Job Description

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Note: Final salary will be determined based on the education and experience of the selected candidate with the potential for a higher salary for exceptionally qualified individuals.

Job Summary

The Physics Department in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is excited to announce an opening for a Student Administration Manager. This is an exciting opportunity to join a supportive and welcoming team of professionals who are passionate about their work in an environment that prioritizes individual professional growth. 

We seek an individual capable of continuing our history of excellence and supporting our strategic initiatives, someone with a track record as an exceptional and inspiring manager and a highly competent student services professional. They will have extensive knowledge of student services within an academic department, and a commitment to actively promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in their daily work. 

The successful candidate will demonstrate a record of successful strategic planning and decision making. They will demonstrate a mix of discretion, emotional intelligence, leadership, and the ability to work effectively and empathetically with a diverse group of people. They will be professionally adept, technically skilled, efficient, well-organized, and perceptive when addressing senior leaders' needs. They will demonstrate original thinking, a willingness to seek out opportunities to improve processes, and an interest in developing new skills. We require someone with the proven ability to exercise a positive service-oriented attitude, exercise solid judgment, and handle challenging situations with tact and diplomacy. 

The Student Administration Manager reports to the Chief Administrator, Chris Gale.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Who We Are

The Physics Department traces its origins back to 1888 and has a proud history of world-leading physics education and research. The department is home to 135 Ph.D. students and 146 undergraduate majors. The department also provides introductory physics courses to approximately 8,000 engineering and health science students each year.

The Physics Department's mission is to enhance the goals and ideals of the university by providing an incisive and enriching education for our students, by making lasting contributions at the forefront of human understanding, and by communicating the excitement of scientific discovery to our fellow citizens. To learn more, please visit: https://lsa.umich.edu/physics. To learn more about our DEI initiatives, please visit: https://lsa.umich.edu/physics/physics-dei.html.

Responsibilities*

Supervise staff
As the manager, you will: recruit, hire, onboard, assign work, supervise, provide training, and coordinate schedules for three full-time staff members; assess and align staffing levels with service needs; mentor employees, set clear work expectations, and provide feedback on their work; hold regular one-on-one and team meetings; conduct performance reviews; make salary recommendations; and offer opportunities for professional growth.

Be a leader
As a department leader, you will help foster a team-oriented, diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture among the student services staff and the entire department; develop and maintain effective relationships with department leadership; partner with the Chief Administrator, Chair, and Associate Chairs for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs to develop and implement strategic initiatives to improve the quality of our students' academic and co-curricular experiences. 

The Student Services Manager assists and provides backup coverage for the Chief Administrator.

Oversee Student Services Operations
The Physics Student Services Office manages a high volume of activity, with an emphasis on providing exceptional customer service for students, faculty, staff, and the broader U-M community. 

As the manager, you will oversee the work of the staff responsible for all student services operations within the department. This includes: creating and maintaining the time schedule and registration; coordinating graduate and undergraduate course offerings and curriculum; tracking faculty teaching assignments; delivering major and minor advising; managing financial aid as well as GSI and GSRA appointments; hosting graduations and recruiting events; updating student services website content; and ensuring the staffing of the Physics Help Room. 

You will develop and implement procedures to enhance support for instructional activities. Additionally, you will hold ex officio membership on the department's Curriculum Committee and provide guidance to faculty and staff on LSA and Rackham instructional and academic administrative policies.

Manage student-related funding
You will oversee the general and gift funds that support our students in accordance with relevant policies and donor's intent. You will work with the department's Business Analyst to forecast financial resources for student support. You will also collaborate with the Physics student groups as they set and manage their yearly budgets.

Build community and conduct student outreach
You will build and maintain positive working relationships with all stakeholders, support and advance the department's DEI initiatives, and represent the department to LSA, the Rackham Graduate School, and the broader U-M community. You will ensure the department remains active in the student services oriented common interest groups in LSA and Rackham (e.g., LUGS and LGRAD). The manager will create connections with and offer support to the department's student organizations.

Act as the primary point of contact for individual student concerns and grade grievances.

Required Qualifications*

Candidates must have a bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and/or experience. The position requires prior experience working in an academic department in a role that provides administrative support for instructional activities and prior experience supervising professional staff. 

We expect candidates to demonstrate strong organizational skills; well-developed communication and interpersonal skills, including written communication; superior attention to detail; and a working knowledge of issues and concepts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Candidates must be able to demonstrate they have the ability to embrace a creative and collaborative approach to work.

Because much of our work now moves through digital environments, we require a high level of proficiency with a variety of applications including web-based databases, spreadsheets, presentation software, and word processing. In particular, we seek expertise in all Google applications, Microsoft Suite software, Adobe Acrobat, and Google applications.

Work Schedule

This is a full-time, year-round position with a somewhat flexible schedule. This position requires regular on-campus work. During the academic year, the Student Administration Manager works a hybrid schedule with the option of working remotely for up to two days per week. The period from mid-May to mid-August allows for more flexibility at the discretion of the Chief Administrator.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

The salary range for this position is $78,000 to $87,700. Please note a higher salary may be offered based on equity and the selected candidate's experience.

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitments to serve the diverse people of Michigan, fulfill the College's Guiding Principles, and sustain the excellence of LSA. Visit https://lsa.umich.edu/ to learn more.

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei.

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

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