"Graduate and Undergraduate Program Administrator"

Position Summary

The Graduate and Undergraduate Program Administrator supports the Department of Mathematics by overseeing the administrative and financial operations of its academic programs. This role manages graduate recruitment and admissions, provides curriculum and scheduling support, and monitors student progress toward degree completion. Reporting to the Executive Administrator, this position works closely with the Department Chair and serves as the primary liaison to campus partners, including the Registrar, the Office of International Students and Scholars, and the Wiess School of Natural Sciences Dean's Office.

By ensuring efficient operations and clear communication, the Graduate & Undergraduate Program Administrator contributes directly to the success of the department's students and faculty. This position requires frequent interaction with faculty, students, and external organizations and is ideal for a highly structured, relationship-driven professional who thrives in a collaborative academic environment.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, service-oriented professional with experience supporting academic programs in higher education. They excel in student-facing work, administrative and financial processes, and collaboration with faculty and campus partners, including those supporting international students. The successful candidate is adaptable, detail-oriented, and skilled at managing multiple priorities in a dynamic academic environment.

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University, Herman Brown Hall from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

starting at $56,000; salary commensurate with education and experience. This is an Exempt (salaried) position under FLSA, which is not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Two or more (2+) years of related experience
• Skills:
  • Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
  • Advanced problem-solving skills
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
  • Strong data analysis skills
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
  • Adept at problem-solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
  • Strong client service orientation and attention to detail
  • Ability to develop complex or multiple program partnerships and funding sources
  • Ability to oversee and direct students
  • Knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans

Preferences

• Experience with Oracle-based or similar ERP systems
• Rice and/or other higher education experience
• Experience with graduate and undergraduate academic programs

Essential Functions

• Administers program operations, ensuring efficient, effective and productive operations
• Creates and implements plans to achieve program objectives and mission
• Ensures compliance with policies and regulations and recommends changes to procedures and processes
• Analyzes data, identifies trends, develops reports and recommends and implements changes to improve alignment with institutional mission and goals
• Oversee the planning and coordination of student events and serve as a backup for conference-related functions when required.
• Provides support in developing relationships with internal and external entities as it relates to student recruiting and student initiatives.
• Directly responsible for graduate student recruitment and admissions, student records, curriculum support, coordinating the accreditation process, managing scholarships and fellowships, and monitoring student progress
• Directly responsible for student hiring and managing student work assignments; works with Human Resources and the Office of International Students and Scholars to ensure compliance with all university policies and federal labor laws
• Initiate and maintain accurate labor distributions for graduate and undergraduate students, ensuring payroll allocations align with funded accounts
• Track student funding across multiple sources to prevent overspending and maintain a detailed student spending budget to ensure all disbursements align with allocated funds
• Manages coordination and compliance of U.S. visas for faculty and students who are foreign nationals
• Maintains and updates course scheduling, curriculum documents, and academic advising resources
• Coordinates administrative components of degree plans
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Interprets department and university policy governing graduate programs and provides expert advice to students, faculty, and staff
• Assists the department chair, the executive administrator, and the directors of graduate and undergraduate programs with reports, data accumulation, and analysis as needed
• Manage and submit periodic effort reports, certifying that student work activities accurately reflect the salary charged to specific grants or departmental funds.
• Serves as departmental liaison to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Office of International Students and Scholars, the Registrar's Office and the Dean's Office in the School of Natural Sciences.

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.

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