RCEL Program Administrator IV

Special Instructions to Applicants: interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues."

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing:

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment. We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary:

The Program Administrator IV provides senior-level administrative and operational leadership for the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership. Reporting to the center executive director, this position serves as the center's primary administrative lead, ensuring that RCEL's academic programs, admissions cycles, student-facing activities, summer programs, events, communications, and stakeholder engagement efforts are supported by effective systems, clear processes, and strong day-to-day coordination.

This role is responsible for understanding the full operating cycle of the center and helping translate evolving program priorities into organized administrative execution. The position requires independent judgment, proactive planning, and the ability to anticipate upcoming needs, align resources, and manage competing priorities across multiple program areas. The Program Administrator IV also provides direct supervision for administrative staff and administrative line management for teaching assistants, while coordinating closely with faculty, staff, students, industry professionals, and corporate partners to ensure RCEL's operations are responsive, accurate, and professionally managed.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is a confident, service-oriented administrative leader who brings structure, follow-through, and sound judgment to a complex program environment. They will be comfortable working independently, making decisions in a fast-moving setting, communicating proactively with leadership, and building strong working relationships with students, faculty, staff, industry professionals, and corporate partners.

Workplace Requirements: This position is offered as an in-person role, requiring all work to be performed on the Rice University Campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $65,000 - $70,000 annually

• Exempt salaried positions are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree

• In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

• Three or more (3+) years experience managing complex administrative or program operations in a higher education, academic center, student program, or similarly complex environment.

• In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills:

• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Strong verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem solving, creating contingency plans and handling issues when necessary
• Strong client service orientation and attention to detail
• Ability to develop complex or multiple program partnerships and funding sources
• Knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans

Preferences:

• Experience supporting academic programs, student services, admissions, or related program operations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, events, and communications at the same time.
• Experience supervising or coordinating the work of staff, students, teaching assistants, or similar support roles.
• Strong judgment and ability to work effectively with leadership, faculty, students, and external partners.
• Experience improving processes, documentation, tracking systems, or other administrative workflows.

Essential Functions:

• Provides administrative and operational support for RCEL's undergraduate, graduate, summer, and related program activities, including events, communications, timelines, and logistics.
• Coordinates the administrative lifecycle for RCEL undergraduate and graduate admissions and summer programming, including application intake, applicant communications, admit processing, and admissions and scholarship offer communications.
• Oversees course and program coordination, including scheduling, space planning, program calendars, materials, and related administrative follow-through.
• Plans and coordinates RCEL events and activities, including information sessions, seminars, corporate partner events, student competitions, summer camps, and orientation-related programming.
• Supervises one staff member and provides administrative line management for teaching assistants, coordinating with faculty and program leads regarding program needs, schedules, expectations, and administrative requirements.
• Develops, maintains, and improves administrative processes, documentation, tracking tools, and workflows to support consistent program operations and timely execution.
• Tracks program data, prepares reports, and supports administrative aspects of financial and program planning, including session close-outs, resource tracking, and discussions related to program operations and revenue use.
• Serves as a key administrative liaison for students, faculty, staff, industry professionals, corporate sponsors, and campus partners, ensuring responsive communication and effective coordination across stakeholder groups.
• Collaborates with marketing and communications partners to support program communications, outreach materials, summer camp promotion, orientation communications, and other stakeholder-facing messaging.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Rice University HR | Benefits:

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University's Human Resources Office via email at ... for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at ... . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.