Director, Graduate Strategic Programs & Services

Director, Graduate Strategic Programs & Services

Texas A&M University

Graduate And Professional School

College Station, Texas

Staff

Commensurate

The Graduate and Professional School is seeking a Director who will provide strategic leadership and direction for operations related to Interdisciplinary Degree Programs (IDPs), College annual funding, fellowships, scholarships, awards, and Graduate Assistantship guidelines. We are looking for an experienced and detail-oriented professional who will set policies and procedures that align with the Dean's strategic vision while ensuring compliance with university rules and regulations. The successful candidate will supervise assigned support staff, including a dotted-line finance position, and will engage daily with the graduate and professional campus community. This position reports directly to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School and will serve on the Leadership Team for the Graduate and Professional School.

Salary Range: Commensurate

Cover Letter & Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, program management, budget administration, business operations, or a closely related field

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or higher in Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, Leadership, or a relevant discipline
• Demonstrated experience in university-level scholarship and fellowship administration
• Knowledge of Texas A&M University procedures, funding structures, and administrative processes, especially regarding graduate education and funding
• Prior experience serving on or supporting university committees and cross-unit collaborations
• Experience with budget oversight, financial forecasting, and compliance in a university environment
• Experience supervising professional staff in a complex organizational environment
• Experience in strategic planning, financial reporting, data analysis, and assessment within a university setting
• A degree in Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, Management, or related field strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of university-level administrative practices, budget management, financial analysis, and reporting
• Understanding of graduate assistantship requirements, human resources processes, and fellowship, scholarship, and grant administration
• Demonstrated leadership, management, and supervisory skills, including the ability to coach, develop, and hold staff accountable
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, strategic planning, and decision-making abilities
• Ability to effectively build relationships, negotiate, resolve conflicts, and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders
• Advanced written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills, including public speaking and professional report writing
• Capacity to exercise sound discretion, manage competing priorities, and make complex decisions independently
• Ability to oversee multiple projects while maintaining high standards of accuracy, timeliness, and compliance
• Skill in interpreting and applying complex policies, regulations, and guidelines
• Professionalism and effectiveness in representing leadership in university and external forums
• Familiarity with Texas A&M University accounting and business services systems and software, including—but not limited to—FAMIS (Financial Accounting Management Information System), AggieBuy, Concur, Workday, Maestro, Laserfiche, Canopy, and SSO (Single Sign-On)

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership for departmental functions to include strategy, planning, and evaluating programs serving the university community
• Directs the calculation, distribution, and reporting of College/IDP annual allocations in collaboration with the Division of Finance & Business Services
• Provides administrative oversight on dissemination of funding and information for Grad School facilitated university level fellowships, awards, and external fellowships where the Grad School is the PI Directs, supervises, and facilitates annual distribution of Grad School T&F, scholarships/top-off, and stipend payments, and insurance reimbursements; GREAT Program commitments; and Research and Presentation Travel Award reimbursements
• Directs and facilitates Grad School sponsored travel for programs such as CASE, Lindau, and GYSS.
• Serves as an Alternate Coordinating Official for National Science Foundation GRFP
• Serves as a University Coordinator for Department of Energy Fellowships managed by Krell Institute including CSGF, NNSA SSGF, NNSA LRGF

Grad School Leadership and Strategic Planning

• Serves as a member of the Grad School senior leadership team
• Responds to inquiries as delegated by the Associate Provost and Dean
• Uses executive level discretion to resolve issues
• Employs, coaches, develops, and sets performance standards and accountabilities for direct reports
• Leads the development of short-term and long-term departmental goals and objectives and the development and oversight of communications, promotions, and public relations for the unit
• Ensures resources are properly allocated, and activities and communication with graduate students/staff/faculty/admin comply with program guidelines
• Represents the Associate Provost and Dean on committees such as the University Scholarship Committee and SHIAC

Grad School Budgets and Reporting

• Provides effective budget management for Grad School operations in collaboration with AABS
• Develops, directs, and evaluates Grad School financial commitments for ongoing and new multi-year initiatives/projects
• Serves as the departmental liaison with AABS and may represents the Associate Provost and Dean in monthly meetings with AABS to review account balances, transactions, or budgetary concerns and strategy
• Oversees the collection of data for the timely completion of required reports such as the HEEP Foundation Annual Report, Foundation Impact Narratives, AFS Fund Usage Reports, GREAT Program, and Bush Foundation Travel Award

Grad Employment Business Processes

• Serves as a liaison with the university community regarding Graduate Assistantship requirements, oversees and directs Graduate Assistantship tuition waivers processed by the Grad School, Reviews IAWL requests on behalf of the Associate Provost and Dean
• Liaise with HROE, AgriLife HR and Engineering HR on Grad Employment matters
• Facilitate collaboration with key stakeholders to promote and provide exceptional customer service, and to ensure successful dissemination of graduate assistantship related guidelines

Institutional and Operational Support

• Completes faculty administrative appointment letters on behalf of the Associate Provost and Dean Participates in events such as NGSO, Commencement, Community of Scholars
• Responsible for annual reviews of web page, grad catalog, grad advisor handbook, & GOC Deans handbook content related to graduate student funding and graduate employment / assistantships

Texas A&M University's Graduate and Professional School strives to enhance graduate experiences and development of all students, personally and professionally, foster and facilitate interdisciplinary intercollegiate graduate programs and research activities, as well as provide the highest quality support for services to advance creative scholarship and scientific inquiry. Our vision to achieve recognition as a leader in support of graduate education through innovation, exceptional service and commitment to excellence.

We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration. Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you. Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee