Program Specialist, Biological Sciences (Hybrid)

Job Description

The Program Specialist is part of the administrative staff in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University. The Program Specialist handles undergraduate course registration and advisor assignments, the departmental seminar series, programing courses in Campus Planning Interface (CPI), coordinating exam and room schedules, and maintains reports and communication for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Program Specialist is also responsible for assisting faculty with undergraduate fieldtrip organization and serves as the departmental procurement requester. This position will report directly to the Program Coordinator and indirectly to the Vice-Chair.  

A hybrid work schedule may be possible for this position following a successful training period. The staff on the administrative team are currently in the office, at minimum, 3 days per week. Due to the in-person nature of this position, remote work might not be possible every week, depending on in-person meetings, on-campus commitments, events, etc. This position oversees several department events, some of which may conclude after normal office hours. Hybrid schedules may be adjusted, as needed, to accommodate on site meetings and/or events, other on-site obligations, or as requested by the Program Coordinator.

The Department of Biological Sciences has an excellent staff to facilitate issue resolution involving personnel, financial management, supply and equipment orders proposal submission, and infrastructure. The faculty in the department carry out diverse research projects and often collaborate with other members within the department and in nearby departments. This department covers a broad spectrum of biology, from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms to populations and ecosystems. Award-winning faculty and graduate students teach and carry out research in Biochemistry, Structural Biology and Biophysics, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, Developmental Biology, and Neurobiology.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Departmental Seminar Series & Events
  • Coordinates the annual departmental seminar series, overseeing logistics, communications, and collaboration with faculty hosts and partner departments.
  • Manages and reconciles a five-figure seminar budget, communicates expense policies, and monitors compliance.
  • Identifies and escalates budget variances or policy concerns to the Administrative Manager.
  • Assists with special program events (e.g. Commencement Reception, Annual Holiday Party, Department Picnic, etc.)
• Assists with course registration
  • Enrolls students as needed/per request of faculty instructors 
  • Over-rides prerequisite requirements and
  • Provides enrollment data to Administrative Manager for distribution of UG research funds
• Assists undergraduates with finding an academic advisor
• Processes major/minor declarations
• Enters large complex schedules in CPI (coordinating special cases such as cross-listings, eligibility for other majors, new courses, etc.)
  • Updates course/instructor information as needed
  • Cross references data with Your Enrollment Services (YES)
  • Confirms details with faculty instructors and communicates changes
  • Communicates and adheres to deadlines set by the University Registrar’s Office (URO)
• Submits TA/Course Assistant/Course Coordinator/Grader assignments to the URO for class offerings in the departments that feed into information systems: Brightspace, YES, and the Course and Teaching Evaluation System Coordinators final exam dates and schedules classrooms 
• Works with Vanderbilt Student Access Services (SAS) to ensure student accommodations are in place as needed
• Responsible for department administration of communication, assessment, and submission of undergraduate program data to Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
• Provides outcomes and analytics to joint UG programs (e.g., Beckman Scholar Program)
• Processes end of the year prizes/awards for undergraduate students
• Forwards general UG program inquiries to Director of Undergraduate Studies as needed 
• Assists faculty instructors with making travel arrangements for field trips
• Provides support to faculty instructors for Gradescope and assists with scanning of exams
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Relationships
This position does not have supervisory responsibility. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Program Coordinator.

Education and Certifications

• A High School Diploma or GED is necessary.
• An Associate's Degree or Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.

Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written communication skills are necessary.
• Excellent data organizational skills and proficiency with Excel spreadsheets is necessary.
• Proven ability to execute multiple tasks and work in a fast-paced environment under the pressure of hard deadlines and competing priorities is necessary.
• Ability to handle highly confidential materials and strong organizational and prioritization skills is necessary.
• Previous experience working in a higher education/academic setting highly preferred.
• Previous experience using Vanderbilt systems including, but not limited to Oracle and CPI is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively is necessary.