Academic Operations Officer

Led by the Associate Dean for Graduate Biomedical Education, the Office of Graduate Biomedical Education (OGBE) promotes innovation and supports graduate biomedical education by managing key central functions, developing and implementing initiatives to promote diversity, and ensuring a positive learning environment. OGBE is in the Office of the Vice Dean for Education, part of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM).

We are seeking an Academic Operations Officer who will oversee central data management and reporting, and will support overall operations of the PhD and Master’s programs. To be successful, the Academic Operations Officer must be able to understand and manage different software databases, education platforms, and reporting tools; be a proactive problem-solver; and demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and learn quickly.

The Academic Operations Officer will work closely with the Director of Academic Affairs, graduate program coordinators and graduate program directors as part of a collaborative team committed to excellence in graduate biomedical education.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Collaboration and Project Management

• With the Director of Academic Affairs, implement strategies to support innovative, effective, and efficient processes to support JHUSOM GBE programs.
• Serve as OGBE liaison with graduate programs and SOM and University offices involved in graduate program operations, e.g., the Office of University Registrar, the JHUSOM Registrar’s Office, the Office of Information Technology, the Office of Online Education, and the Office of Assessment and Evaluation, etc.
• Work with coordinators to identify common operations challenges, facilitate interaction with appropriate offices, as needed, and implement strategies for training or sharing information among the coordinators.
• Identify potential problems and discuss mitigation options with the Director of Academic Affairs

Oversight of Appointment Letters Process for SOM PhD Student Workers

• PhD students who receive stipends or health benefits through Johns Hopkins University receive appointment letters each semester detailing work expectations. The Academic Operations Officer will work with the Provost’s Office and the SOM PhD programs on the timely dissemination of these letters in compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Work with the director of academic affairs, the Associate Dean for GBE, and the Provost’s Office to implement any needed process updates.
• Review the information compiled by graduate programs for their students’ appointment letters to ensure that letters contain all the mandated components and meet requirements.
• Facilitate appointment letter corrections due to payroll changes.
• Assist the OGBE Financial Manager and the Central Finance Office with generating regular reports on PhD student payroll status and hiring workflow.

Support for Graduate Courses and Canvas

• Collaborate with instructional designers to maintain and update the guidance and resources for teaching teams through the GBE Course Resource Site and relevant webpages, at least bi-annually.
• Serve as a liaison between graduate programs and instructional designers, as needed, regarding (1) implementing Canvas for course delivery; (2) maintaining accessibility in course materials; (3) incorporating learning objectives and aligned assessments; etc.
• Serve as an OGBE liaison with the Office of Assessment and Evaluation on the implementation of common GBE systems for learning assessments.
• Administer Canvas sites that are managed through OGBE, e.g., the annual Canvas sites for Incoming Student Orientation:

                   o Request and collect updates presentations/resources from relevant offices and co each year.

                   o Identify and collaborate with TAs to update the Canvas site and monitor completion by incoming students.

• Administer the school-wide first year course “Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research”:

                    o Enter the course in the Student Information System (SIS) and monitor registration.

                    o Assist course directors in identifying TAs and assigning tasks.

                    o Facilitate any updates in course material and participate in the course delivery, as needed.

                    o Communicate with students to resolve issues and submit grades.

Oversight of Current Systems and Processes

• GBE programs use different processes and systems to support academic operations, outside of formal courses.
• Examples include the Thesis Committee Tracker, a platform for completion of annual thesis committee meetings; IDP Forms, a platform for completion of annual student Individual Development Plans (IDPs); the required mentoring training for faculty members who participate in graduate programs; and Research Logix which facilitates data collection for training grant applications. The Academic Operations Officer will serve as a point of contact for graduate programs for functional support on existing academic operations.
• Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of policies and procedures relating to academic operations for graduate students.
• Work with the Director of Academic Affairs on project management and collaboration with graduate programs and relevant offices across the university (e.g., the Office of University Registrar).
• Facilitate access to GBE systems for new program staff, as needed.
• Facilitate communication between graduate programs and other offices to address any functionality issues that come up.
• Review graduate programs’ websites and handbooks for accuracy and conformation to JHUSOM policies and procedures.

Implementation of New Systems and Processes

• Examples of new systems and processes include the incorporation of learning objectives and evaluation of assessments for courses and other programmatic offerings, as indicated by the University Committee on Learning Assessment (UCLA); and the implementation of Stellic, a new degree audit and advising system.
• Participate in the testing of new technology solutions and facilitate implementation for graduate programs.
• Serve as a point of contact for graduate programs for recommendations and/or implementation of new technology initiatives

Data Management and Reporting

• Monitor new faculty memberships of graduate programs and faculty compliance with completion of mentoring training. Compile compliance reports for the Associate Dean, as needed.
• Monitor student annual completion of IDPs and other annual requirements and compile compliance reports for the Associate Dean or the Vice Provost’s Office, as needed.
• Monitor individual programs’ implementation of UCLA guidelines.
• Assist with data entry and ensure that graduate programs maintain accurate student advisor information and program faculty member information in the Student Information System (SIS) or other systems as needed.
• Assist with data entry and implementation of the alumni database.
• Generate and distribute advancement checklists for students to enter scholarly activities in New Innovations and assist programs in monitoring completion.
• Assist programs in extracting data needed for T32 applications from different databases.

Special Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a productive manner.
• Self-motivated, focused, positive attitude, flexible, professional and proactive.
• Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Highly computer literate, with demonstrated facility to work with a variety of software systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Intermediate or expert level proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work positively and collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Four years related experience.
• Experience providing technical or organizational development support.

• Masters Degree preferred.
• Knowledge of graduate biomedical programs.
• Experience with the NIH grant funding process.
• Experience with SAP.
• Experience with Canvas.
• Experience in a post-secondary institution. Experience working with faculty and academic administrators.
• Experience in academic operations in a higher education setting.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Classified Title: Medical Training Program Manager 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Academic Operations Officer   
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/ME  
Starting Salary Range: $64,600 - $113,300 Annually ($67,000 targeted; Commensurate w/exp.) 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM 
FLSA Status: Exempt 
Location: Hybrid/School of Medicine Campus 
Department name: ​​​​​​​SOM Admin Graduate Biomedical Education  
Personnel area: School of Medicine