Skip to main content

Undergraduate Research Center (HASS) - Assistant Director

Job #JPF11365
  • UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CENTERS / L&S Undergraduate Education / UCLA

Position overview

Position title: URC-HASS Assistant Director
Salary range: $87,616
Review timeline: Posting is live for 30 days. Applications will be reviewed as soon as they are submitted.

Application Window

Open date: September 30, 2026

Next review date: Thursday, Oct 15, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Friday, Oct 30, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

Undergraduate Research Center – Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Academic Administrator III
Assistant Director
Summary Statement
Under the supervision of the Director of the Undergraduate Research Center—Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (URC-HASS), the Assistant Director is the primary manager and advisor for the following URC-HASS programs and activities: the Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP), the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP), the Dean’s Research Fellowship (DRF) and the Summer Research Incubator (SRI). The Assistant Director teaches courses (RP 103: Student Research Forum) and develops and teaches research workshops. The Assistant Director is responsible for the management of all undergraduate and graduate students workers (up to 12, depending on time of year), as well as coordinating university-wide sponsored events and programs. The focus of this position is to support research experiences for undergraduates, including outreach, counseling, and management of introductory and advanced research opportunities. University-level teaching experience is required, as is experience designing, implementing, and evaluating educational, research, or student development programs. A doctoral degree is required; a Ph.D. in the humanities or social sciences is highly preferred. This is a hybrid position.
These responsibilities can be divided into the following sections:

Program and General Administration
Undergraduate Research Fellows Program (URFP): Serve as primary administrator and student advisor for URFP, responsible for program planning and management, student recruitment, and student advising. Oversee admissions process in collaboration with URC-HASS Director and URFP faculty committee. Teach RP 103: Student Research Forum. Collect and analyze data for reports, tracking, and to identify areas for improvement. Work closely with Student Services Advisor to track student progress and implement program components and contribute to evaluation of Student Services Advisor performance.

Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP): Serve as primary administrator and student advisor for URSP, responsible for program planning and management, student recruitment, and student advising. Oversee admissions process in collaboration with URC-HASS Director and URSP faculty committee. Coordinate URSP programming and events. Supervise Graduate Research Mentor assigned to the program. Collect and analyze data for reports, tracking, and to identify areas for improvement. Work closely with Student Services Advisor to track student progress and implement program components and contribute to evaluation of Student Services Advisor performance.

Dean’s Research Fellowship (DRF): Serve as primary administrator and student advisor for DRF, responsible for program planning and management, student recruitment, and student advising. Oversee admissions process in collaboration with URC-HASS Director and DRF faculty committee. Coordinate DRF programming and events. Supervise Graduate Research Mentor assigned to the program. Design workshops and curricula for small group meetings. Collect and analyze data for reports, tracking, and to identify areas for improvement. Work closely with URC-HASS Student Services Advisor to track student progress and implement program components and contribute to evaluation of Student Services Advisor performance.

Summer Research Incubator: Serve as primary administrator for the Summer Research Incubator as part of the UC-HBCU Initiative. Collaborate with URC-HASS Director, liaisons from Morgan State University, and Faculty Advisory Board on program planning and management and student recruitment at both universities. Develop curriculum. Hire, train, and supervise (7+) graduate student mentors. Administer summer program components including workshops, faculty talks, and symposium. Work closely with Administrative and Program Coordinator to track student progress and implement program components. Create yearly report for UC-HBCU Initiative, which includes analyzing data, student tracking, and identifying areas for improvement. Track students yearly after program completion and work with Morgan State University representatives to create ongoing opportunities and pathways for Morgan State students at UCLA.

Undergraduate Research Portal in 12twenty: Serve as the primary administrator in URC-HASS for this campus-wide program to provide information about open undergraduate research opportunities. Work closely with staff of the Career Center, UIT, URC-Sciences, the University’s academic departments, and relevant campus centers to manage the services provided by the portal and to promote its use. Organize and oversee advertising and user support for the portal/12twenty. Collect and analyze site and user experience data to identify areas for program improvement. Prepare program documents and progress reports as needed.

Undergraduate Research Week: In collaboration with the Director, create programming and initiatives to prepare students for Undergraduate Research Week. Develop and administer program components, including special student panels and Community Engagement and Social Justice Day, and engage with campus partners to meet programmatic goals. Solicit assistance from the URC-HASS and Sciences staff in coordinating and executing the events.

Bruin Day and Transfer Bruin Day: Serve as manager for Bruin Day and Transfer Bruin Day events. Work closely with Administrative and Program Coordinator to develop and administer event components.
Additional events as assigned by Director.

Staff Supervision
Directly supervise 5-12 undergraduate and graduate student workers, depending on time of year. Work closely with Administrative and Program Coordinator to hire, train and manage undergraduate and graduate student workers. Serve as the representative for Title VI, student access and Title IX.

Teaching
Research Practice 103: Student Research Forum (2 units, taught winter quarter): Serve as instructor of record.

Additional Research Practice courses as assigned by Director.

Mentoring

Workshops and Info Sessions: Oversee URC-HASS’s quarterly campus-wide Cornerstone Workshop series. Design, develop, and conduct URC-HASS research and program workshops for and campus partners by request. Collaborate with campus partners to develop new in-person and virtual teaching and learning initiatives.

General advisement: Counsel students mentioned in programs above, as well as those in other URC-HASS administered programs, on research opportunities and experiences at UCLA. Advise students on career and post-graduation plans. Coordinate advising with departmental counselors and College counseling units.

Letters of Recommendation: Upon request, compose letters of recommendation in support of student applications to graduate and professional schools, internships, scholarships and/or employment.

Committee Work
Scholarship Committees: Serve on undergraduate research scholarship committees for other UCLA units as requested.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications

• PHD in the Humanities or Social Sciences (or top degree in the appointee's fields or the highest degree that is commonly expected for appointment in the activity)

Preferred qualifications

Preferred Experience and Skills
• At least 1-3 years of administrative work in a higher education, academic, or office environment
• Experience designing, implementing, and evaluating educational, research, or student development programs
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to work collaboratively with staff, faculty, students, and administrators at UCLA, as well as with external stakeholders
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple programs, events, and deadlines simultaneously across UCLA and other universities
• Excellent written communication skills, including report writing, program documentation, and preparation of professional correspondence
• Demonstrated ability to develop curriculum, teach at the university level, and create engaging learning experiences in both in-person and virtual environments
• Strong oral communication and presentation skills for academic and general audiences
• Proven ability to advise, mentor, and support students from diverse academic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds

Application Requirements

Document requirements

  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Teaching Statement

  • Reference check authorization release form - Complete and upload the reference check authorization release form

  • UCLA Mission Statement - As the nation's premier public research university, UC's mission is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. We have a particular responsibility to the people of California which we express in the excellence of the education we provide, the impact of the research we do, the comprehensive, life-saving medical services we provide, and the public service mission we are devoted to. The University of California promotes the social mobility of its students, equips them with the tools and experience that furthers their ambitions, and regards their accomplishments across the life span as evidence of the profoundly positive impact of higher education.

    The UCLA campus has expressed these goals in its strategic plan as follows:

    Deepen our engagement with Los Angeles
    Expand our reach as a global university
    Enhance our research and creative activities
    Elevate how we teach
    Become a more effective institution

    Prompt for candidates for recruitment:

    Reflecting on your personal and professional experiences, highlight your past contributions and future commitments to advancing UCLA's mission as embodied in the 2023-28 strategic plan. These accomplishments and ambitions may be discussed in the context of describing your teaching, scholarship, and service

  • List of References - Please provide the names, job titles, and email addresses of the writers of the letters of recommendation.

Reference requirements
  • 2 letters of reference required

Please provide two recommendation letters.

Apply link: https://recruit.apo.ucla.edu/JPF11365

Help contact: zna@college.ucla.edu

About UCLA

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

Job location

Los Angeles, CA