Graduate Student Coordinator

About the Department:

The Department of Crop & Soil Sciences is a multidisciplinary academic unit within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences that delivers research, teaching, and extension programs in agronomy, soil science, crop improvement, environmental management, and agricultural systems. The department supports large, varied undergraduate and graduate programs and provides comprehensive academic, administrative, and student services to ensure effective program delivery and student success.

Essential Job Duties:

Join our team as a Student Services Coordinator – Advanced, where you’ll play a central leadership role in guiding and enhancing a dynamic graduate program serving more than 120 students.

In this highly impactful position, you’ll act as a trusted partner to students, faculty, and university leadership—leading key initiatives, solving complex challenges, and driving improvements that strengthen the graduate experience from admission through completion.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Graduate Program Operations: Oversee the full lifecycle of graduate admissions and onboarding, ensuring a seamless and welcoming experience for incoming students.
• Drive Innovation & Process Improvement: Design and implement systems—such as milestone tracking and workflow enhancements—that improve student progress, retention, and program effectiveness.
• Serve as a Key Advisor & Problem-Solver: Independently resolve complex or sensitive academic and administrative issues, including policy exceptions with broad impact.
• Support Student & Program Success: Monitor program outcomes, evaluate progress toward departmental goals, and provide guidance on high-level academic and funding decisions.
• Enhance Teaching & Learning: Partner with faculty to integrate instructional technologies and evidence-based teaching practices in a fast-paced research environment.
• Coordinate Events & Engagement: Plan and support workshops, orientations, seminars, and recruitment events that foster student success and faculty involvement.
• Collaborate Across Campus: Act as a liaison to key university offices (e.g., Graduate School, Registrar, International Services, Libraries) to ensure alignment and effective service delivery.
• Support Funding & Reporting Efforts: Assist with fellowship and assistantship administration, and contribute to reports for accreditation, assessment, and program reviews.
• Contribute to Communications: Help develop clear, engaging content for newsletters, websites, and program updates.
• Be a Collaborative Team Member: Work closely with colleagues across the department and college, contributing to committees and fostering a supportive, team-oriented environment.

What Makes This Role Exciting

• High Impact: Your work directly influences student success, faculty support, and the strategic direction of a large graduate program.
• Autonomy & Leadership: You’ll have the authority to make decisions, implement changes, and shape processes at a systems level.
• Collaborative Environment: Engage with a varied network of students, faculty, and campus partners.
• Opportunity to Innovate: Bring new ideas to life in a role that values initiative, creativity, and continuous improvement.

Other Responsibilities:

• Special Projects as assigned.
• Assist with locking up building and helping with department mail.
• Other tasks and responsibilities may be assigned based on the needs of the organization and evolving priorities.

Minimum Experience/Education:

Bachelor’s degree; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience coordinating graduate programs, academic advising, or student services in a university setting.
• Working knowledge of NC State Graduate School policies, graduate assistantship rules, and academic progression requirements.
• Experience using university systems such as PeopleSoft/SIS, SLATE, Moodle/Canvas, Degree Audit tools, or graduate tracking systems.
• Familiarity with instructional technologies and the ability to support faculty with LMS setup, course logistics, and basic instructional design needs.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze student data, monitor academic progress, and generate program reports.