Program Assistant 4

Department: WCAS Statistics & Data Science
Salary/Grade: NEX/12

Job Summary:

The Graduate Program Assistant acts as the main point of contact for all graduate students in the Department's graduate programs and works closely with the Business Coordinator, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the directors of the programs in administering the department's PhD, terminal MS, Ad Hoc MS, and BA/MS graduate programs. The GPA enters and updates PhD funding, creates and maintains associated documents, spreadsheets, and databases, organizes meetings, special events, etc. and alerts supervisor of critical issues and upcoming events. The GPA coordinates administrative processes and prioritizes, directs, and responds to business matters associated with education, research, and/or operations, including financial matters related to graduate student funding

This position is a full-time position at 37.5 hours per week and works primarily on-site but is eligible for remote work and more information will be discussed during the interview. The target hiring range for this position will be between $42,047 - $52,558 per year, which is $21.48 - $26.85 per hour. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Specific Responsibilities:

Documents & Databases

• Independently responds to and composes correspondence.
• Maintain all graduate student files with current coursework information, milestones, evaluations, funding, fellowships, and awards.
• Creates and/or maintains standard spreadsheets and/or databases.
• Prepares queries, reports, statistics, tables, charts, etc. based on information compiled from various sources.
• Creates &/or maintains complex spreadsheets &/or databases &/or reports, queries, charts, etc. based on supervisor's information objectives.

Website

• Assists with design & maintenance of website &/or blog content ensuring ease & practicality of use for targeted audience & objective.
• Assists with creating new web pages and/or updates standard information/data within the application's content management program.
• Gathers information regarding programs, events, etc.
• Creates, writes, edits & posts articles, newsletters, program summaries, etc. to website.

Accounting

• Assists with expense reports, purchases, and reimbursements per budget.
• Processes funding changes & payroll for graduate students
• Creates and maintains financial records relating to graduate awards and expenses.
• Prepares forms and processes routine payroll actions.
• Verifies appropriateness and accuracy of charges.
• Processes and reconciles funding changes, expenses, & payroll.
• Generates summary reports and statistics related to graduate expenses
• Updates financial transaction spreadsheets and databases related to graduate student funding.

Human Resources

• Provides information on HR policies & procedures.

Coordination

• Works with Statistics and Data Science Business Coordinator, graduate program faculty leadership and committees.
• Organizes and coordinates graduate program events. Ensures that all logistics such as advertising, registration, speakers, international travel arrangements, venues, catering, technology, etc. have been completed.
• Collaborates with Business Coordinator and directors to ensure critical program deadlines are on planning calendars and issues reminder communications for these deadlines.
• Manages registration and travel and coordinates complex itineraries involving domestic and/or international travel, etc.
• Collaborates with Business Coordinator regarding graduate program budget needs.
• Verifies invoices and expense reports; and assists Business Coordinator with reconciling budget.
• Assists with department events as needed.

Contacts

• Represents the dept, program or project with various levels of personnel both internally & externally managing & facilitating confidential &/or critical information.
• Responds to unanticipated & complex issues.

Student Services

• Provides a variety of administrative support for student services such as recruitment; applications; admissions; funding; academic progress; milestone tracking; graduation preparation; program evaluation.
• Interprets existing policies & procedures.
• Advises and resolves issues surrounding student financial aid and graduate union CBA
• Assists students with course registration and reviewing course registration of students to ensure registration requirements are met.
• Assists with quarterly graduate student teaching assistant and graduate assistant letters and makes related funding changes and submits payroll forms as needed.
• Reviews administrative processes and procedures regarding student services and recommends changes.

Supervision

• Coordinates work of temporary/work-study students

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or its equivalent along with 5 years of administrative support experience is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Intermediate knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and database software programs is required.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Excellent initiative and resourcefulness.
• Ability to meet deadlines while balancing multiple responsibilities and competing priorities.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships students, staff, and faculty.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or its equivalent along with 4 years of administrative support experience.
• Experience in a university environment.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Advanced knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and database software programs, especially with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, Photoshop etc.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to accurately maintain detailed plans with complex interactions.
• Familiarity with Smartsheet, CAESAR, SES, GSTS, CollegeNet, CLSS, NUFinancials, myHR, and Cascade.
• Experience in creating flyers, brochures, newsletters, etc.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

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