PROGRAM COORDINATOR, SENIOR

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

The Duke FOCUS program is part of the Provost's Strategic Plan for Duke University and continues to expand and deepen through 2023. The FOCUS program currently hosts over 65 faculty across 30 Arts and Sciences departments, Duke professional schools (Medical, Sanford, Divinity, Pratt, Law), multiple Duke administrative units (Office of the University Registrar, the Admissions Office, University Office of Scholars and Fellows, OIT, Trinity Technology, Duke Dining, Residential Life (including LLC), Development Office, University Special Events, Duke Assessment office) and over 500 first year undergraduate students each year.

Occupational Summary

The Senior Program Coordinator will perform administrative duties of a complex and confidential manner in directing, guiding and supporting program faculty, students and activities of the FOCUS program. 

The Senior Program Coordinator will make operational and programmatic decisions that have a significant impact on the successful achievement of FOCUS program admissions process, educational strategies and objectives and coordinate with FOCUS faculty regarding program policy. Work includes applications management, faculty and staff contracts, program enrollment decisions and course placement, fund-raising, close collaboration with the University Registrar and the Admissions office, web management, educational enhancement activities, and special event management.  Work requires “as needed” weekend and after-hours work for educational enhancement and on-campus events, and being on call to students and faculty during the rolling admissions process.   This position reports to the Faculty Director of the FOCUS Program and the Assistant Director of the FOCUS Program.

Work Performed

Program Administration                                                                   

• Manage basic operations and make programmatic decisions that have a significant impact on the success achievement of the program strategies; develop, coordinate and advise faculty regarding program policies.  Compile and analyze information from assessment office in support of program activities; prepare reports and analysis for program improvement; Participate in the implementation of marketing and advertising across appropriate Duke divisions and departments; work with print materials for Duke official publications [Blue Book, Undergraduate Instruction Bulletin, Focus brochures, Focus website, Blue Devil Days] and other programmatic ads), create graphics and designs for posters, ads and other FOCUS materials. Maintain and update websites for all FOCUS groups/clusters.
• Manage timely responses to all inquiries from prospective and current FOCUS students, parents and faculty.  This includes lengthy and multiple phone conversations and correspondence with students, parents of matriculating students and important alumni. Need to have a deep understanding of undergraduate curriculum and course coding for registration and talking to students, parents, and faculty.
• Direct and manage FOCUS educational enhancement experiences, talks, and events; book accommodations, travel, and restaurants; coordinate with students to make sure they have correct documentation and program.  Participate in the planning and implementation of domestic and international fall FOCUS field trips with faculty, and manage visa documents, travel, housing for student field trips and housing for visitors coming to Duke. Manage and administer activities for FOCUS initiatives including development, implementation, and supervision of programs, meetings, workshops, activities, and training experiences; guide and assist faculty and students in such programs and experiences, information; ensure that students follow Duke Code of Conduct at all time. 5%
• Execute work priorities in accordance with program goals, objectives and deadlines.  Advise FOCUS program faculty director and assistant director on status of current activities, additional or expanded program requirements and appropriate recommendations for solutions to problems; plan and execute the distribution of reports and information as required. Recommend various personnel actions including, but not limited to, hiring part-time positions, performance appraisal, and vacation schedules.
• Interface with incoming students and Duke alumni as appropriate to publicize the current FOCUS program and to make sure available resources are utilized; coordinate other short- and long-range projects and reports related to the FOCUS program, including sending information to Duke Forward, keeping a database of FOCUS mentors, sending RE-Focus events to previous and current students. Maintain supportive relationships with FOCUS faculty, University administrators, and other Duke faculty and staff across Arts & Sciences and the Professional Schools, including Duke Med, Pratt, Sanford, Nicholas School of the Environment, Fuqua, Law and Divinity.  Liaise with other programs, offices, and departments at Duke (see introductory paragraph for the fuller list) to coordinate FOCUS business and to ensure FOCUS is represented properly in all venues.
• Select housing assignments for matriculating students and space for IDC seminars.  Assignments for IDC seminars must fit with space requirements and new requirements with dining.  Follow up weekly with list of events that would preclude students and faculty eating at their scheduled IDC location. Recruitment and management of LLC group, Cognitive Neuroscience and Law.

Budget Management                                                                          

• Together with the Assistant Director, compile annual budget, providing justification, with endowment and grant expectations.  Monitor, verify and reconcile expenditures of budgeted program accounts.  Present budget to director for review and approval. Must maintain a good working knowledge of SAP R3, Works, Buy@Duke, Duke@Work, and other University and financial administrative systems and understand grant and endowment processes.
• Aid the Assistant Director in tracking and trending expenses per FOCUS cluster to administer individual cluster budgets for educational enhancements. The FOCUS program is supported by multiple endowments and special tracking, reconciliation, and materials collection is required.  Work with University Development officers to create report letters for endowment donors.
• Process payments for vendors in support of the FOCUS program. Also, process honorariums and reimbursements to guest speakers.  Manage international visitor logistics, including payments and visa documentation as required.

Recruiting and Admissions                                                                

• Evaluate FOCUS application process to completion, including required documentation and tagging to faculty cluster directors for review.  Directing the application process, facilitating where modifications are needed.  Annually provide the Faculty Director with a detailed analysis of the process with recommendations for enhancements.  Implement change such as improvement to online application process and tools, providing electronic transfer of files to faculty cluster directors, etc.  Prepare final course registration documents for the University Registrar. 
• Have special knowledge of the Trinity and Pratt undergraduate curriculum structure and academic opportunities in order to assist pre-matriculation students and their parents in making academic decisions; assist the student and parents with information via face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and email; work closely with faculty throughout the program, but especially during the rolling admissions process, which requires multiple interactions per week with the faculty directors of the various FOCUS programs on student selection and placement. 
• Reports include applications to specific FOCUS clusters, application trends, statistics, and data to FOCUS directors as well as key University administrators.
• Plan, coordinate and administer activities for new FOCUS students to include developing and implementing procedures, processes, services and systems (welcome receptions for incoming FOCUS students; facilitate and run FOCUS informational sessions at Duke new student events, such as Duke Blue Devil Days, and Parent and Family Weekend; develop, coordinate and execute new ideas and concepts for these events, new publicity materials and resources to supplement, expand or replace existing FOCUS outreach and publicity.)  Support the student Mentoring program with the Assistant Director. Maintain database of former Focus students who are willing to mentor incoming students; arraign events for mentors/mentees; set incoming students up with a mentor if requested.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified.

Skills:

Ability to provide guidance and direction to affiliated staff, including setting standards and monitoring performance.

Skills using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions to problems.

Skills evaluating program performance, summarizing findings, communicating results, and forming an action plan.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.

Proficiency in standard software tools, including Excel, Word, graphic design, website maintenance (ex. Drupal).

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.  Master's Degree preferred.

Experience

Work requires three years of experience in program administration or OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE involving academic, instructional or counseling activities to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate and implement a variety of program activities and events.

Job Code: 00002901 PROGRAM COORD, SENIOR
Job Level: 11

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

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Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at DukeUniversity and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.