Program Manager, SIS Graduate Education

Location: Main Campus (Washington, DC)

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University

School of International Service

Time Type:

Full time

Job Type:

Temporary (Fixed Term)

FLSA Status:

Non-ExemptHybrid 01 (On Campus 3-4 Days/Week)

SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit represented by SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division. That means the terms and conditions of your employment are governed by university policy (including the Staff Personnel Policies Manual) and any collective bargaining agreement entered into between American University and SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division.

Summary:

The Program Manager, SIS Graduate Education manages and executes program operations for the SIS Graduate Programs. Under the supervision of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education, the Program Manager designs and implements administrative procedures related to program operations, events, and evaluation along with student activities, recruitment and retention, scholarships, and awards. This position liaises with other offices both within SIS and campus-wide, particularly the SIS Dean’s office, SIS departments, SIS Graduate Advising, SIS Events, SIS Office of Financial Operations, SIS Office of Marketing and Communications, and SIS Graduate Enrollment Management. This position will require a strong grasp of the school’s and University’s procedures and IT systems.

The Program Manager manages budgets for graduate education, and coordinates with departments to implement the PhD required course curriculum. The Program Manager serves as an adviser to the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and helps plan and execute strategic reviews and initiatives. The Program Manager also organizes major SIS-wide student-facing events, and this position is a primary point of student interface for doctoral students and graduate student groups.

The Program Manager completes core functions for the doctoral program including disbursement of funds to support students, the submission of dissertations to the electronic thesis database, and room reservations for key events such as prospectus and dissertation defenses, among others. As a touch point for students and faculty, they gather feedback about the doctoral program and the needs and interests of students. They also collect and analyze data to improve strategic decision-making, including benchmarking exercises and compiling data from the university’s various data systems and external sources.

Essential Functions:

1.) Graduate Program Management

• This position works with the Associate Dean of Graduate Education and the Director of the SIS Doctoral Program to design, implement, and periodically review the program’s administrative and operational policies, procedures, and guidance, and to design and execute systems to make program decision making more data-driven. 

• Budget and Financial Administration: This position will work with the Associate Dean of Graduate Education and the Director of the SIS Doctoral Program to establish annual budget needs and oversee and track spending to ensure it is in line with strategic goals. The Program Manager is responsible for managing the budgets of the PhD Program and the Office of the Associate Dean. The Program Manager monitors and tracks expenditures for the SIS Doctoral Program and the Associate Dean and prepares periodic reports. The Program Manager ensures the offices are following budget and financial procedures and that expenditures align with institutional policies. In collaboration with the Office of Financial Operations, they provide guidance to faculty program leads and other program stakeholders on applicable financial policies and procedures and perform select human resources functions, budget review and forecasting, reimbursement processing, credit card expenditure reconciliation, and vendor maintenance. They also generate Professional Services Agreements and process student payments, honoraria and all other payment requests. The Program Manager completes disbursement requests for travel reimbursements, stipends, doctoral awards and trainings, scholarships, and other student disbursements. The Program Manager orders supplies for the program and Associate Dean. The Program Manager manages and reconciles a credit card (P card).

• Data Management, Analysis and Reporting: The Program Manager uses tools such as Excel, Qualtrics, and BI/ MicroStrategy to gather and analyze data and develops reports about course and school performance, course evaluations, grade distributions, student surveys, and program assessment. The Program Manager completes projects and duties as assigned by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. The projects can include, but are not limited to, data collection, analysis and building reports, surveying students, drafting memos, and developing presentations.

• Course and Curriculum Support: The Program Manager supports the work of the Associate Dean and Director of Doctoral Studies in course scheduling including supporting data collection and analysis, working collaboratively with Departments, and providing options and recommendations on assessment of SIS-wide requirements such as the Professional Development Requirement, tool of research or non-practica capstone options. The Program Manager also supports the Associate Dean in the development and approval of MC-Curriculum/Curriculog curriculum change proposals. 

• Curriculum Delivery: The Program Manager administers Graduate Academic Certificates and the Economic Placement Exam. They are the school’s ETD Administrator, which includes timely submission of theses and dissertations for publication to Proquest. This position works with the departments to ensure the delivery of the required courses in the PhD curriculum each year.

• Meeting Support: The Program Manager facilitates meetings between the Associate Dean and other stakeholders and the Director of Doctoral Studies and other stakeholders including meeting logistics, document preparation, note taking, and distributing minutes from those meetings. 

• Admissions: Assists Graduate Enrollment Management with recruiting events each year and coordinates the Associate Dean’s and PhD Program Director’s outreach efforts.

• Marketing and Communications: In coordination with SIS Communications and Marketing and the Office of Graduate Enrollment Management, maintains accurate marketing materials, and updates the programs’ websites (with adherence to AU/SIS web policies) with current events and innovative marketing text. Leverages social media to promote the programs and build a network with students, alumni and faculty. Monitors inboxes for general grad education email and doctoral program and responds to inquiries or redirects to appropriate office. 

2.) Student Affairs

• Doctoral Program: The Program Manager serves as a contact point for all prospective doctoral program students; arranges visits with faculty, current students, and directs applicants to other relevant resources. They plan and participate in symposia, community-building, guest speaker and other program specific events to promote the program. These functions may be performed independently or in collaboration with the SIS Events team and PhD program student representative. Supports doctoral students’ research and conference travel by approving requests, processing payments/reimbursements, and ensuring compliance with AU travel protocols and procedures.

• Associate Dean for Graduate Education: The Program Manager serves as the staff adviser and primary liaison of the Associate Dean to the Graduate Student Council and the Journal of International Service, including supporting graduate student groups on administrative, financial, and logistical process. The Program Manager assists the Graduate Student Council as requested in annual elections, event planning, and general council operations. This position coordinates with the Graduate Student Council to secure volunteers for meeting with prospective students. In conjunction with departmental leadership, the position secures alumni and student participants for admissions events and presentations. Supports the SIS Graduate Advising Office by collaborating on student initiatives. The Program Manager is responsible for managing the logistics of program-related activities and events, including BA/MA interest sessions, SRP information sessions, and graduate student orientation. They plan the bi-annual graduate student orientation while working closely with stakeholders from across SIS and the larger AU community (including, but not limited to, space booking/arrangement, scheduling, budgeting, catering, and assessment).

• This position supports the SIS graduate student recognition committees on an annual basis, including the Graduate Student Awards Committee, the Commencement Speaker Committee, and committees for special fellowships. The Program Manager oversees processes for annual University and SIS student awards at the graduate level. To do so they will: create a timeline for multi-stage nominations process and ensure adherence to deadlines; provide information to students regarding eligibility and application process for school-wide awards; solicit nominations for SIS graduate awards and nomination suggestions for University awards; work with the Graduate Program team to review and select official University award nominees and SIS award recipients; plan and execute the annual SIS Graduate Awards ceremony; notify scholarship recipients of their selection and advise them on procedure for accepting and verifying conditions of award; and submit the scholarship payment request for each new awardee as well as for previous years’ recipients of renewable awards.

• The Program Manager plans and executes SIS-wide student events hosted by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and the doctoral program such as seminars, awards celebrations, dinners, and town halls.

3.) Special Projects

• The Program Manager completes projects and duties as assigned by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education or Director of Doctoral Studies. The projects can include, but are not limited to, data collection, analysis and building reports, surveying students, drafting memos, speeches and other communications, and developing presentations for faculty, staff, students, and senior administrators, and the development of proposals.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• This position is responsible for the Federal Work Study students and/or graduate assistants assigned to the program.

Competencies:

• Prioritizing and Organizing.

• Acquiring and Analyzing Information.

• Supporting Coworkers.

• Displaying Creativity.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-time.

• 35 hours per week.

• Expected hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an hour lunch. 

• Occasional evening and weekend work will be required to support program events and activities.

• This is a one-year temporary position.

Salary Range:

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

• 3 - 5 years of relevant experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Experience in a higher educational setting preferred.

• The ideal candidate will be familiar with an academic setting, have an interest in and experience with the field of international relations, maintain flexibility, and have the ability to work as a team player.

• Familiarity with survey applications (Survey Monkey/Qualtrics), Microstrategy BI, CommonSpot, InDesign and/or Photoshop for web design and posting a plus.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Strong administrative experience, including project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Skill using Microsoft Office suite including Word, PowerPoint and Excel to develop and maintain databases, develop briefings, presentations and reports and conduct data analysis.

• Exemplary time management and multi-tasking skills.

• Exemplary organization skills.

• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills, including careful attention to accuracy and detail.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and strong team-oriented mindset.

• Ability to provide high levels of customer service and exercise tact and diplomacy while interacting with student, faculty, university staff and peers on sensitive and confidential personnel matters.

• Knowledge of major social media platforms and Internet research techniques.

• Intercultural sensitivity and competence dealing with diverse populations required.

• Ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures and work in a collaborative, multi-cultural environment.

• Familiarity with survey applications (Survey Monkey/Qualtrics), data reporting systems such as Microstrategy BI and academic course management systems preferred.

• Skill using CommonSpot, InDesign and/or Photoshop for web design and marketing a plus.

• Knowledge of major social media platforms.

• Must have strong interpersonal, collaborative, organizational and external representation skills. 

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.

• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• American University is an E-Verify employer.

Current American University Employees

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Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu.

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