VIP Program Specialist

Penn State University • University Park, IL

47d • $54,060 - $78,444 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowship Mentoring is hiring a VIP Program Specialist for a new initiative: Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP). The program specialist will provide management, administrative coordination, communication, assessment, and outreach to support the growth, quality, and sustainability of VIP at Penn State. As this is a newly created role, the incumbent will build the structures needed to establish, grow, and sustain these projects over time. VIP is a university-identified priority: multi-year, faculty-led, curricularly integrated projects that support student growth as they work in teams to contribute to project objectives across multiple semesters, frequently in collaboration with external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree
• Strong written and oral communication skills: Ability to produce written materials for internal and external stakeholders, manage web content, and communicate program value to prospective faculty and students
• Able to build structures and processes from scratch for a newly created program, manage multiple concurrent responsibilities (outreach, reporting, faculty relations), and keep initiatives moving
• Comfortable cultivating and maintaining relationships across very different audiences: faculty leaders, students, university committees, external community/industry/government partners
• Basic competency in designing data collection processes, tracking metrics (enrollment, completion, satisfaction), and using that data to inform program improvements

Responsibilities

• Identifies infrastructure needs and cultivates resources — data collection, software, collaborators — to support VIP project development across Penn State, while serving as point of contact for faculty leaders and student teams
• Works with the Oversight Committee, Faculty Champion(s), and faculty leaders to define VIP elements, ensure VIP consortium compliance, and build faculty trainings and communities of practice
• Conducts outreach to raise VIP awareness among students, faculty, departments, and other stakeholders, and builds structures that promote equitable access to VIP opportunities
• Collaborates with faculty VIP leaders to create and manage the VIP website and related communication and access structures
• Creates and manages data collection from VIP projects and faculty mentors to assess outcomes, tracking enrollment, completion, and satisfaction metrics
• Represents Penn State at internal and external meetings, supports special projects, recommends process improvements, and may directly supervise part-time, student, or temporary employees

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• Substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
• 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children

What This Job Offers

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