"Assistant Chair"

Position Summary

Located in an urban environment on a 300-acre tree-lined campus, Rice University leverages its advantageous position to pursue pathbreaking research and create innovative collaboration opportunities that contribute to the betterment of our world.

BioSciences at Rice is home to undergraduate and doctoral degree programs in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. We investigate fundamental properties of living organisms and their impacts on the future quality of life on Earth.

The academic chair role focuses on oversight of graduate and undergraduate program administration and recruiting. This position leads the Graduate Program Administrator and Undergraduate Program Coordinator, ensuring consistency and continuity across recruiting, enrollment, orientation, commencement, student records, payroll tracking, fellowships, awards, and curriculum support. Graduate recruiting requires active coordination with faculty committees, data-driven reporting, and leadership during periods of high workload.

This position also provides leadership for major academic and departmental events, including the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium, departmental symposia, workshops, faculty receptions, recruiting weekends, awards ceremonies, and orientation and commencement events. While staff and faculty coordinators handle logistics, the assistant chair oversees planning, scheduling, budgeting, faculty participation, and program coherence to ensure events align with departmental goals.

Additional responsibilities include faculty and committee support, negotiation and coordination of graduate teaching assignments, maintenance of departmental records and history, and assistance with reports, presentations, grant proposals, and writing projects. Teaching and service contributions include co-instructing the graduate seminar, advising on curriculum and policy, supporting summer research programs, and serving as a judge or substitute instructor as needed.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The role requires exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to interact effectively with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders across all levels of the university. The ideal candidate is an experienced academic administrator with a strong record of overseeing graduate and undergraduate programs, particularly in recruiting, enrollment, and student support. They bring the ability to manage complex, overlapping workflows; provide effective supervision and backup to program staff; and collaborate closely with faculty, committees, and senior leadership on budgeting, awards, and teaching assignments. The candidate demonstrates leadership in planning and coordinating academic events while also offering reliable faculty and student support. A commitment to teaching, student mentorship, and program improvement, paired with strong organizational and communication skills, is a plus.

Workplace Requirements

This position is primarily on-site and requires all duties to be performed in person at the BioSciences office, Monday through Friday. Following the completion of the probationary period, BioSciences may consider limited remote work on a case-by-case basis. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Essential Remote: This role is classified as an Essential Remote Position. During declared emergencies or crisis events, the incumbent is required to continue duties remotely to ensure business continuity. Employees in this role must remain accessible to leadership, support critical departmental functions, and maintain operations until normal on-site activities resume.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 4+ years of experience
  In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills

• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including conflict resolution
• Excellent planning and organizational skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong expertise in business and management, computer applications, and databases
• Strong knowledge of industry standards and/or regulatory requirements
• Subject matter expertise for area(s) of responsibility

Preferences

• Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences or related field

Essential Functions

• Directs staff and provides leadership to achieve the goals and vision of the organization and the day-to-day operations
• Develops and implements strategic plan(s) for functional area(s) managed
  • Graduate Program Oversight & Administration Support: Supervise Graduate Program Administrator for BCB and EEB programs, ensuring consistency, updates, and assistance during high workload periods, enrollment, orientation, commencement, student records, timeline events, payroll data, fellowships, and awards in collaboration with the chair and executive admin.
  • Undergraduate Program Oversight: Supervise Undergraduate Program Coordinator for BIOS and NEUR programs, providing guidance on course schedules, announcements, orientation, commencement, curriculum support, and program updates (BS-MS-PhD requirements, learning objectives)
  • Academic Event Planning & Support: Lead and support department-wide academic events, including Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium, faculty receptions, scientific symposia, workshops, and awards ceremonies; responsibilities include scheduling, abstract selection, budget oversight, venue coordination, and faculty/student recruitment as needed
  • Graduate & Undergraduate Recruiting Support: Central role in coordinating graduate and undergraduate recruiting activities, including interview schedules, faculty involvement, reporting applications, and ensuring smooth operation of recruitment events
• Works with leadership to develop and implement a strategic plan for the functional area managed
• Advises leadership on specific recommendations for current operations and future development
  • Committee and Program Support: Serves on and supports multiple committees, including Graduate Recruiting, Faculty Awards, Graduate Advising, and the Bioscience & Health Policy Steering Committee
  • Graduate Teaching Oversight: Manages negotiation of graduate teaching assignments, acting as liaison between the chair and faculty, ensuring timely communication from faculty and staff, and confirming final announcements to student TAs and instructors
  • Department History and Outreach: Maintains departmental records, photo repository, website, and social media; assists with outreach and initiatives to improve undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs
• Interprets, implements, and ensures compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures
• Recommends and/or formulates internal administrative policies, guidelines, and procedures
• Responsible for overseeing the finances for the area of responsibility, as well as monitoring and analyzing an annual student budget
• Represents the organization's business operations and administrative affairs within the organization, and/or to outside constituencies
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Course Instruction & Academic Advising: Co-instructor for BIOS 581/582 Graduate Seminar in Biochemistry & Cell Biology with the department chair; serves as course advisor on the Bioscience and Health Policy faculty steering committee
• Student Engagement & Event Support: Assists with Summer REU programs, serves as a judge for student poster sessions and symposia, and acts as a temporary substitute instructor when needed

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice: Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system... (full about section)

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