Graduate Academic Advisor and Department Coordinator

Department: Col of Engineering and Computing

Classification: Education Support Spec 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Our primary purpose is to perform research and provide education at the undergraduate and graduate level at the intersection of engineering and bioscience to improve health. We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding multidisciplinary education to our students, establish and conduct nationally-recognized research programs in bioengineering, and serve the university as a nexus for opportunities at the interface of engineering and biomedicine.

About the Position:

The primary purpose of the Graduate Academic Advisor and Department Coordinator position is to provide support within the Department of Bioengineering for advising graduate students and managing administrative aspects of our graduate programs, as well as coordinating communications, marketing, outreach, events, and onboarding for the department. The position works collaboratively with the department chair, associate chairs, and program directors, as well as liaises with other offices within the university (such as Graduate Admissions, the Provost Office, Registrar, Human Resources, and the Office of International Programs and Services) to promote the academic mission and goals of the department. The position will also partly provide administrative support to the Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering (CASSBI).

Responsibilities:

Graduate Advising and Graduate Program Coordination

• Provides graduate student support by tracking and monitoring Bioengineering MS and PhD students’ academic progress, managing documentation (e.g., relevant records, forms, and correspondence), assisting with program-related inquiries, and managing communication ensuring students meet key milestones (e.g., qualifying exams, dissertation defense, graduation);
• Serves as a point of contact for prospective students, processes applications, coordinates open houses, and manages communication with accepted students;
• Prepares and maintains tuition waiver records, verifies student enrollment, and processes Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Research Assistant contracts; and
• Confirms PhD student health insurance eligibility, verifies employment status, and manages communications with graduate students to facilitate enrollment.

Department Administrative Duties, Hiring and Affiliates

• Manages the hiring process for adjuncts, student and non-student wage positions, and affiliates, including processing contracts, tracking onboarding, and maintaining records. Coordinates faculty affiliate renewals and graduate faculty status requests;
• Schedules and organizes departmental meetings, faculty search interviews, student defenses, and ad-hoc meetings, ensuring proper space reservations and logistical support;
• Plans and advertises Bioengineering seminars, coordinates speaker travel and accommodations, manages attendance tracking, and handles seminar logistics, including catering and virtual setup;
• Coordinates faculty search processes, including scheduling interviews, organizing travel, and collecting feedback. Assists with promotion and tenure documentation and meeting logistics;
• Supports department events such as open houses, orientations, career fairs, and graduations by handling invitations, space reservations, marketing materials, catering, and setup; and
• Maintains listservs, oversees student volunteer records, assists with marketing efforts, serves as a backup purchaser, and updates the department website as needed.

Administrative Assistance to Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering (CASSBI)

• Manages communications and outreach efforts for the Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering (CASSBI);
• Oversees logistics and administration for the graduate training program;
• Maintains records of CASSBI members; and
• Reserves meeting spaces, coordinates event setup, and handles catering arrangements for CASSBI special events.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent;
• Office and administrative experience;
• Experience with web and video conferencing tools including Zoom and Microsoft Teams;
• Knowledge of graduate admissions process;
• Ability to work in a higher education environment with a diverse student population; and
• Familiarity with the use of e-mail and social media as a means of communicating with students, staff, faculty and the general public.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field;
• Experience with hiring and onboarding;
• Experience with tracking student progress and degree completion requirements in academic programs;
• Experience with Salesforce platform, Banner, and CourseLeaf;
• Experience with computer data entry, Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite, Interfolio, scheduling and calendar tools including 25Live;
• Experience with tools for creating marketing materials including Canvas;
• Experience with organizing university events and catering; and
• Experience with website maintenance and data entry using Drupal.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Graduate Academic Advisor and Department Coordinator at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application with a list of three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date: February 10, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  February 24, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes