Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing:

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment. We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary:
The Academic Program Administrator serves as a key partner for the Department of Bioengineering, supporting the ongoing coordination and administration of academic programs and student-facing operations across the student lifecycle. Working closely with students, faculty, and departmental leadership, this role helps ensure academic processes and communications are accurate, timely, and responsive, supporting an organized and student-centered program experience.
In addition to coordinating recurring academic cycles and operational workflows (recruitment and admissions support, course scheduling and curriculum-related processes, degree planning and milestone tracking, and student-focused programming), the role contributes to three core areas of emphasis: student success and professional development, student engagement and recruitment operations, and program visibility and outcomes tracking. The position supports these priorities through strong coordination, clear communication, accurate documentation and reporting, and collaboration with school and university partners.

Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate is an experienced professional who brings sound judgment, strong organizational ability, and a collaborative, service-oriented approach to supporting academic programs. They are comfortable independently managing complex and recurring processes, communicating clearly with a range of stakeholders, and maintaining accuracy across systems, records, and deadlines. This person is proactive and solutions-focused, able to anticipate needs, manage peak cycles effectively, and contribute to efficient, well-coordinated academic program operations.

Workplace Requirements:
This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Rice University. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $63,000 - $68,000
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:
● Bachelor’s degree
o In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
● 2+ years of relevant experience in administrative support, program coordination, academic administration, office operations, or related work.

Skills:
• Ability to develop operational plans, timelines, and workflows to achieve program goals and manage recurring academic cycles
• Advanced organizational and time management skills, including the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to work with the Dean’s Office Marketing and Communications team to produce polished student-facing materials and coordinate communications across stakeholders
• Advanced problem-solving skills and sound judgment, including the ability to anticipate needs, create contingency plans, and handle issues as they arise
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and regulations consistently and accurately; recommend improvements to processes and workflows
• Strong data management and analytical skills, including the ability to compile data, identify trends, and develop reports to support planning and continuous improvement
• Strong client service orientation and attention to detail, with professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive student information
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively to meet expected deadlines and schedules in a team-oriented environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfort learning/using systems for academic operations (student records, curriculum/scheduling, workflow and finance tools)
• Ability to support outreach, communications, and event coordination, including relationship-building with internal partners and coordination with external entities as needed
• Knowledge of budget monitoring and basic financial processes (e.g., purchasing workflows, reimbursements, reconciliation, and maintaining related records)

Preferences:
• 3–5 years of progressive administrative or programmatic experience in academic programs, student services, or a related area
• Advanced degree preferred in a field aligned with professional writing/communications, higher education or student affairs administration, organizational leadership, business administration, or public administration
• Familiarity with STEM/engineering academic environments and the pace/complexity of research-heavy graduate programs
• Experience supporting graduate programs and high-volume academic cycles (recruitment/admissions seasons, interview/visit programs, course scheduling/curriculum windows, milestone tracking)
• Experience supporting student processes connected to fellowships, scholarships, training grants, or other compliance-sensitive funding/appointments (NIH/NSF or similar environments)
• Experience coordinating student engagement programming and signature events, and maintaining program data tracking (student outcomes, awards, alumni information) to support reporting, outreach, and continuous improvement.
• Experience using higher education systems for curriculum and student records management and administrative operations (e.g., CourseLeaf; Slate/ESTHER; iO/Oracle, or similar platforms)
• Familiarity with documentation requirements, deadlines, and administrative coordination in compliance-sensitive settings

Essential Functions:
• Administers academic program operations to ensure efficient, effective, and productive support for student-facing and faculty-facing processes across the student lifecycle
• Creates and implements operational plans (timelines, workflows, communications plans, and tracking tools) to support program objectives and recurring academic cycles (recruitment/admissions, course scheduling/curriculum processes, milestones, and completion)
• Interprets and applies policies and procedures relevant to academic programs and student processes; supports consistent implementation and recommends improvements to procedures, documentation, and workflows to strengthen service and compliance
• Manages student records and program documentation by maintaining accurate files and tracking tools; conducts periodic reviews/audits for accuracy and continuity; supports reporting needs related to program operations and student progress
• Analyzes program-related data and trends (e.g., milestones, awards/fellowships, outcomes, engagement metrics) and develops reports or summaries; recommends and helps implement adjustments that improve alignment with departmental and institutional goals
• Coordinates student success and professional development efforts by maintaining awareness of fellowship and award opportunities, supporting distribution of information and timelines, and coordinating required departmental documentation and materials in collaboration with faculty and central offices
• Creates and implements outreach and communications activities that support recruitment, student engagement, and program visibility, including coordination of student-facing resources (e.g., handbook content and web updates) and collaboration with school/university communications partners to highlight student achievements
• Plans and coordinates events and conferences that support recruitment and student engagement, including signature student-focused events (e.g., symposiums, visit programs, workshops), managing logistics, communications, and stakeholder coordination
• Supports relationship development by coordinating with internal university partners (e.g., graduate program offices, registrar-related partners, student services) and, as appropriate, external entities to support program activities and student opportunities
• Supports budget and financial management for program activities by monitoring routine expenditures as needed, coordinating purchasing-related processes, maintaining records, and supporting reconciliations and documentation for program operations
• May oversee and direct student employees or small staff support as assigned, including coordinating work priorities and ensuring timely completion of program-related tasks
• Performs other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.

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The Academic Program Administrator serves as a key partner for the Department of Bioengineering, supporting the ongoing coordination and administration of academic programs and student-facing operations across the student lifecycle.