Principal Program Manager Jobs in Fort Washington, MD

The Talent Acquisition department hires qualified candidates to fill positions which contribute to the overall strategic success of Howard University. Hiring staff "for fit" makes significant contributions to Howard University's overall mission.
At Howard University, we prioritize well-being and professional growth.
Here is what we offer:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus mental health support
• Work-Life Balance: PTO, paid holidays, flexible work arrangements
• Financial Wellness: Competitive salary, 403(b) with company match
• Professional Development: Ongoing training, tuition reimbursement, and career advancement paths
• Additional Perks: Wellness programs, commuter benefits, and a vibrant company culture

Join Howard University and thrive with us!
https://hr.howard.edu/benefits-wellness
BASIC FUNCTION
The Executive MBA Program Manager supports the planning, coordination, execution, enrollment support, student services coordination, residency logistics, and continuous improvement of the Howard University School of Business Executive MBA Program. Working under the leadership of the Executive Director of the Office of Executive Education, this position serves as a key operational, administrative, student-facing, recruitment-support, and relationship-management role. The Program Manager coordinates with prospective and enrolled students, faculty, executive instructional staff, admissions, financial aid, registrar, student accounts, technology, marketing, alumni, enrollment vendors, student support vendors, and other University offices to ensure a professional, high-quality executive student experience.
The position requires strong project management, scheduling, communication, student service, event coordination, problem-solving, and executive-level client service skills. The role is designed for a highly organized professional with experience supporting graduate programs, senior professional development, student services, enrollment support, or comparable program-management environments.
SUPERVISORY ACCOUNTABILITY
May coordinate, monitor, or provide direction to student workers, temporary staff, program assistants, vendors, consultants, or other support personnel assigned to Executive MBA program activities, residencies, enrollment support, events, and student services functions.
NATURE AND SCOPE
Internal contacts include university administrative offices, faculty, staff, students, admissions office, financial aid office, registrar office, student accounts, finance, procurement, facilities, university technology, marketing, communications, catering, security, parking, alumni relations, and other University service offices.
External contacts include prospective students, applicants, Executive MBA students, alumni, enrollment vendors, student support vendors, corporate partners, speakers, executive guests, vendors, consultants, and the general public.
The Program Manager supports a high-touch, executive-level graduate student population and must operate effectively in a fast-paced, professional, service-oriented environment. The position requires discretion, responsiveness, sound judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate professionally with senior managers, executives, faculty, University leaders, corporate partners, and adult learners.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTION

• Manage and coordinate day-to-day operations, scheduling, planning, execution, and follow-up activities of the Executive MBA Program.
• Develop and monitor program work plans, academic calendars, student communication schedules, residency timelines, faculty coordination plans, event checklists, program materials, and related administrative processes.
• Support the Executive Director in implementing program priorities, student experience strategies, operational plans, enrollment goals, retention initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Track program deliverables, student participation, residency attendance, evaluations, academic milestones, student issues, and follow-up actions.
• Serve as a central point of coordination for Executive MBA students, prospective students, faculty, instructional staff, enrollment vendors, student support vendors, alumni, executive guests, and University offices.

ENROLLMENT, RECRUITMENT, AND STUDENT SUPPORT

• Support Executive MBA student recruitment, enrollment coordination, applicant communication, and prospective student engagement activities.
• Coordinate with admissions, enrollment management, marketing, student support vendors, and other University offices to support recruitment pipelines, applicant follow-up, enrollment conversion, onboarding, and student persistence.
• Respond to prospective and enrolled student inquiries regarding program structure, schedules, admissions processes, tuition, financial aid referrals, residencies, technology, registration, and student expectations.
• Troubleshoot enrollment, registration, billing, financial aid, student account, technology, and support challenges by working with appropriate University offices and approved student support vendors.
• Track inquiries, application progress, enrollment status, onboarding steps, student concerns, and unresolved support issues; refer matters to the appropriate office when required.

RESIDENCY, EVENT, AND EVENING PROGRAM COORDINATION

• Lead coordination of Fall and Spring Executive MBA campus residencies, including planning, logistics, scheduling, communications, vendor coordination, and on-site execution.
• Develop residency agendas, room schedules, catering plans, technology needs, parking arrangements, security requests, signage, student materials, speaker logistics, and guest coordination.
• Coordinate with facilities, technology, catering, security, parking, faculty, staff, alumni, speakers, vendors, and University leadership to ensure a professional residency experience.
• Support evening student programming, networking events, receptions, executive speaker sessions, alumni engagement activities, and special programs as required.
• Collect residency and event feedback and recommend improvements to strengthen future student campus experiences.

FACULTY, INSTRUCTIONAL, AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT

• Coordinate faculty and executive instructor schedules, course communications, instructional materials, presentation needs, assessment timelines, and technology support.
• Assist faculty and instructional staff with preparation and distribution of course materials, learning resources, assignments, residency materials, and executive-level session materials.
• Provide instructional and logistical support during Executive MBA sessions, residencies, webinars, workshops, speaker events, and special programs as needed.
• Coordinate with faculty and academic leadership regarding student participation, course logistics, scheduling issues, program expectations, and student support needs.

INTERNAL UNIVERSITY COORDINATION

• Coordinate Executive MBA activities with University offices, departments, service units, and staff to ensure efficiency, compliance, and successful program execution.
• Work with University offices related to admissions, financial aid, registrar, student accounts, finance, procurement, contracts, facilities, technology, marketing, communications, catering, security, parking, human resources, and other administrative functions.
• Submit, track, and follow up on internal requests, approvals, purchase orders, invoices, vendor documents, facilities requests, technology support, communications requests, and related program processes.
• Confer with students, staff, faculty, vendors, and external stakeholders to provide problem-solving assistance, responses to questions, and interpretation of program procedures and policies.

COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING, AND PROGRAM VISIBILITY

• Design, develop, write, edit, and distribute program correspondence, including prospective student communications, admitted student messages, student announcements, residency instructions, faculty communications, reminders, program updates, reports, and post-event follow-up.
• Prepare professional communications for students, applicants, faculty, senior administrators, corporate partners, alumni, speakers, and executive audiences.
• Assist with Executive MBA marketing, recruitment communications, program promotion, alumni outreach, corporate visibility, social media coordination, website updates, email campaigns, information sessions, and related visibility-building activities.
• Recommend promotional strategies, target audiences, outreach opportunities, and marketing approaches to support enrollment and program growth.

BUDGET, REPORTING, AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT

• Monitor and assist with program expenditures to ensure that budget allocations are not overspent and activities remain aligned with approved financial parameters.
• Assist with preparation of program budgets, expense tracking, financial reports, invoice records, vendor documentation, reimbursement requests, residency budgets, and related financial materials.
• Prepare periodic reports, enrollment updates, student support summaries, residency reports, evaluation reports, status updates, and special reports for management, University offices, partners, or outside stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records on program activities, prospective students, enrolled students, faculty, vendors, budgets, evaluations, correspondence, student issues, deliverables, and outcomes.

PROGRAM EVALUATION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Evaluate program effectiveness and assist in developing improved methods, procedures, tools, and service models.
• Analyze student feedback, faculty input, residency evaluations, enrollment trends, retention issues, and program outcomes to recommend appropriate action.
• Identify opportunities to improve student experience, academic support, residency quality, enrollment coordination, communication effectiveness, operational efficiency, and program reputation.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Knowledge of higher education administration, executive education, graduate student services, professional education, enrollment support, student lifecycle coordination, and program administration.
• Knowledge of budgeting, expenditure tracking, basic accounting principles, University administrative processes, and program financial administration.
• Skill in organizing the work of self and others and managing multiple programs, deadlines, stakeholders, events, and competing priorities.
• Skill in writing, editing, and developing professional correspondence, reports, promotional materials, student communications, program documents, and executive-level communications.
• Skill in coordinating meetings, residencies, workshops, webinars, executive events, virtual programs, and in-person learning activities.
• Skill in using Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, virtual meeting platforms, learning management systems, registration systems, CRM tools, social media platforms, and digital communication tools.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, and to work professionally with executives, senior administrators, faculty, corporate partners, prospective students, enrolled students, vendors, alumni, and internal University offices.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, confidentiality, initiative, responsiveness, and professionalism.
• Ability to troubleshoot student enrollment, financial aid, registration, student account, technology, and support issues by coordinating with appropriate University offices and approved vendors.
• Flexibility to support occasional evening, weekend, or special programming as required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree and 4-5 years of related work experience required. Eight years of related work experience may be substituted in lieu of educational qualifications.
Related experience may include program management, higher education administration, executive education, graduate student services, enrollment support, recruitment support, student affairs, professional education, event management, instructional support, marketing support, vendor coordination, or comparable administrative and program management experience.
Experience developing professional correspondence, program materials, agendas, reports, student communications, and executive-level communications.
Demonstrated ability to work with executives, faculty, senior administrators, students, prospective students, vendors, and internal service offices.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, virtual meeting platforms, registration systems, learning management systems, social media platforms, and basic digital communication tools.
Ability to support both in-person and virtual Executive MBA program activities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Master's degree preferred in business, higher education administration, education, organizational development, communications, public administration, student affairs, or a related field.
Experience supporting graduate, executive, professional, or adult learner programs; student recruitment; admissions coordination; enrollment management; student services; or retention initiatives. Experience coordinating campus residencies, executive events, academic programs, conferences, or professional development programs. Familiarity with learning management systems, online learning platforms, webinar tools, student information systems, and digital course delivery.
Experience supporting marketing, social media, email campaigns, website content, information sessions, or program promotion.
Experience working in a business school, universit