WordPress Website Administrator & Designer

Location: San Diego, CA (Hybrid in San Diego onsite 3 days a week)
Institute: USC Keck School of Medicine – Alzheimer Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI)

The USC Keck School of Medicine - Alzheimer Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI), located in San Diego, California, is an academic institute comprised of an expert group of scientific collaborators committed to advancing the development of new treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) through innovative clinical trials.

We are seeking a to join our growing team. This role is ideal for a creative and technically skilled individual who is passionate about building and maintaining impactful web experiences in a research-driven environment.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Administer and maintain ATRI’s WordPress websites, ensuring optimal security, performance, and reliability.
• Design and implement website layouts and features using WordPress themes and page builders.
• Collaborate with research and communications teams to develop and publish engaging content.
• Optimize websites for SEO, accessibility, and responsive design.
• Troubleshoot and resolve website issues, including plugin conflicts and performance bottlenecks.
• Maintain documentation for website architecture, updates, and workflows.
• Ensure compliance with institutional branding and digital accessibility standards.
• Manage multiple web-related projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to strict deadlines.

Preferred Skills

Web Design & Development

• 1+ years of experience managing and designing WordPress websites.
• Proficiency with WordPress themes, plugins, and page builders (e.g., Elementor, WPBakery).
• Familiarity with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and basic PHP.
• Understanding of SEO principles and Google Analytics.
• Experience with graphic design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe XD, Figma).

Development Practices & Tools

• Solid understanding of version control systems (e.g., Git, Mercurial, SVN).
• Experience using Agile project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence).
• Knowledge of test-driven development (TDD) and continuous integration practices.

Collaboration & Innovation

• Proven ability to manage projects efficiently and meet strict deadlines in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
• Excellent communication skills with a strong track record of effective collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
• Well-versed in accessibility standards (WCAG) and best practices for responsive, user-centered design.
• Skilled in leveraging Generative AI tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, GitHub Copilot) to boost productivity and streamline development workflows.

The hourly rate range for this position is $. - $.. 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.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined work experience and education as equivalentMinimum Experience: 0 - 6 months Minimum Field of Expertise: General knowledge of object oriented design; Web servers; Web applications and programming languages; Web content management systems, search engine optimization, and usability engineering. Must be able to develop simple Web sites.