How to Apply
Interested applicants should provide a cover letter detailing their specific interest in the position, CV and contact information for three references.
Job Summary
The new NSF-supported Center for Land Surface Hazards program at the University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Science is looking for a Program Manager for Student Engagement and Operations to oversee education programs and provide central administrative support to the Center. This vital role manages the execution of the Center's complex student engagement activities, while also engaging directly with students and their mentors. The Program Manager is responsible for integrating and supporting varied learning activities, ranging from formal curriculum development to student cohort building activities to informal professional development workshops. The Program Manager will interact with a wide range of stakeholders, specifically undergraduate and graduate students, two-year college (2YC) instructors, university professors, and research professionals, to ensure synergy between educational experiences and research-related activities. The Program Manager will also support the central administrative functions of the Center, which involves a complex, interdisciplinary team of geoscientists and engineers focused on building a novel scientific framework to improve hazard forecasting, develop educational programs and enhance community resilience nationwide. This individual will work independently and with other key administrative staff, generally under the supervision of the Center Assistant Director. The Center for Land Surface Hazards is currently funded for 5 years at $15M, with the possibility of renewal.
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.
Why Work at Michigan?
We are so proud that the University of Michigan offers comprehensive benefits to support your wellness as you plan for a stable and secure future. To enhance a career filled with purpose and opportunity, other benefits include:
- Generous time off programs.
- Our retirement plan provides two-for-one matching contributions.
- Comprehensive options for health, dental, vision, life, disability, and other insurance.
- Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.
- Tuition support, including the ability to take undergraduate courses in LSA at no cost.
- Meeting-free days and communication norms that help you to "unplug" from work.
Access to deals, discounts, and attractions; see Uniquely Michigan for details. While you will primarily work from our central campus in Ann Arbor, LSA offers flexible work options. To support work-life balance, LSA has an email policy that limits non-essential emails to weekday business hours. 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. We invite you to take a look at LSA's mission, vision, and values.
Responsibilities*
The Program Manager will perform the following duties and responsibilities;
- Provide students with essential support and guidance. Support and coordinate student engagement activities and serve as a primary liaison between the Center's student cohort and their various mentors and collaborators across our 21 partner organizations. For UM students, connect students with essential resources, services, and academic departments across the UM campus. Provide informal mentorship to students to help them set goals and overcome challenges related to program activities and provide guidance.
- Manage the full lifecycle of educational and workforce development activities. This includes integrating and supporting a broad spectrum of learning and training modalities that include internships, workshops, student cohort building activities and student research. Collaborates with faculty and staff to ensure educational activities meet student development needs.
- Design and implement reliable systems for tracking, organizing, and preliminary analysis of all student and participant data, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for decision-making and accurate reporting of project outcomes for use in internal program evaluation and required external grant reports.
- Act as the key internal resource for education and stakeholder program evaluation, providing essential data support and coordinating logistics for the external evaluator's survey activities. This includes optimizing record-keeping and communication workflows to maximize efficiency and support rapid, informed administrative and programmatic choices.
- Oversee and execute the central administrative functions of the Center. Responsibilities include managing daily office activities, processing documentation for financial/compliance purposes, preparing and compiling all materials for internal and external reports, coordinating travel logistics, providing event planning support, and disseminating Center opportunities across both internal UM and targeted external communication channels. Will act as the principal point of contact for students, project personnel, and key stakeholders across our 21 partner organizations.
- Spearhead the creation of streamlined, user-friendly record-keeping and communication workflows for Center operations that enhance organizational transparency and support continuous program improvement.
Required Qualifications*
- Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree
- Project Management Experience: Minimum 1-3 years of administrative and/ or project management experience with demonstrated expertise in managing complex project milestones, deliverables, and timelines.
- Educational Program Management: Comprehensive knowledge of the full lifecycle of education programs, experience working directly with students
- Communication Skills: Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
- Documentation and Reporting: Ability to produce clear, concise, and accurate project documentation, reports, and summaries.
Desired Qualifications*
- Education: Master's degree in business administration, geosciences, engineering, public policy, or a closely related field.
- U-M Systems Experience: Experience with University of Michigan financial, human resources, and grant management systems.
- Subject Matter Expertise: Strong working knowledge of education programming
- Higher Education & Grant-Funded Program Experience: Experience working in a higher education setting, particularly within centers, institutes, or grant-funded initiatives. Familiarity with federal grant reporting requirements and program evaluation practices.
- Process Improvement & Workflow Development: Demonstrated ability to design and implement efficient administrative processes and workflows.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Experience building and maintaining partnerships with industry, academic, and community organizations.
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
This is a full-time, 12-month term-limited position with a possibility of renewal based on the availability of funding, the availability of work, and overall successful performance.
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.