Program Specialist (Contingent II - Grant Funded)

Maryland Connect

5d•$60,000 - $70,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Program Specialist supports the administration, fiscal monitoring, implementation, and evaluation of the Entrepreneurship Innovation Center's Title III Pathways to Innovation & Entrepreneurship Phase II Activity. The position coordinates program operations, maintains fiscal and implementation documentation, supports student and faculty engagement activities, and assists with documenting progress toward approved objectives and performance indicators. The position is structured as 80% Title III-supported effort and 20% University/EIC-supported effort. The Program Specialist works under the direction of the Associate Director/Title III Activity Director and collaborates with Title III administration, University fiscal and procurement personnel, EIC staff, faculty, undergraduate students, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, consultants, campus partners, vendors, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

Knowledge of program administration, project coordination, budget tracking, purchasing processes, program evaluation support, and the ability to support grant-funded activities in accordance with approved objectives, budgets, timelines, performance indicators, and institutional procedures.
Knowledge of entrepreneurship, innovation, venture development, lean startup methodology, business planning, customer discovery, and related entrepreneurial competencies.
Ability to interpret activity plans, implementation schedules, performance indicators, and budgets; track expenditures; maintain accurate fiscal and program documentation; reconcile records; and prepare budget status summaries and related reports.
Strong organizational, project-management, written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer-service skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work collaboratively across academic and administrative units, and exercise sound judgment when handling confidential or sensitive information.
Ability to collect, organize, compile, summarize, and report quantitative and qualitative program data; prepare professional correspondence, reports, summaries, and documentation; and use Microsoft Office applications and University financial, purchasing, data-management, and reporting systems.
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in business administration, entrepreneurship, management, data analytics, public administration, higher education, education, finance, project management, communications, or related field.
A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible professional experience involving program administration, project coordination, entrepreneurship programming, workshop facilitation, budget or financial tracking, higher education administration, grant support, nonprofit programming, or a related area.
Experience facilitating workshops, presentations, training sessions, student-development programs, or other structured learning activities.
Experience maintaining program records, coordinating multiple projects or events, tracking budgets or expenditures, preparing reports, and working with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in business administration, entrepreneurship, public administration, data analytics, higher education administration, education, project management, or a related field.
Experience with Title III, higher-education grants, sponsored-program administration, or institutional grant reporting.
Experience with university procurement, financial management, or enterprise systems.
Experience supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, student-development, experiential-learning, Innovation Lab, or Makerspace programming.
Experience collecting program-performance data and preparing documentation for evaluation, monitoring, or grant reporting.

Responsibilities

Administer and coordinate day-to-day operational requirements for the Pathways to Innovation & Entrepreneurship Title III Activity under the direction of the Activity Director, including schedules, timelines, deliverables, and administrative records.
Monitor progress toward approved objectives, performance indicators, implementation of tasks, annual milestones, and administrative deadlines, and identify items requiring follow-up by the Activity Director.
Maintain organized fiscal and program records supporting approved Title III expenditures, including purchases, contractual services, travel, supplies, equipment, personnel-related documentation, and other activity costs.
Track expenditures, encumbrances, available balances, purchase transactions, invoices, reimbursements, and related documentation; prepare routine budget status reports, expenditure summaries, and projections for review.
Support procurement activities for approved equipment, program resources, professional development, workshops, and contractual services, including coordination with vendors and University offices on quotes, purchase orders, invoices, deliveries, and receipt of goods.
Maintain documentation related to the receipt, installation, inventory, and programmatic use of Title III-funded equipment and resources, and maintain grant files to support monitoring, reconciliation, reporting, and internal review.
Assist the Activity Director with reviewing proposed expenditures for consistency with the approved activity plan and budget and with preparing budget modifications, supporting explanations, projections, and related documentation as needed.
Identify fiscal, documentation, or implementation discrepancies and communicate them to the Activity Director for review and resolution; provide administrative and budget management support without independently approving expenditures, authorizing budget changes, or determining grant allowability.
Coordinate implementation of approved Pathways to Innovation & Entrepreneurship Phase II activities, including schedules, participant logistics, outreach, documentation, and completion of tasks associated with established objectives and performance indicators.
Support the coordination of Innovation Lab, Makerspace, and faculty/staff professional-development activities, including the Innovation Lab Sprint, cohort forum, equipment-related workshops, participant communication, scheduling, registration, instructional logistics, and supporting materials.
Coordinate Entrepreneurs-in-Residence mentorship and student engagement activities, including student matching, mentorship logistics, pitch challenges, prototype showcases, case competitions, venture-development support, pitch preparation, presentation readiness, and documentation associated with venture-funding recommendations.
Serve as an operational point of contact for students, faculty, mentors, presenters, consultants, campus partners, vendors, and EIC staff; maintain implementation records and provide routine updates to the Activity Director regarding progress, participation, resource needs, delays, or other issues affecting approved activity objectives.
Maintain and organize records documenting progress toward approved Title III objectives and performance indicators, including participation, attendance, mentorship, workshop completion, outreach, and evidence of student or faculty products.
Compile, summarize, and assist with reviewing quantitative and qualitative program data to document progress toward established performance indicators and tangible results identified in the approved activity plan.
Administer or coordinate approved surveys, participant feedback instruments, post-program evaluations, and other data-collection tools; document evidence of student knowledge and skill development from approved program activities.
Prepare data summaries, tables, narrative updates, and supporting documentation for use by the Activity Director in Title III progress reports, annual reports, institutional updates, and internal reviewers.
Support and coordinate non-Title III EIC programs, events, workshops, outreach, student and community engagement initiatives, networking activities, competitions, information sessions, partnerships, and other institutional initiatives.
Provide administrative and program support for non-Title III EIC operations, including scheduling, participant communication, event logistics, presentations, outreach materials, recordkeeping, databases, and assistance to students, faculty, entrepreneurs, mentors, partners, vendors, and visitors.
Participate in EIC staff meetings, institutional planning, University and community activities, and perform other related non-Title III EIC duties as assigned, consistent with University funding, time-and-effort, and administrative requirements.