Program Manager

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director, Office of Academic and Research Programs (OARP) the incumbent is responsible for providing a wide range of student, faculty, and managerial support. The Program Manager plays a key role in the support and administration for the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, as well as backup support for student and professional development programs.

Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development: The incumbent will work directly with students and faculty on a day-to-day basis and will serve as the face of the program. They are responsible for, amongst other duties: advising students; scheduling courses; updating student information and tracking progress towards graduation; providing registration support for students; creating and implementing regular program events (3-4 speaker series per semester, community-building events, faculty meetings, graduation activities, etc); facilitating communications between the program and students, faculty and advisers; helping faculty with administrative needs as they relate to courses and navigating the university; ensuring the program website and University Bulletins are up to date with courses and events; writing and editing student/alumni profiles, and growing the program’s social media presence. The incumbent may represent the program at various University meetings and events.

The Program Manager liaises with relevant business units at the Earth Institute and the broader University to ensure the smooth management of the undergraduate program. They will be responsible for: overseeing expenditures; processing invoices; and updating budgets to ensure accurate management of finances. They will help develop and implement recommendations for the day-to-day activities associated with EI-wide programmatic efforts and may serve as a liaison on behalf of the EI to internal and external constituents. 

The Program Manager will also provide a wide range of student, faculty, and administrative support for other student and professional development programs affiliated with the Earth Institute (Internship, Research Assistantship, Travel Grant, Student Support, Global Fellows, Course Support, etc).

Responsibilities

  • Provides student, faculty, and managerial support for the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development. These duties include: advising students; scheduling courses; updating student information and tracking progress towards graduation; providing registration support for students; creating and implementing regular program events (3-4 speaker series per semester, community-building events, faculty meetings, graduation activities, etc); facilitating communications between the program and students, faculty and advisers; helping faculty with administrative needs as they relate to courses and navigating the university; ensuring the program website and University Bulletin are up to date with courses and events; writing and editing student/alumni profiles; and growing the program’s social media presence. The incumbent may represent the program at various University meetings and events.
  • Provides a wide range of student, faculty, and managerial support for other student and professional development programs affiliated with the Earth Institute (Internship, Research Assistantship, Travel Grant, Student Support, Global Fellows, Course Support, etc). These programs facilitate experiential learning that complements traditional classroom learning. The incumbent will oversee multiple application processes and deadlines, and will be responsible for the program administration from start to finish including advertising to faculty/centers; collecting funding submissions; identifying reviewers and coordinating project reviews; project selection; advertising selected projects to students; leading students through the hiring process with Human Resources; and ensuring funds are disbursed to students and faculty in a timely manner and in accordance with University procedures. The incumbent will be responsible for scheduling and delivering multiple pre-departure orientation sessions for Columbia undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students who are undertaking Earth Institute-funded international travel. S/he will ensure that students are in compliance with Columbia’s International Travel Policies.
  • Perform all other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent related experience required
  • Two - Four years of relevant experience required. 
  • Outgoing self-starter with exceptional interpersonal skills, as a large part of the job, requires interacting with and advising students, and supporting faculty.
  • Excellent organizational, time management, financial management, and written/oral communication skills are essential.
  • Must be extremely detail-oriented and able to manage multiple projects with ease, while maintaining quality and accuracy, and adhering to set deadlines.
  • Must possess strong leadership skills and be able to function independently and with authority.
  • Must exercise discretion and good judgment in sensitive and confidential matters. 
  • Familiarity with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Wordpress, Facebook, and Twitter.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master’s degree preferred.
  • Preference is given to candidates who have familiarity/experience in higher education, and an interest in environmental sustainability issues.
  • Experience with social media campaigns/outreach is a plus. 

LINK TO APPLY: http://opportunities.columbia.edu/cw/en-us/job/517879?lApplicationSubSourceID=

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.