How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and must be attached as the first page of your resume. The letter should address your specific interest in and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
Summary
The Rackham Graduate School's mission is to partner with University of Michigan graduate faculty and programs to advance excellence in graduate education, to cultivate a vibrant and diverse student community, and to impact the public good through the scholarship and discoveries of its students and degree recipients. To assist the Rackham Graduate School Dean and Dean's leadership group in delivering on this mission, the Dean's Office Team carries out the programmatic and administrative coordination of academic and research initiatives, programs, and projects, and provides highly responsible and complex administrative support for the Dean's group. The Dean's Office Team seeks a project manager to serve as a collaborative team member aiming to contribute and further School's mission and team goals.
Because we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, we aspire to develop and nurture the individual and collective skills to recognize, celebrate, and deploy difference as a path to engagement, innovation, and the generation of new ideas and knowledge.
PLEASE NOTE: Rackham is currently offering hybrid work schedules to staff, requiring 2-3 days per week on-site with the remaining time being remote.
To learn more about the Rackham Graduate School visit https://rackham.umich.edu/
Why Work at Michigan?
Being part of something greater, of serving a larger mission of discovery and care - that's the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It's adding a purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.
In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:
- Generous time off
- A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
- Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
- Life insurance
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
Responsibilities*
Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Project management:
Manage timelines, resource allocation, communication, advertising, and outreach, and provide program support for multiple overlapping initiatives and projects in the Dean's Office.
Projects managed may be led by the Associate Deans, Senior Directors, and/or Dean's Office Program Officer. Specific programs, initiatives and projects include: Holistic Admissions, Advancing New Directions, Rackham Graduate Student Speaker selection in partnership with the University Development Events, MORE Committee programming (attending monthly meetings as needed).
Coordinate and manage the Faculty Allies and Student Ally grant program including preparing the call for proposals, managing outreach, and requesting application portal updates.
Coordinate the grant proposals review and award process, and annual reporting and financial reimbursement. Manage Faculty Allies program dashboard, and collate data annually on Faculty Ally activities.
Manage Dean's Office faculty payments process for academic initiatives, and provide project management support for ad hoc Dean's group academic and strategic projects.
Management around communication, advertising and outreach includes planning and tracking project tasks and deliverables to completion, anticipating priorities and needs, and developing and drafting communication campaigns, copy, and materials as needed while working closely with the Communication Team.
Project Coordination for two Assistant Deans:
Provide highly responsible and complex project support for two Assistant Deans for Honorary Degrees, New and Revised Programs, International Student Diversity, Rackham Diversity Advisory Committee (RACDAC), and the Students of Color of Rackham (SCOR) and Graduate Rackham International (GRIN) student organizations. Responsibilities include:
- Effectively anticipate, plan and track project priorities, and proactively seek and implement ways to make tasks more efficient and effective; create and maintain follow-up systems;
- Prepare and disseminate agendas, presentations, and reports;
- Initiate, draft, edit,
- Order and coordinate supplies and billing, estimate and track expenses and process payments in partnership with the Dean's Office Administrative Assistant Senior;
- As needed/for specific projects/on occasion/in clarification with the supervisor, provide support in planning and coordinating meetings, and events, including scheduling room, or other media hosts, audio-visual equipment, and catering; schedule and support Zoom for remote meetings and events; set up and tear down events as necessary;
- Interact with school/college leadership and other University officials, faculty, students, and staff as appropriate, requiring comprehensive knowledge of University and Rackham policies and knowledge to compare and evaluate various courses of action and make independent decisions on matters of significance.
General Administration:
Assist with administration and coordination of daily operations of the Dean's Office, as a collaborative team member to carry out a complex set of academic, administrative and programmatic projects on behalf of Rackham Deans and Senior Directors.
Tasks include, but are not exclusive to, triaging guest inquiries, setting up for Dean's Conference Room meetings, addressing issues with office equipment, being part of the necessary in-person office coverage, assisting with front desk student training and onboarding. Partner with the Dean's Office team members to assist with completion of Deans' onboarding and offboarding checklists.
Required Qualifications*
Bachelor's degree and at least 3 years of experience in project management or an equivalent combination of job and educational experience supporting academic leadership.
A minimum of 2 years experience event planning in an educational context. Experience managing different kinds of projects simultaneously (e.g. providing support for a new or existing Associate Dean's initiative, while also managing an external-facing event series, and developing a set of new workflows for other internal processes).
Demonstrated ability to work independently and in teams with a wide range of people who represent our diverse and multicultural society.
Excellent planning, organizational and work coordination skills are necessary, including a positive, flexible, responsive and service-oriented attitude, the ability to manage a large workload with excellent attention to detail and ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a timely manner.
Excellent interpersonal communication skills are essential, including the capacity to build collegial relationships with students, faculty and staff within the Graduate School and across the University.
Experience supporting programs, projects, events specific to graduate education and the graduate student experience.
Position requires exercising considerable discretion, initiative, independent judgment, and diplomacy, and ability to handle changing situations and matters of a sensitive and confidential nature. Ability to find creative solutions to complex issues; to respond with appropriate urgency to situations that arise and solve problems proactively and efficiently.
Advanced knowledge of and demonstrated proficiency with Windows operating systems; MS Office products (Word, Excel, PPT). Google Tools (Mail, Sheets, Docs, Forms, and Drive). Strong personal commitment to shared teamwork, continuous improvement, and professional development.
Understanding and value of diversity and the importance of inclusion as demonstrated through a commitment to apply and incorporate the differences, complexities, and opportunities that diversity brings to an organization.
This position requires the ability to ascend and descend stairs, and to frequently move and/or position equipment including audio-visual equipment, tables and chairs, and to transport event supplies to event spaces throughout the Rackham building and to other event spaces on campus.
Desired Qualifications*
Bachelor's degree. Master's degree is a plus. University of Michigan administrative experience is strongly desired. Advanced knowledge and demonstrated proficiency in Dropbox and Google Drive (documents, spreadsheets, forms) desired. Advanced knowledge of and demonstrated proficiency with project management tools (e.g. Asana, Airtable, etc.).
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.