Administrative Assistant II

Administrative Assistant II

The John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television at USC's School of Cinematic Arts is seeking an Administrative Assistant II to join its team. The John Wells Division of Writing for Screen and Television is a part of the School of Cinematic Arts. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, The School of Cinematic Arts is one of the leading media schools in the world.

Founded in collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1929, for close to 100 years USC School of Cinematic Arts has been a leader in the entertainment industry. The John Wells Division has several degree programs including a Screenwriting Minor, a Comedy Writing Minor, a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Master of Fine Arts, and a Graduate Certificate.

As a member of the team, the Administrative Assistant II will provide administrative support to the Chair of the Writing division and support the staff, faculty, and students. In this fast-paced environment, the ideal candidate will demonstrate exceptional organizational, technical, and communication skills, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines. This role requires independent judgment, initiative, and discretion to coordinate complex administrative functions, manage confidential information, and serve as a key liaison between faculty, staff, students, university offices, and external partners.

The Writing Division team invites candidates who thrive in a collaborative environment, take initiative, deliver exceptional customer service, and approach challenges with creativity and a solution-oriented mindset to apply for this position.

Some of the responsibilities and duties will include over the course of a year:

• Assist the Chair of the Writing Division and provide support as requested. This can include managing the Chair's schedule and calendar, support for presentations, research projects, maintaining action lists, and other tasks as assigned.
• Conduct undergraduate advisement, clearance for courses, maintain/update student records, and connect students to various offices on campus.
• Provide day-to-day direction, training, scheduling, and management of student workers and departmental assistants, including selection for hire, onboarding, payroll, and occasional human resources support.
• Prepare budget projections, reconcile financial accounts, monitor expenditures, analyze budget variances, and submit and track Purchase Orders (POs) and Internal Requisition s (IRs).
• Maintain records for all financial purchases for the division.
• Coordinate division events and special programming by working with vendors, securing permits, reserving facilities, and collaborating with USC departments.
• Manage and maintain the operations of the front office including ordering of supplies, scheduling rooms, oversight of parking, guests, office logistics, and other related administrative functions.
• Maintain and update databases to track industry success of alumni, students, and faculty from the Writing Division; generate reports to support division strategic initiatives.
• Coordinate the distribution and collection of scholarship scripts to respective committees.
• Take minutes at curriculum meetings, faculty meetings, and other meetings as needed.
• Be a daily presence in the division, acting as a filter for questions and issues of students and faculty, in support of staff and the chair.
• Manage the division's website and social media presence, develop promotional content, and support public relations initiatives that promote students, faculty, academic programs, and division events.
• Facilitate in the promotion of students, classes, website information, and other public relations endeavors for the division.
• Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Four or more years of progressively responsible administrative experience, preferably supporting executive leadership in a fast-paced environment. Experience managing calendars, records, appointments, and multiple competing priorities is preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills including but not limited to copy editing, presentations, e-mails, creating…