Position Description and Qualifications

The Office of the Provost of the University of Southern California is seeking candidates to fill the newly created Ronald L. Steel Chair in Foreign Policy and International Affairs. USC is looking for candidates who have had an impressive impact on discourse about international issues through their research, publications, teaching, and public service. The Chairholder should be a public intellectual who will shape the way foreign policy issues are understood by audiences around the world, including students, scholars, national leaders, and policymakers.

The Steel Chair will have an appointment in any School(s) or Department(s) deemed appropriate by the Provost—e.g., in international affairs, public policy, law, communications, or journalism. It is a pan-university, interdisciplinary hire for a dynamic mid- or senior-career candidate who will enhance USC’s profile and impact on international affairs. Candidates should have a demonstrated public presence, particularly in Washington, DC, with noteworthy written output, whether in books, op-eds, policy papers, publications read by the policy community (e.g. Foreign Affairs , Foreign Policy ), or in academic journals and monographs. The position is open to candidates with broad backgrounds, including academia, think-tanks, government, or the non-profit sector.

The Steel Chair, which will be based at USC’s campus in Los Angeles and will maintain an active presence in DC at the USC Capital Campus, will oversee the Ronald L. Steel Fellowships in International Affairs and Foreign Policy. These fellowships will provide opportunities for early-stage professionals to advance public and policymaker understanding of key policy issues, under the mentorship of Steel Chair. Steel Fellows can be post-undergraduate, pre-doc, PhD candidates, postdocs, or early career professionals in international relations or foreign policy.

The Steel Chair appointment is for a 5-year (renewable) term on the tenure or Research, Teaching, Practitioner (RTPC) track. Preferred qualifications include:

• More than 10 years of distinctive professional experience in the field of international affairs as an academic, practitioner, advisor, or recognized thought leader
• Demonstrated written excellence and superior communication skills
• Recognition in the field of international affairs and foreign policy

About USC

The University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, media, technology and international business, USC’s diverse curricular offerings provide extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary study and collaboration with leading researchers in highly advanced learning environments. USC is also home to an important satellite site—the USC Capital Campus in Washington, DC.

Compensation and Benefits

The University of Southern California offers a competitive salary within an academic environment based on the candidate’s experience and accomplishments. The university also offers excellent benefits