Academic Program Manager Jobs in Florida (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary
Coordinate, lead, and support the administrative and academic activities of the undergraduate and graduate programs offered by Mechanical Engineering. The individual will work independently and as part of a team on aspects such as faculty hiring, onboarding and support, space allocation, department assessments, inventory and space organization, marketing, Advisory Board support, and overall support for department initiatives

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF's rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida's best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state's 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF's Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: 

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.  This job description does not constitute an employment contract.  

Minimum Qualifications: 

This position requires a Master's degree in education or a field of study related to the academic program, or a Bachelor's degree in those same fields with a minimum of two years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Master's Degree preferred

20% - Departmental Support: Oversee office coverage, support all college and university reporting, and management of office inventory and space allocation, in conjunction with COE facilities personnel. Support all departmental meetings, including monthly faculty and annual committees, including scheduling, detailed organization of materials needed, and meeting minute responsibilities. In addition, support the scheduling of the Departmental Chair's calendar.

15% - Supervise: The person in this position must  recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate the Undergraduate and Graduate Administrative Specialist that reports to the position. Recruit, train, supervise, and evaluate FWS/ hourly student(s).

 15% - Departmental Academic Program Support: Work with departmental program directors and the department chair to support all programmatic needs such as student recruitment, coordination of annual Capstone presentations, support of department purchasing, and the overall budget for course and laboratory purposes. 

15% - Faculty Recruitment / Support: Serve as the staff liaison for all recruitment, hiring, interviewing, and credentialing for full-time and adjunct faculty.  Prepare candidate agendas; work with USF Shared Services to make travel arrangements and any other tasks associated with faculty hire. Assist with preparation of faculty tenure and promotion packets and mid-tenure reviews packets. Maintain semester faculty assignments and annual evaluations in Archivum, and annual state reports through FAIR. Distribute, collect, and aggregate faculty course evaluation data and comments. Maintain faculty leave records and payroll files.

10% - Program Marketing: Develop, implement, and disseminate strategies and materials to recruit and retain undergraduate and graduate students and to promote the MAE department. Serve as the department liaison with industry internship opportunities. Lead the CMS based website maintenance and updates for the department. Liaison with the COE Communications and Marketing department for updates and creation of promotional/recruiting brochures. ,  Distribute brochures, reports, and newsletters to appropriate stakeholders. 

10% - MAE Advisory Board Management: Serve as the liaison with the MAE Advisory Board, coordinating all communication, meeting logistics for bi-annual meetings and special events, that contribute to academic growth and ABET/SACS accreditation requirements.

10% - Miscellaneous: Serve as liaison with other college and university-wide academic offices and departments regarding MAE academic programs, representing the department in cross-functional teams. Serve as the Departmental Attendance and Leave Coordinator. Support all departmental required reporting, in support of academic programs. Responsible for departmental FAIR reporting , Attend professional development trainings and department/college meetings as necessary. Submit work orders for department and labs. 

5% - Other duties as assigned