Education Program Specialist- Continuing Education

Penn State University • Harrisburg, PA

1d

About The Position

The Project & Business Development Specialist supports Continuing Education through project coordination, budget tracking, and business development activities focused on expanding earned-revenue opportunities, including the strategic use of Penn State Harrisburg facilities. This position plays a key role in operational execution, financial monitoring, and partner engagement, working under the direction of Continuing Education leadership. The role emphasizes implementation, analysis, and coordination rather than supervisory or managerial authority, while contributing directly to the financial sustainability and growth of Continuing Education initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, project coordination, higher education administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in project coordination, program administration, or operational support roles.
• Experience tracking budgets or financial activity in a professional setting.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in continuing education, workforce development, or higher education administration.
• Experience supporting revenue-generating programs, events, or facility usage.
• Familiarity with financial systems, cost centers, or project tracking tools in a university environment (e.g., Workday, 25Live).
• Experience supporting grant-funded or externally sponsored projects.

Responsibilities

• Support the planning and execution of multiple Continuing Education projects, including workforce initiatives, and externally funded activities.
• Develop and maintain project timelines, task lists, and tracking tools to support on-time delivery of program milestones.
• Track project budgets, including monitoring expenditures, reconciling charges, identifying variances, and flagging issues for leadership review.
• Assist with budget development for new programs, proposals, and facility-based offerings, including cost estimates and pricing inputs.
• Prepare routine financial and project status reports for internal review.
• Assist in identifying and developing revenue-generating opportunities utilizing Penn State Harrisburg facilities for external training, events, and programs.
• Serve as a coordination point for inquiries related to external use of campus facilities in collaboration with Continuing Education leadership.
• Support the development of pricing models, cost-recovery calculations, and revenue projections for facility-based activities.
• Coordinate logistics for external facility use, including space requests, schedules, technology needs, staffing coordination, and post-event follow-up.
• Maintain tracking records related to facility utilization, revenue, and partner engagement.
• Coordinate across internal units including Facilities, Events, Finance, Marketing, and academic partners to support program and facility-based activities.
• Support communication with external partners, including gathering requirements, coordinating documentation, and supporting contract or agreement workflows.
• Prepare briefing materials, summaries, and dashboards to support decision-making by Continuing Education leadership.
• Assist with data collection and documentation for reporting, audits, and continuous improvement efforts.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level