Senior Academic Program Coordinator
The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University is seeking a Senior Academic Program Coordinator to advance key aspects of its academic mission. The SNF Agora Institute is a multi-disciplinary academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy by improving and expanding civic engagement and informed, inclusive dialogue, and by supporting inquiry that leads to real-world change.
Drawing its name and inspiration from the ancient agora, the Institute uses research and partnerships with scholars, practitioners, students, and the public to create the shared spaces and tools that enable civic and political stakeholders around the world to realize the promise of democracy. More information about the SNF Agora Institute and its mission can be found here: https://snfagora.jhu.edu/mission-and-impact.
SNF Agora is seeking a Senior Academic Program Coordinator to provide administrative support for the academic functions of the Institute. This position includes coordinating the institute’s curricular offerings, fellows programs (including visiting fellows and pre/post-doctoral fellows programs), and administering its faculty and student grant programs. Additionally, the Senior Academic Program Coordinator will be responsible for all institute appointment letters for all non-tenured faculty and students. The position also helps manage the institute’s efforts to track and report on key strategic metrics related to our academic programs. The person hired into this position will report to the Managing Director and work closely with the institute’s faculty, fellows, and students, and will be the primary point of contact for our visiting fellows and faculty affiliates.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities
Curricular and Faculty Support
- Coordinate institute course offerings by assisting institute faculty and, fellows with course creation, posting and cross-listing, scheduling, and classroom management.
- Interface with the registrar’s office on course categorization and listing, enrollment tracking, and other course requirements.
- Coordinate the faculty grants program, including coordinating the application process, scheduling the selection committee meetings, communicating with grantees, drafting award letters, and ensuring grantee progress reports are submitted and timely.
- Administratively support the faculty seminar series, including assisting guest faculty presenters with travel arrangements and expenses, ordering catering, securing on-campus venues, and other meeting logistics.
- Assist faculty with public and internal faculty meetings hosted for institute purposes, possibly including faculty retreats, by arranging travel, ordering travel, securing on-campus venues, and other meeting logistics.
- Oversee correspondence and scheduling relating to future institute curricular decisions such as potential graduate program offerings, executive education initiatives, certificates and other potential programs; draft memos and conduct discrete research as necessary.
SNF Agora Fellows Programs
- For both the visiting fellows and pre/post-doctoral fellows programs, including the SNF Agora Academy, coordinate the application collection and candidate selection processes; this includes managing the application portal, coordinating the schedules for the selection committee’s review process, and communicating with applicants; respond to inquiries from prospective applicants to the fellows programs in conjunction with institute leadership feedback.
- With the Managing Director and relevant faculty leads, co-develop a programming schedule for the visiting and student fellows, and facilitate their interactions with external colleagues across the university.
- Coordinate the student grants program, including coordinating the application process, scheduling the selection committee meetings, communicating with grantees, drafting award letters, and ensuring grantee progress reports are submitted and timely.
- Provide general administrative support for all fellows (faculty and students) during their time with the institute, including assisting with their onboarding, orientation, offboarding, and assisting the finance team with processing their travel and other expense reimbursements as necessary.
SNF Agora Minor in Civic Life
- With the institute’s Director of Undergraduate Studies, develop and maintain internal processes to support and operate the institute’s minor program.
- Manage enrollment process for students participating in the minor program.
- Maintain course listings for the minor; interface with the registrar’s office.
- Track students’ progress toward completion of their minor, and work with faculty when concerns arise.
- Coordinate internship and research opportunities for program participants, including maintaining databases of democracy-oriented organizations and opportunities.
- Assist with planning and logistics for occasional activities for minor participants, such as orientations, open houses, brown bags, and other events.
- Respond to inquiries from students.
- Effectively communicate with academic and administrative leaders, faculty, students, other staff, and external contacts on behalf of SNF Agora regarding the minor program.
Other Academic Program Coordination
- Under the guidance of the Associate Director of Finance, exercise responsibility for working with KSAS HR to secure appointment letters for all non-tenured faculty, visiting fellows, postdoctoral fellows, visiting graduate scholars and other academic/research appointments.
- With the Managing Director, coordinate, maintain, and update institute-specific policies and processes for faculty and fellows, for example the faculty/fellows field guide.
- Assist institute HR with new faculty and fellow orientation and onboarding processes.
- In conjunction with the relevant faculty lead, organize monthly community workshops at the institute to include: securing the speaker and arranging their travel, creating and disseminating the agenda, ordering catering, room set-up, etc.
- Register visiting graduate scholars into the appropriate courses required to maintain their appointments.
- Coordinate implementation, tracking, and evaluation of grants awarded to the institute that support its curricular offerings.
- Coordinate academic components of Democracy Day, an annual event that takes place as part of new student orientation, liaising with faculty and fellow participants and managing logistics.
- Maintain external partners and institute engagement database for institute faculty and leadership, adapting tracking methods when needed.
- Coordinate the visa process for all international fellows (faculty, visiting, and student fellows).
- Perform administrative tasks in support of the institute’s case studies series, from author contracts, to schedule tracking, to payments, etc.
- Staff and participate in other institute programming as needed.
Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Must be independent, professional, approachable, and team oriented.
- Creativity, good judgment, organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to problem solve.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook).
- Ability to organize, manage, and analyze datasets of programmatic information.
- Proficiency with Qualtrics and/or other survey tools.
- Ability to interface with academic databases.
Minimum Qualifications
- High School Diploma or graduation equivalent. Bachelor's Degree preferred.
- Five years progressively responsible administrative/academic experience.
- Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond HS Diploma/Graduation Equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ability to work comfortably and collaboratively with faculty, students, senior academic officials, leading public intellectuals, elected officials (national and global), journalists, and more.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work within a team.
- Experience in an institution of higher education.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational and project management skills.
- Five years of experience, preferably in support of academic, business, research and/or development activities and operations, providing high-level administrative coordination, oversight, and advice.
Classified Title: Sr. Academic Program Coordinator
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Senior Academic Program Coordinator
Role/Level/Range: ATO 37.5/03/OF
Starting Salary Range: $21.25 - $29.05 - $36.90 HRLY (Targeted $56,647; Commensurate with experience)
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: M-F 8:30-5:00
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Location: Hybrid/Homewood Campus
Department name: SNF Agora Institute
Personnel area: School of Arts & Sciences