Director of Fellowships and Writing

Department
 

Provost UChicagoGRAD Careers

About the Department
 

About the Unit UChicagoGRAD is part of the Office of the Provost and supports graduate students and postdocs at every stage of their academic careers. UChicagoGRAD functions as a one-stop shop for graduate students and postdocs to access resources that support timely degree completion and to enhance professional preparation that helps them translate their degrees into a variety of careers. UChicagoGRAD works with academic departments and divisions as well as campus-wide offices to develop and implement graduate and postdoc-focused programs, workshops, and events; training and support tailored to UChicago graduate students and postdocs; and administrative practices and policies in support of graduate education.

Job Summary
 

The job manages a range of programs, workshops, and advising related to graduate student and postdoc scholarly development.

Responsibilities

• Leads a team of fellowship advisors and graduate interns, ensuring student-centered fellowship advising, professional development, and tailored support for master’s and doctoral students.

• Manages administration of external funding programs such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Fulbright Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad, Foreign Language and Area Studies, Lurcy, Ross, Chicago France Center, Smithsonian Big 10 Academic Alliance, DAAD, and others.

• Foster partnerships and collaboration across all units in the university, as well as maintain positive relations with federal agencies, private foundations, and other partners.

• Liaise with university research administration to administer grants to the university for key fellowship programs, including proposal creation, account creation, payment disbursements, accounting, and reporting for a range of external fellowship awards administered through the university.

• Serve as a fellowship advisor and take individual appointments with graduate students from all academic divisions and professional schools. This work will involve helping students become acquainted with university resources, apply to fellowship opportunities, and develop essential career skillsets.

• Provide verbal and written feedback on all aspects of fellowship applications.

• Manage team of graduate writing consultants who support writing development and offer feedback on graduate student academic writing.

• Work with leaders in the academic divisions and other stakeholders to increase interest in fellowship competitions.

• Develop and lead fellowship programming related to various aspects of scholarly development. Events include general information sessions, workshops, departmental presentations, and events targeted to specific fellowship programs.

• Coordinate and organize content for information sessions and writing workshops, including inviting speakers, delivering presentations, and conducting outreach to ensure high levels of attendance at events.

• Expand team expertise on graduate research fellowships and engage in ad hoc research projects, such as comparing UChicago fellowship statistics with those at our peer institutions.

• Lead efforts to revamp online fellowship resources through a new website and existing fellowships Canvas site.

• Collect detailed data on annual fellowship and funding awardees for a variety of stakeholders and audiences.

• Other duties which may include supporting grant-writing efforts, assisting with conference planning, implementing writing programming, etc.

• Manages advising team.

• Serves as institutional contact for internal and external stakeholders.

• Performs other related work as needed.

 

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

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

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Work Experience:

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

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced degree in related field.

Experience:

• Experience working in higher education or nonprofits.

• Strong familiarity with graduate education and the needs of doctoral and master’s students.

• Familiarity with the range of competitive fellowship opportunities.

• Familiarity with the culture of a research university and the breadth of university systems.

• Knowledge of fellowship and grant accounting.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Sound judgement and ability to anticipate potential problems.

• Demonstrated commitment to student success and cultivating a supportive environment that meets each student where they are.

• Independent decision-making skills.

• Orientation toward collaboration and teamwork.

• Excellent written, editorial, and communication skills.

• Effective relationship management with faculty, administrators, and foundation representatives.

Working Conditions

• Must be able to work independently and take initiative in fulfilling responsibilities.

Application Documents

• Cover letter (required)

• Resume/CV (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

FLSA Status
 

Exempt

Pay Frequency
 

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours
 

37.5

Benefits Eligible
 

Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
 

Yes

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Posting Statement
 

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward .
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff 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.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

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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