Director, Graduate Education

Department

BSD GPA - Cluster Directors

About the Department

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs (OGPA) within the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) coordinates the administrative efforts of graduate and postdoctoral training in the BSD. OGPA works to facilitate consistency among the programs and departments; identifies and develops commonalities in the areas of financial administration, policy development and implementation, and in the coordination of information sharing among the programs and departments. The goal of OGPA is to recruit high-quality domestic and international trainees, to facilitate their progress during their tenure, and to provide guidance and resources for the management of the training programs in the division. OGPA centrally manages the annual financial aid budget so that all graduate students in the programs are supported equitably and coordinates consistency among the training programs as it relates to training grants submission and oversight. In addition, OGPA facilitates postdoctoral appointments and reappointments with the Office of Academic Affairs, establishes and enforces policy with the Provost's Office, acts as a resource for postdocs, faculty, and staff on postdoctoral policy and benefits questions, and manages the postdoc database. The OGPA organizes career and skill development training and ethics seminars for BSD graduate students and postdocs, provides support to the Postdoctoral Association, and oversees all BSD postdoctoral events, including the Postdoctoral Symposium, orientation sessions, etc.

Job Summary

This job develops and implements a variety of student affairs activities, including orientation and onboarding programs for incoming students. Acts as the primary point of contact for student inquiries. Uses breadth and depth of expertise in student affairs to develop future enrollment strategies using admissions and financial aid data.

Responsibilities

• Works with faculty leadership to hire, train, and supervise graduate education administrators, who may not all be physically located in the same space, but are assigned to specific programs within that cluster, and ensures staffing coverage is provided to support training-related activity for all graduate students and faculty trainers within the cluster.
• Serves as liaison to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs within the Biological Sciences Division with a matrix reporting relationship to the Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs.
• Organizes the effective coordination of all activities related to graduate student training within the cluster, such as recruitment, registration, and special events, and ensures compliance with BSD and University policies.
• Manages all aspects of the budgets within the cluster, including monthly reporting on expenditures for all programs in the cluster as well as preparing and submitting the annual operating budget in consultation with the faculty leadership. Ensures compliance with all BSD and University policies and provides updates and reports requested by the BSD's budget office.
• Manages the fellowship support for all students in the cluster.
• Manages data on graduate students relevant to all training grants held by programs in the cluster in collaboration with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, faculty and program chairs, and department staff.
• Manages all aspects of communication, ensuring that the program websites within the cluster are regularly updated by the student affairs administrators.
• Manages comprehensive alumni tracking for programs within the cluster.
• Supports for broader efforts at divisional, institutional, and affiliate institution levels, to recruit and support a diverse group of students and promote an inclusive environment.
• Serves as liaison to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs within the Biological Sciences Division with a matrix reporting relationship to the Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs.
• Organizes the effective coordination of all activities related to graduate student training within the cluster, such as recruitment, registration, and special events, and ensures compliance with BSD and University policies.
• Manages all aspects of the budgets within the cluster, including monthly reporting on expenditures for all programs in the cluster as well as preparing and submitting the annual operating budget in consultation with the faculty leadership.
• Ensures compliance with all BSD and University policies and provides updates and reports requested by the BSD's budget office.
• Manages the fellowship support for all students in the cluster.
• Solves problems in areas such as academic and administrative policy, student admissions, curriculum research and development, and budget development. Advises various campus-wide and program committees in various aspects of student life.
• Recommends process improvements for programs that relate to critical student-life improvement, including emergency management, accommodations for students with disabilities, and/or the administration of health care services and programs for students.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

• --

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or higher.

Experience:

• Background in student affairs, academic support, or a closely related area.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage a budget, track spending, and prepare financial reports.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Knowledge of database management software.

Preferred Competencies

• Handle confidential information with the utmost discretion.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including handle student concerns with empathy.
• Highly effective in verbal and written communication skills, including formulating recommendations and developing presentations.
• Report to multiple people and effectively prioritize.

Working Conditions

• Office environment.
• Weekend/Evening hours sometimes. Activities such as recruitment and orientation events will take place outside regular business hours.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$65,000.00 - $85,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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