Academic Program Manager - Mellon College of Science - Physics Department

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Carnegie Mellon University's Mellon College of Science (MCS) Physics Department is seeking an Academic Program Manager to oversee the comprehensive program management of its Graduate and Undergraduate Physics degree programs. This role involves managing administrative operations, student services, and communications for both undergraduate (Bachelors) and graduate (Masters and Doctoral) programs. The position requires strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills to support students, faculty, and departmental administration in areas such as registration, advising, recruitment, and data reporting. The ideal candidate will be adaptable, passionate, and committed to supporting the university's mission.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in academic or business administration, communication, or related field required.
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in academic program management and/or academic advising required.
Strong relationship-building, problem-solving, reasoning, communication and organization skills.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Nice To Haves

Educational marketing and outreach experience preferred.
A combination of education and proven experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Responsibilities

Coordinate administrative operations, student services, and communications for the undergraduate physics program, supporting majors, minors, and all physics courses.
Manage undergraduate student registration processes, including waitlist administration, prerequisite verification, and vetting/tracking of research course enrollment.
Build, update, and manage class schedules each semester in university systems.
Represent the department at Registrar Academic Community Update (RACU) meetings and serve as the primary administrative contact for related tasks.
Partner with the Director of Undergraduate Affairs to plan, execute, and promote the department’s undergraduate metacurricular program.
Plan and execute all commencement ceremonies, including diploma management and tracking of university and college honors.
Serve as the primary staff contact for undergraduate inquiries, providing guidance on degree requirements and academic deadlines.
Manage and update physics faculty advisor assignments and maintain physics program pathways and student audits in Stellic.
Collaborate on routine audits of student progress toward degree completion and degree certification.
Maintain and manage undergraduate student email distribution lists.
Track and communicate academic deadlines to faculty, and coordinate the collection and submission of final grades for research courses.
Manage the department syllabus repository and prepare documentation for university governing bodies.
Coordinate the annual review and update of the undergraduate catalog.
Compile student lists and background materials for the Department Head to support reappointment, promotion, and tenure cases and award nominations.
Administer student surveys and maintain data regarding graduating students and alumni outcomes.
Provide administrative support for graduate students, including managing qualifying and degree completion processes for PhD candidates.
Coordinate the enrollment of new graduate students and manage their onboarding and communications.
Coordinate with the Office of International Education to advise and provide logistical support to international students.
Create and maintain class schedules for graduate programs.
Coordinate resolution of student academic recordkeeping with the Graduate Education Office.
Plan and manage departmental commencement ceremonies or coordinate Physics engagement with MCS commencement ceremonies.
Extract data from campus information systems and produce or update reports for departmental decision-making.
Prepare program reports for the American Institute of Physics (AIP), including enrollment trends, census/demographic reports, class rosters, grade reports, and graduate teaching assistant evaluations.
Perform other ad hoc analysis requests and other duties as assigned.