Program Manager, SIS Graduate Education

American University•Washington, DC

11d•$32 - $34•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
3 - 5 years of relevant experience.
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.
Must have strong interpersonal, collaborative, organizational and external representation skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a higher educational setting preferred.
Familiarity with an academic setting.
Interest in and experience with the field of international relations.
Maintain flexibility.
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.
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.

Responsibilities

Graduate Program Management: 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: Establish annual budget needs, oversee and track spending, manage budgets for the PhD Program and the Office of the Associate Dean, monitor and track expenditures, prepare periodic reports, ensure adherence to budget and financial procedures, provide guidance on financial policies and procedures, perform select human resources functions, budget review and forecasting, reimbursement processing, credit card expenditure reconciliation, vendor maintenance, generate Professional Services Agreements, process student payments, honoraria and all other payment requests, complete disbursement requests for travel reimbursements, stipends, doctoral awards and trainings, scholarships, and other student disbursements, order supplies, and manage and reconcile a credit card (P card).
Data Management, Analysis and Reporting: Gather and analyze data using tools such as Excel, Qualtrics, and BI/ MicroStrategy, develop reports about course and school performance, course evaluations, grade distributions, student surveys, and program assessment, complete projects and duties as assigned by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education including data collection, analysis, report building, surveying students, drafting memos, and developing presentations.
Course and Curriculum Support: Support 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. Support the Associate Dean in the development and approval of MC-Curriculum/Curriculog curriculum change proposals.
Curriculum Delivery: Administer Graduate Academic Certificates and the Economic Placement Exam. Serve as the school’s ETD Administrator, including timely submission of theses and dissertations for publication to Proquest. Ensure the delivery of the required courses in the PhD curriculum each year.
Meeting Support: Facilitate 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: Assist Graduate Enrollment Management with recruiting events each year and coordinate the Associate Dean’s and PhD Program Director’s outreach efforts.
Marketing and Communications: Maintain accurate marketing materials, update programs’ websites with current events and innovative marketing text, leverage social media to promote the programs and build a network with students, alumni and faculty, monitor inboxes for general grad education email and doctoral program and respond to inquiries or redirects to appropriate office.
Student Affairs - Doctoral Program: Serve as a contact point for all prospective doctoral program students; arrange visits with faculty, current students, and direct applicants to other relevant resources. Plan and participate in symposia, community-building, guest speaker and other program specific events to promote the program. Support doctoral students’ research and conference travel by approving requests, processing payments/reimbursements, and ensuring compliance with AU travel protocols and procedures.
Student Affairs - Associate Dean for Graduate Education: Serve 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. Assist the Graduate Student Council as requested in annual elections, event planning, and general council operations. Coordinate with the Graduate Student Council to secure volunteers for meeting with prospective students. Secure alumni and student participants for admissions events and presentations. Support the SIS Graduate Advising Office by collaborating on student initiatives. Manage the logistics of program-related activities and events, including BA/MA interest sessions, SRP information sessions, and graduate student orientation. Plan the bi-annual graduate student orientation while working closely with stakeholders from across SIS and the larger AU community. Support 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. Oversee processes for annual University and SIS student awards at the graduate level. 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. Submit the scholarship payment request for each new awardee as well as for previous years’ recipients of renewable awards. Plan and execute 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.
Special Projects: Complete projects and duties as assigned by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education or Director of Doctoral Studies, including data collection, analysis and building reports, surveying students, drafting memos, speeches and other communications, developing presentations for faculty, staff, students, and senior administrators, and the development of proposals.
Supervisory Responsibility: Responsible for the Federal Work Study students and/or graduate assistants assigned to the program.