How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Job Summary
The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) at the University of Michigan is committed to advancing the understanding of living organisms at the cellular and molecular level, encompassing approaches from the biophysical analysis of macromolecules to systems biology. Our educational and research missions are intertwined as we train graduate students and postdocs while working collaboratively to drive research discovery. We provide opportunities for our trainees to increase their scientific independence and participate in professional development and outreach opportunities so that they can find their place in the scientific enterprise within academia, industry, or other careers.
Our vibrant research community is proud to attract scholars from around Michigan, the country, and the world. We are dedicated to training and mentoring, scientific excellence, and building community within MCDB and beyond. We strive to make the fields of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology more accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.
The Graduate Program Coordinator serves as a critical member of our highly skilled administrative services team. This person is responsible for providing a broad range of services to our approximately 110-120 graduate students and the faculty who teach and advise them. The MCDB Department depends on our staff to work successfully in a team environment as well as work independently with minimal supervision. An enthusiastic and welcoming personality is very important, as are strong customer service and critical thinking skills. MCDB is always looking for new and improved ways to support our constituents, and the Graduate Program Coordinator is integral to our administrative team in the creation, evaluation, and implementation of those efforts.
Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Responsibilities*
The Graduate Program Coordinator's primary responsibilities are to support all aspects of the graduate program, which include but are not limited to:
- Graduate Program Administration - Assist the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in tracking graduate student milestones and progress toward a degree. Act as the primary department liaison with the College of LSA, Rackham Graduate School, the English Language Institute (as needed), and colleagues in fellow departments. Work with the Undergraduate Program student services team and the Graduate Studies Associate Chair on finalizing GSI assignments, confirming course registrations, and advising on degree requirements and policies.
- Graduate Admissions and Recruitment - Handle all administrative aspects of the admissions process, including application material prep, communicating with prospective students, answering questions from applicants and members of the Admissions Committee, and coordinating with administrative staff. This includes managing a pool of approximately 400 applicants annually, assisting faculty and graduate students with access to applications through the online application evaluation tool, and pulling reports on prospective students as needed. Oversee organization of all logistics of recruiting visits to campus for 30-40 admitted doctoral students, including accommodations, meals, air and ground travel, event itinerary, and faculty-student meetings.
- Funding, Awards, and Fellowships - Responsible for processing applications for all departmental awards and assisting students and faculty with nominations for various awards from other University of Michigan units, including but not limited to the Rackham Graduate School, external fellowships, and internal funding options. This includes sending calls and reminders throughout the year regarding award deadlines, facilitating the selection committee process and decisions, and communicating award decision results. Also responsible for processing all graduate department financial aid awards through the student financial aid system in Wolverine Access.
- Graduate Event Leadership and Oversight - Responsible for overseeing all aspects of major and minor departmental graduate program events, including: defenses and checkpoint/committee scheduling; multiple recruitment weekends for admitted graduate students; new doctoral and Master's student orientation and welcome activities, et al. Works closely with the MCDB Events Coordinator, who supports departmental activities as directed.
- Budgets, Data Tracking, and Report Production - Accurately track data related to all graduate student initiatives to support data-driven decision-making; compile and share reports on all aspects of the graduate student experience; maintain graduate student programming and support budgets, reporting to the Chief Administrator
Required Qualifications*
- Bachelor's degree and at least 4 years of relevant experience. Some experience in student services or an administrative staff role in higher education
- Ability to work as a member of a team
- Outstanding interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Ability to produce accurate work with strong attention to detail
- Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and successfully meet
deadlines.
Desired Qualifications*
- Fluency with M-Pathways or equivalent software for student administration, financial, and HR functions
- Experience using LSA's Management Reporting System and/or Business Objects
- Familiarity with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); experience working in an academic department in collaboration with faculty administrators.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Additional Information
A successful candidate will be a critical thinker, an innovative problem-solver, and will demonstrate the initiative to suggest, develop, and enact improvements to our programs. This person should be flexible and comfortable with the reasonable level of change that accompanies and enables our department's success. An interest in a career in student services and higher education is expected.
Work Location Details:
The first 90 days of employment will be 100% on-site. Then the normal schedule expectations will be 3 days on-site, 2 remote.
As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.
To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.