Program Coordinator Jobs in Edison, NJ (NOW HIRING)

The Effron Center for the Study of America (EFF) at Princeton University is pleased to announce a new minor in Native American and Indigenous studies (NAI) and is seeking a Program Coordinator to join its growing unit. This new academic program aims to address the multifaceted histories and contemporary issues related to Native American and other Indigenous peoples, while fostering rigorous scholarship and meaningful community engagement. It is grounded in a Native American and Indigenous studies framework that centers Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, and cultural continuity, while critically examining the impact of historical violence and dispossession, as well as ongoing settler colonialism. Under the direction of the NAI Program Director and EFF Executive Director, the program coordinator will handle day-to-day needs required to support NAI course management, student academic needs, event programming and communications, and longer-term curricular planning. The Program Coordinator will be expected to:

• handle each semester's NAI course management needs, including course set up, faculty course preparation and class needs, student needs, keeping abreast of and communicating new policies and procedures to EFF administration and faculty, as relevant;
• participate in and track the development and execution of faculty teaching plans, including gathering course information, identifying specific needs for courses, handling follow-up implementation, assisting in lecturer appointments, and managing accurate student and course records;
• provide student support, including answering course questions, managing student progress in the minor, enabling community building at EFF and related tasks;
• per University guidelines and policy, manage funds assigned to courses (e.g., guest speakers, travel, etc.), related projects and programming events.
• support the NAI Program Director and EFF Executive Director with short-and longer-term projects as assigned, including the collecting of data, creating procedural documentation, and communicating to all relevant parties;
• collaborate and coordinate with EFF administrative staff and select faculty in academic coordinator meetings and time-sensitive initiatives, identify and communicate priorities and timelines, meet deadlines, and participate in scheduled and ad hoc meetings to plan and implement the vision of the NAI Program Director, as needed.

Course and Faculty Support 

The Program Coordinator will work closely with the appropriate faculty to ensure each is prepared with all course needs prior to the start of each semester, with special emphasis on the beginning of the academic year. Tasks include: setting up new and existing courses in accordance to all University deadlines; managing course enrollments and the cross-listing approval process; working with course instructors to identify and coordinate their course needs (e.g., book lists and course packets, logistics planning for guest speakers, processing honoraria, coordinating fieldtrips/excursions, etc.), student advising policies and procedures; managing expenses per course. In coordination with NAI Program Director and EFF administrators, would also be expected to manage course numbers and maintain historical records on a drive shared with the other programs at the Center. Additionally, the position entails problem-solving (relying on EFF staff and select faculty) in response to conditions and issues that may arise at any given time.

Teaching Plan Development

The Program Coordinator will work with the NAI Program Director to compile and finalize the teaching plans for the NAI program, and in relation to the existing programs in American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Latino Studies. This entails: (1) obtaining from the EFF Executive Director the faculty teaching load and course details, and communicating directly with faculty at the Center and non-affiliated faculty who teach related courses to determine the faculty-preferences by semester and per academic year; (2) soliciting draft course offerings for the program; (3) identifying issues or gaps in course offerings that might present a barrier to students attaining a minor in the NAI program; developing recommendations to address concerns or curricular problems that may arise; presenting draft plans and suggestions to the NAI Program Director and EFF Executive Director; engaging in discussion and the approval process to implement solutions when applicable; (4) assisting the NAI Program Director and EFF Executive Director with possible hiring processes for visiting lecturers, as needed; and (5) identifying and conceiving best practices to streamline each year's process for continuous improvement.

Student Support 

The Program Coordinator will advise students (both prospective and declared) in the NAI minor on course requirements; maintain accurate student records; escalate concerns to the NAI Program Director and/or EFF Executive Director, as appropriate; in coordination with other EFF program coordinators, determine best practices and implement improvements to efficiently track requirements. Communicates with students and with advisors about upcoming relevant courses. The Program Coordinator will also support activities related to student and/or faculty activities and events that strive to build and maintain community among students enrolled in the NAI minor.

Communications and Events

The Program Coordinator will assist in planning and executing NAI program events, and select EFF events, as needed, including room reservations and speaker travel, etc.; and arrange post-event refreshments or meals, when applicable. The Program Coordinator will also be expected to initiate NAI communications, including course publicity and event promotion via email and on the NAI Program website (updating on a timely basis).

Director Support and Special Projects

The Program Coordinator will be expected to support the NAI Program Director with programming and related projects, as needed.  This includes detailing standard operating procedures for other staff to assist with the new academic management process, assisting in brainstorming and developing the NAI Program Director's initiatives in keeping with the mission of EFF. The Program Coordinator will also support the Executive Director with special projects in support of EFF and the NAI minor.

Purchasing and Expense Tracking

The Program Coordinator will receive spending plans for course support and events management each semester and be expected to purchase materials according to those estimates, alerting supervisors when quotes exceed the budgeted amounts per course or per project.  The Program Coordinator will also submit monthly expense reports via Concur (a cloud-based platform for integrated travel, expense, and invoice management) using assigned chartstrings (financial codes), review Prime Reports monthly, assess spending plans, and determine if a change in plans is needed, and communicating the results of assessments and updates to supervisors.

Team Collaboration and Other Duties

Because the EFF staff is a collaborative team, the Program Coordinator will be expected to attend regular staff meetings, participate in mounting major EFF events, and support EFF peers, when needed. The Program Coordinator will follow University procedures in managing funds (e.g., making allowable purchases, submitting expense reports on time, etc.) and may be asked to perform other duties assigned by the EFF Chair, NAI Program Director, or EFF Executive Director.

Essential Education

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Essential Work Experience

• 3+ years

Essential Qualifications

• detail-oriented and highly organized
• ability to meet deadlines, work in a fast-paced and evolving environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• demonstrated ability to seek input and communicate with multiple parties
• proven project management skills
• strong interpersonal and communication skills
• previous experience creating and managing a budget, including expense-tracking and submitting expenses, and reconciliation
• confidence in raising concerns, making recommendations and decisions, and problem-solving with adequate time and under pressure
• ability to work independently and as part of a team
• discretion with confidential information

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, Experience

• prior experience in a university setting
• prior experience with university systems, CIS Workspace, Interfolio, Peoplesoft, Concur
• prior experience with project management
• prior experience with event planning and procurement
• prior experience managing expenses

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.