Director, Political Compliance

Director, Political Compliance

Who We Are

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 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 be a member of the Trojan Family - the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make USC a great place to work.

About the Department

The USC Office of Ethics and Compliance (OEC) houses several key culture, compliance and ethics programs, among them, privacy, research, international compliance, ADA compliance, Clery and Youth Protection. In addition, the Office works with compliance areas across USC to ensure key program elements exist to provide reasonable assurance that effective programs are in place that support USC's commitment to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, detect and correct compliance violations promptly, and eliminate misconduct and other unethical behavior through the diligent and analytical work of its team members. The OEC is also responsible for the Integrity and Accountability Code and for supporting ethical decision-making. The culture team works closely with the compliance leads to ensure our Unifying Values are a part of all that we do. The OEC is focused on partnership and collaboration with our key stakeholders across the university, and is made up of dedicated, mission-centric professionals who enjoy supporting one another.

The Position

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Institutional Compliance, the Director, Political Compliance will oversee and ensure adherence to all political, lobbying, and campaign finance laws and regulations. This individual will promote a transparent and compliant political environment, ensuring that all activities align with legal and ethical standards. The Director of Political Compliance will continuously monitor, assess and mitigate risk.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Developing and implementing comprehensive policies, procedures, and training programs to ensure adherence to local, state and federal laws and regulations. Monitoring and analyzing political, lobbying, and campaign finance activities. Preparing and filing all required reports. Identifying issues/items needing executive-level escalation and recommending program/policy changes as needed.

• Overseeing relevant risk management activities across the university and developing mitigation strategies. Designing, implementing, and testing processes and controls to mitigate risk (e.g., gifts/disbursements, entertainment and hospitality expenses, government interactions), and evaluating their effectiveness.

• Actively participate in and/or manage cross-functional projects as needed. Advising and collaborating with senior leadership, faculty/staff, departments and student organizations on political compliance. Serving as university representative for external stakeholders (e.g., agencies, regulators, other institutions). Partnering with legal counsel to interpret and apply complex laws and regulations.

• Advising faculty, staff and students holding political appointments or running for political office.

• Maintaining accurate and compliant data and documentation (e.g., political contributions, expenditures). Conducting regular analyses and assessments to identify noncompliance and/or potential risks. Reviewing and investigating undisclosed contributions or data inaccuracies.

• Staying current with changing legislation and emerging issues/trends, assessing any impact to university operations. Collaborating with relevant stakeholders to develop and provide training. Preparing and sharing communications accordingly and proposing needed adjustments to maintain compliance. Identifying staff development opportunities and driving industry best practices.

• Fostering a culture of transparency and ethical behavior, organizing awareness campaigns and educational programs. Promoting an environment that fosters positive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.

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

The Candidate for Director, Political Compliance will have at minimum:

• Bachelor's degree in legal studies, political science, public administration, or related fields.

• Seven (7) years' experience in political compliance, campaign finance, political law, election law and/or other relevant industries.

• Extensive knowledge of compliance laws and regulations (e.g., Federal Election Campaign Act, California Political Reform Act).

• Knowledge of local, state, and federal campaign finance and lobbying laws.

• Exceptional organizational, interpersonal and written/oral communication skills.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

• Exceptional attention to detail, able to interpret and apply complex legal and regulatory requirements.

• Ability to develop analytics from multiple complex streams of data, assess risk, interpret trends, develop mitigation strategies, and drive continuous improvements.

• Proven track record of working independently with minimal supervision, deftly handling time-sensitive matters, meeting strict deadlines, and accomplishing confidential tasks.

• Ability to manage numerous highly confidential, complex, and politically sensitive matters.

• Proficiency with relevant applications/platforms and office management software/tools (e.g., Microsoft Office).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD)

• Significant experience in political compliance, political law or election law in Los Angeles and/or California.

• Experience in higher education and/or complex nonprofits.

• Demonstrated knowledge of risk management/liability issues in higher education and/or matrixed organizations.

• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering compliance training.

• Proven experience establishing, developing and/or enhancing compliance frameworks.

• Extensive knowledge and/or understanding of numerous cultural issues (e.g., immigration, socioeconomic, LGBTQIA+).

• Multilingual communication skills, fluent in Spanish and/or other languages beyond English.

The annual base salary range for this position is $195,000 - $206,552.28. 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.

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