Skip to main content

This job has expired

Sociology - Graduate Programs Manager

Employer
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Location
UMass Amherst

View more

Administrative Jobs
Institutional & Business Affairs, Program Administration
Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution

Job Details

Sociology - Graduate Programs Manager

Job no: 502853
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Sociology
Union: PSU
Categories: Administrative/Office Support, Advancement

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The Graduate Programs Manager provides leadership and direction for the Sociology PhD program and the Labor Studies M.S. programs by supporting administration, student progress and excellence.

Essential Functions

  • Provide diplomatic problem solving and leadership in the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the graduate programs for Sociology and Labor Studies. As required by the program, liaison with the Graduate School, university offices and staff for admissions, milestones, adviser and committee memberships, student defenses and other activities related to graduate student progress. Prepare graduate student contracts including assistantships, fellowship and internship appointments. Attend graduate related committee meetings and provide support for committee work.
  • Advise PhD students on academic requirements and satisfactory progress toward degree, with special attention to program requirements and rules; proactively advise students who have not completed their requirements or are not in satisfactory progress. Update student files with advising notes and progress documentation as appropriate. Alert the Sociology and Labor Studies Graduate Program Directors with student progress concerns. For Sociology and Labor Studies programs, create and maintain comprehensive, accurate and organized student files, including online files.
  • Develop and manage PhD student events, workshops or programs that support recruitment, retention, academic progress and career success. Steward graduate fellowship, grant or research programs. Create and maintain applications and procedures for each program, convene review committees, facilitate payments and awards, and enforce reporting requirements for awards.
  • Conduct research, collect data and create databases to provide the Graduate Program Directors with a variety of reports that support requests from University offices or other organizations. Create surveys, analyze data and develop reports that help support graduate program planning and programmatic excellence.
  • Work closely with the Manager of Academic Programs and the Graduate Program Directors to ensure proper course offerings each semester and ongoing engagement of graduate alumni for placement or development activities.
  • Monitor, initiate updates and provide information for graduate program web pages or other communication needs. Work to ensure timely and comprehensive messaging to students and other audiences consistent with the strategic communication goals of the programs.

Other Functions

  • Performs related duties as assigned or required to meet Department, Executive Area/Division, and University goals and objectives.
  • Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery and other compliance requirements.
  • Demonstrates capacity, skill and willingness to engage students and contribute to student success.
  • Serve in a back-up role for other Department of Sociology administrative staff as appropriate and needed. Performs special projects and other duties as assigned by supervisors showing adaptability and flexibility to accomplish goals.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

  • Bachelor's degree in Business administration, social sciences or related field with 3 years of managerial or marketing experience in program administration.
  • Excellent ability to work both independently and to be part of an effective team with a highly cooperative and collaborative work style. The ability to adapt and work effectively as the situation changes.
  • Excellent interpersonal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively, and create and maintain harmonious relationships with a diverse population of staff, faculty, students and off-campus constituents.
  • Flexibility to work with initiative and willingness to take on a variety of tasks related to the successful operation and administration of the unit. Ability to work effectively under pressure and varying situations with independence, competent judgment and discretion. Extensive organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to complete assignments in a timely manner, balancing the demands of concurrent and potentially competing projects.
  • Excellent ability to collect data from multiple sources and create new reports that add value to program goals. Excellent computer usage skills including email, spreadsheets (including formulas), word processing, and databases.
  • Must have the ability to stay on task and work productively with a minimum of supervision. Ability to write concisely, express thoughts clearly and develop ideas in a logical sequence.
  • The ability to investigate a situation, seek out additional information and resolve discrepancies. The ability to think through problems, organize information, identify key factors and underlying causes to generate solutions.
  • Ability to read, understand, apply and explain rules, regulations and policies/procedures related to duties. Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions and create effective and efficient work processes. Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality.
  • Understands responsibilities with respect to conflicts of interest and behaves in ways consistent both with law and with University policy.
  • Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace defined by personal and professional competence, integrity, and collaboration.
  • Understands and contributes to implementation of departmental and institutional goals for achieving non-discrimination and creating a respectful, inclusive environment that is supportive of diversity.
  • Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public university related information only in the performance of the responsibilities of position and exercises care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.

Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

Experience with planning and executing events and workshops.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

  • Required to work occasional nights
  • Required to work occasional weekends

Work Schedule

M-F 8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m.

Salary Information

Level 25

PSU salary schedule

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include a cover letter, resume, and contact information of at least three current professional references.

Review of applicants will begin on October 7, 2019 and may continue until a suitable candidate pool has been identified.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

Advertised: Sep 17 2019 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close:

Organization

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the preeminent public research universities in America. Nestled in idyllic Amherst, Massachusetts—often called “The top college town in North America”—the campus is consistently ranked among the top public research universities in the nation, and offers a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. 

As one of the nation's top public research universities – as measured by national and international rankings, academic citations, and research funding – the campus spends more than $180 million on research each year, demonstrating its contribution to the nation’s position as a technological and economic leader. The university works in conjunction with academic, government, and private partners to translate new knowledge and scientific discoveries into technical innovations and scholarly works that create opportunities for students, faculty and the public. 

Eight schools and colleges offer more than 85 undergraduate majors, 68 master’s and 48 doctoral degree programs, many counted among the top programs in the nation and world. UMass Amherst is also home to New England's premier honors college.

The 1,159 full-time faculty members are dedicated teachers and world-renowned researchers and the campus has regularly been listed among the top performers in terms of faculty awards. With over 24,000 students from all 50 states and over 70 countries, the student body is the most academically successful in the history of the campus. Students participate in 240 organizations, 21 NCAA Division I athletic teams, extensive intramurals, living-learning residence halls, community service, and internships. With one of the largest residential life systems in the nation, UMass Amherst houses approximately 12,000 students on campus. The university is enjoying a facilities renaissance, including new buildings in the sciences, the arts, and recreation. UMass Amherst is part of the Five College consortium with Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst colleges.

As an employer, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a national leader in developing family-friendly policies, benefits and amenities designed to help faculty members develop both productive careers and satisfying personal lives. The university offers one of the nation’s most generous parental leave policies. The university is also part of the Academic Career Network, a regional consortium formed to serve dual-career couples and encourage greater diversity in the academy.

 

Company info
Website
Telephone
4135454894
Location
181 PRESIDENTS DR
Whitmore Administration Building
Amherst
Massachusetts
01003
US

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert