertise:

· Knowledge of patent and contract law

· Business Development experience

Benefits:

USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six (6) months of employment; tuition benefits for staff and their family; free professional development online courses; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick-up services; discounts to football, basketball and other campus events.

Application Procedure:

As part of the application, candidates must upload one document file (Word or PDF) that contains the following: 1) a cover letter, 2) Resume (including telephone and e-mail address).

USC is an equal-opportunity educator and employer, proudly pluralistic and firmly committed to providing equal opportunity for outstanding persons of every race, gender, creed and background. The university particularly encourages members of underrepresented groups, veterans and individuals with disabilities to apply. USC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in an undue hardship.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion, well-being, open communication and accountability.

The annual base salary range for this position is $83,404.63 – $119,000.00. 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-AW1

Minimum Education:

– Bachelor’s degree

Minimum Experience:

– 1 year
– Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum work experience

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

– Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or engineering discipline.
– Technology commercialization experience, with proven evidence of leading and executing numerous moderately complex licensing deals.
– Demonstrated financial management and software skills.
– Demonstrated ability to influence, negotiate, and interact with internal constituencies, external business partners, and senior leadership.
– Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills, and attention to detail.
– Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, leading and owning time-sensitive and complex projects from inception
to completion.

Learn more about this role and apply at usccareers.usc.edu.

The USC Stevens Center serves as a university-wide resource that works to move discoveries of researchers from lab to market. Our exciting Innovation Intern Program offers USC students experience in technology assessment, market research, and new venture planning. Interns strategize with a team of tech transfer leaders and contribute to new approaches in innovation management in an entrepreneurial setting at the USC Tower in downtown Los Angeles.

Please complete the application form at bit.ly/stevens-intern and email it with your CV to: innovation_interns@stevens.usc.edu