Graduate Program Director Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

The Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) is a community of planners, designers, and analysts committed to understanding and transforming cities and environments, bridging research with practice. DUSP provides students with tools to understand the politics, economics and culture of human settlements amid a rapidly changing climate and society. DUSP offers two undergraduate degrees: the B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning and the B.S. in Real Estate and Development.

DUSP also offers two graduate degrees: the Master in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) which will prepare students with essential knowledge, tools, and skills to understand and improve the physical, social, economic, health, environmental, and cultural conditions of neighborhoods, cities, and regions; and the PhD in Urban Studies and Planning which will prepare students to take on leadership roles in urban studies and planning research and education, in order to address central civic, environmental, and planning challenges of the future.

The Graduate Coordinator is responsible for administering all aspects of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning's two graduate programs (Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) and PhD in Urban Studies and Planning) in consultation and collaboration with DUSP's Department Chair, Department Director of Graduate Programs, Management Services Officer and Graduate Program Committee. The MURP program is designed as a two-year program and the target steady state is 50 students. The PhD program is designed as a six-year program and the target steady state is 20 students.

The position provides comprehensive advising and administrative support to graduate students from admission through MURP/PhD completion. Responsibilities include monitoring academic progress, coordinating degree milestones, ensuring compliance with university policies, and serving as the primary liaison among students, faculty, and the Division of Graduate Education to support student success. Additional responsibilities include coordinating curriculum, course scheduling and program reviews.

This position also manages graduate student financial support and employment, including fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, readerships, and research appointments and participates in multi-year funding plans to support student success.

• Overtime and/or weekends as necessary.

• Demonstrated experience with academic advising and counseling techniques in a University (or similar) relating to the graduate student cycle from admissions through graduation. Knowledge of advising and counseling techniques related to graduate student affairs.

• Demonstrated experience managing and allocating graduate student funding or comparable academic budgets, including financial planning, multi-year funding commitments, budget tracking, and recommending funding allocations to support student employment and financial aid.

• Demonstrated experience with University-specific computer application programs and pertinent databases related to graduate student affairs. Knowledge of University-specific computer application programs and pertinent databases.

• Demonstrated knowledge of University processes, procedures, rules and regulations relating to the graduate student cycle from admissions through graduation. Knowledge of University processes and procedures related to graduate student affairs.

• Demonstrated communication skills via making presentations, creating publications, writing reports, explaining processes and policy, providing customer service, and general correspondence. Ability to multitask; verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to write concisely, persuasively, and in summary form. Skill to compose, edit and proofread narrative sections of printed information. Ability to express verbally one's position, plan of action, evaluation or interpretation in a professional, concise, and courteous manner. Strong verbal, written and electronic communication skills that facilitate professional and effective interaction with a diverse population.

• Skilled at negotiating conflicts among staff, faculty and students. Ability to represent UCSD appropriately to internal and external constituents.

• Multicultural competencies; ability to work with diverse populations.

• Skills in service orientation, organization, active listening, and critical thinking.

• Ability in problem identification and reasoning. Ability to assess problems and skill to identify logical solutions. Creativity to analyze and solve unusual and new problems in ways that establish effective and efficient procedures. Strong analytical, inductive and deductive reasoning skills.

• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on Background Check results.