Graduate Professional and Career Development Program Coordinator

Department: Academic Affairs - Graduate Division

Classification: Education Support Spec 2

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: 03

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Graduate Division mission is to elevate graduate education at Mason by increasing the global impact of its graduate students and programs, fostering a collaborative culture of academic excellence, and contributing to the research productivity and the workforce development appropriate to an R1 institution. The Graduate Division will coordinate pre-enrollment activities to increase the visibility and recognition of Mason graduate education. It will also expand central programming and opportunities to enhance the graduate student experience, refine graduate policies and procedures to uphold the quality and integrity of graduate programs, and bolster internal and external relations to elevate graduate student career readiness and placement.

About the Position:

The Graduate Professional and Career Development Program Coordinator reports directly to the Associate Director for Graduate Student Professional Development and is responsible for the operation of career and professional programming and events, including, but not limited to, the content, quality, effectiveness of career series and professional development academies, recruiting of speakers, and student marketing and communication within and for the programs. The Program Coordinator leads and supports several projects, including, but not limited to, the graduate teaching training and orientation sites, professional development programming, and troubleshooting issues in partnership with the Graduate Division. The position requires administrative duties and serves as an important link between graduate students and the Associate Director. In this role, the Program Coordinator helps identify best practices and opportunities for programmatic marketing and recruitment, engages a roster of facilitators, works to build strategic philanthropic partners, as well as coordinates the training schedule. The Program Coordinator must be very intentional, well-organized, entrepreneurial, and passionate about the educational advancement of aspiring and current graduate students, and collaborates with a variety of internal and external constituencies in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Responsibilities:

• Program Coordination:
  • Develops and maintains excellent supportive working relationships with Mason faculty and academic partners to understand, bolster, and leverage existing programs that support students’ access to opportunities (academic resources, professional development, and fellowship opportunities); collaborates in planning and managing graduate division events with university colleagues and partners to ensure seamless and collective programming; works collaboratively with the Associate Director, colleagues, and other key campus stakeholders to support a robust set of resources (web, print, and presentation) for career aligned professional development events.
• Student and Faculty Support:
  • Provides scalable advising to students regarding pathways and strategies for success through development and delivery of student workshops, informational sessions, programs, and resources; partners with other student-facing constituencies across campus (faculty, academic affairs, alumni relations) to provide graduate school information and programming.
• Marketing and Communication:
  • Monitors and maintains the career and professional development corresponding websites as a resource for the Mason graduate student community; works collaboratively with the programming assistants and graduate professional assistants to develop communication plans for events; coordinates marketing plans using current technologies and software to include compliance with university branding; coordinates the printing and cost tracking of large marketing campaigns.
• Assessment and Reporting:
  • Tracks programming and student/faculty interactions using GMU data management tools; works with Associate Director to ensure assessment measures are integrated into full program offerings; utilizes aggregate and disaggregate assessment data to identify opportunities and gaps with relation to student demographic and college-level participation in programming.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Previous experience in events planning in an educational setting;
• Experience initiating new programming with strong self-starting capabilities, fostering innovation, and creative problem-solving;
• Demonstrated presentation and presentation planning skills;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders;
• Commitment to expanding multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills as evidenced through: demonstrating self-awareness; understanding and valuing others; demonstrating knowledge of social inequalities; interacting effectively with a diversity of people, and fostering equity and inclusion;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities with shifting priorities and timelines; and
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and/or Google Suite, and knowledge of Box.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• Graduate degree from an accredited university;
• Higher education event experience;
• Experience in “owning” an event from start to finish (venue sourcing, planning details, on-site management, and invoicing);
• Knowledge of current and emerging trends and best practices in graduate professional development;
• Effective at cultivating strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, effectively communicating with stakeholders at all levels, including staff, faculty, students, and alumni;
• Capable of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data to facilitate decision-making;
• Excellent organizational and project management skills to manage multiple deadlines and details simultaneously; and
• Balances the ability to work independently with effective cooperation and strategic collaboration within a team environment.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Graduate Professional and Career Development Program Coordinator at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date:  September 17, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  October 1, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes