Senior Academic Coordinator - Mellon College of Science - Mathematical Sciences Department

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it.

The Mellon College of Science (MCS) is home to four departments and many programs and research centers that cross disciplines. The graduate program in Mathematical Sciences comprises four separate doctoral degree options. The Senior Academic Coordinator will work closely with the Director of Graduate Studies, along with the Department Head and other key department faculty, to serve students pursuing these degrees.

Core Responsibilities

• Graduate Admissions & Student Onboarding: Coordinate graduate admissions processes, including application setup, admissions tracking, offer preparation, collection of academic documentation, and onboarding of newly admitted students through orientation and Canvas resources.
• International Student Support: Assist international students with visa processing, CPT/OPT documentation, and language proficiency requirements in collaboration with the Office of International Education (OIE).
• Registrar & Academic Coordination: Serve as the department liaison to the Registrar’s Office, coordinating graduate course scheduling, classroom updates, degree certification, and communicating relevant academic information to faculty.
• Curriculum & Committee Administration: Support graduate curriculum administration by maintaining doctoral handbooks and Stellic audits, coordinating Graduate Program Committee (GPC) meetings, tracking policy updates, and preparing committee documentation.
• Graduate Advising & Student Progress Tracking: Maintain graduate student records and registration tracking systems, monitor academic progress toward degree completion, and coordinate milestone reviews and advisor communications.
• Examinations & Doctoral Defense Coordination: Coordinate scheduling and administration of Basic Exams and doctoral defenses, including logistics, communications, dissertation documentation, and committee tracking.
• Graduate Student Retention & Academic Support: Collaborate with faculty and retention committees to assess graduate student progress and support student success initiatives.
• Commencement & Academic Event: Assist with planning and coordination of doctoral hooding ceremonies and departmental commencement-related events.
• Alumni Relations & Program Support: Maintain records of recent PhD graduates and support alumni tracking and communication efforts.
• Additional Responsibilities: Perform other duties as assigned in support of departmental and graduate program operations.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of administrative support experience required.
• Higher education and/or student services experience highly desired.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• A combination of education and proven experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.