Job Description

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in 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, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They are reflected in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be remembered simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The Program Administrator for the Department of English and Creative Writing supports all front office operations and plays a pivotal role in academic administration, communications, and event execution. Reporting to the department administrator, this position serves as the primary liaison for faculty, students, visitors, and campus partners, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and high-quality support for departmental programs, events, and communications.

A central responsibility of this position is coordinating the department’s complex semester course schedule in partnership with the Office of the Registrar, maintaining the master course list and curriculum data, and serving as the point person for course planning across a large and varied teaching program. In addition, the Program Administrator plans and executes the department’s lecture, reading, and event series; manages internal communications and digital content; supports student programs and faculty governance; and administers budget and procurement processes. The Program Administrator works independently and collaboratively to ensure the department functions efficiently and projects a dynamic public presence.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is a proactive, detail-driven professional who thrives in a vibrant, people-centric environment and genuinely enjoys the daily variety of a front-facing role. You understand that in a busy academic hub, face-to-face interactions and frequent interruptions from faculty and students are not distractions, but a core part of the mission that requires a “warm welcome” mentality and exceptional patience. You are equally comfortable serving as the calm, organized point of contact at the front desk and as the meticulous coordinator behind a 50-course semester schedule, balancing competing faculty preferences against curriculum requirements and Registrar deadlines. You are a master of organization who can pivot between complex administrative tasks, course planning, and event execution while remaining calm under pressure. You possess a solid foundation in academic administration and communications, with the technical savvy to move fluently between creative platforms like Adobe Creative Suite or Canva and critical internal systems such as iO, CLSS, and CIM.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is exclusively on-site, requiring all duties to be performed in person at Rice University’s Herring Hall from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday–Friday. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Participates in occasional evening or weekend events (e.g., conferences, lectures, student events, and commencement events).

Hiring Range:

This position is benefits-eligible and exempt. It has an expected minimum salary of $58,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted
• 1 year of related professional experience (not as a student or volunteer) in office administration and event planning and execution
  • May substitute additional related experience beyond what is required on an equivalent year-for-year basis in lieu of the education requirement

Skills:

• Ability to learn new strategies
• Developed written and verbal communication skills
• Data analysis skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Good organizational and time management skills
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Ability and willingness to learn data organization and project management tools such as Airtable and Asana
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Attention to detail

Preferences:

• Rice University experience
• Experience working in iO modules, such as Expenses and Procurement, and familiarity with related dashboards
• Experience with specialized software tools commonly used in Registrar’s offices, such as Ellucian Banner, Degree Works, and CourseLeaf products (CIM, CLSS)
• Knowledge of and/or ability to learn new programs and applications related to job functions, including Box, Google Drive, Canvas (learning management system), Canva, Zoom, Qualtrics, and digital content management systems for websites
• Basic knowledge of managing budgets

Essential Functions:

Administrative Operations & Front Office Support

• Serve as the central point of contact and front-line resource for faculty, students, and visitors, answering the main departmental phone line, screening calls and visitors, and directing inquiries to the appropriate faculty or staff member
• Resolve most routine questions and problems independently, referring more complex issues to the department administrator or chair
• Oversee front office functions, including supply ordering, mail distribution, room reservations, equipment troubleshooting, and work order submissions
• Supervise and assign tasks to student workers
• Manage space and calendar scheduling for departmental events and room use.

Academic & Course Support

• Coordinate the department’s complex semester course schedule in partnership with the Dean's Office and Office of the Registrar, processing accurate details for 45–55 courses each semester and serving as the point person for all aspects of building the teaching schedule for faculty, instructors, and the Registrar
• Maintain the department’s master course list and curriculum, tracking course offerings, teaching history, faculty fields of expertise, and enrollment, and generating reports for short- and long-term planning
• Gather faculty teaching needs and preferences and balance them against curriculum requirements and degree needs, organizing the information for use by committees and the chair
• Submit course scheduling and catalog changes via CLSS and CIM, ensuring accuracy and compliance with academic policies; maintain and edit catalog and General Announcements copy
• Advise new faculty on course setup, curriculum structure, and Rice systems
• Advise and support faculty leadership on course scheduling.

Student & Program Support

• Respond to student inquiries about curriculum, courses, awards, and departmental programs, and assist with related administrative tasks
• Support undergraduate activities and events, including application and award processing
• Compile the department’s year-end honors and awards program and assist with related recognition events
• Support the Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Committee.

Event Planning & Coordination

• Plan and execute department-sponsored events, including the department’s endowed lectures and reading series (e.g., Cherry, Camden, and Cagle Lectures), symposia, workshops, course previews, brown bag talks, and annual celebrations
• Communicate courteously and efficiently with invited scholars and writers, arranging travel, lodging, itineraries, publicity, and honoraria
• Manage logistics ranging from coffee and refreshments for a workshop to catered events for fifty, including venue reservations, catering, A/V setup, invitations, set-up and take-down, and guest itineraries.

Marketing, Communications & Web

• Design promotional materials, including posters, brochures, digital flyers, programs, and displays for events and courses
• Maintain and update the department website and outreach platforms
• Collect and compile news items from faculty and students and produce a regular departmental newsletter sent via Mailchimp.

Finance & Procurement

• Track budgets for departmental events, programs, and guest speaker visits
• Manage financial processing in iO, including honoraria, reimbursements, invoices, check requests, and student award payments
• Reconcile PCard expenses
• Process receipts for undergraduate activities and produce routine financial reports

Other duties as assigned.

Additional Functions:

• Act as a backup for the department administrator and provide direct support to the chair and department administrator on special projects, including reports on curriculum, departmental self-assessment, and program review.
• Engage in professional development, including Rice-wide and School of Humanities training sessions and meetings.