Transition Program Coordinator (Hybrid) 12 Month Appointment

McMaster University; Hamilton; Hybrid; CAD 48,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business seeks a Transition Program Coordinator to lead retention and onboarding for MBA and Specialized Graduate programs. You will design program strategies, coordinate with campus partners, and ensure new students access needed resources for a successful transition.

The role includes developing workshops, managing events, and analyzing admissions data to guide recruitment and enrollment targets, with a focus on international students in partnership

Qualifications

• CRM experience and ability to build and execute recruitment campaigns within CRM systems.
• Experience designing and delivering transition programs for graduate students or similar populations.
• Strong data collection, analysis and reporting capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead retention and onboarding strategy for MBA and Specialized Graduate programs.
• Design and deliver transition programming, workshops and events for incoming students.
• Collaborate with housing, funding and student support services to ensure resources for new students.
• Support CRM-driven communications and applicant engagement.
• Monitor admissions data to track enrollment progress and inform strategies.
• Provide support for international students navigating study permits with McMaster Immigration team.

Skills

CRM experience

Data analysis

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Dynamics 365 CRM

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

Regular/Temporary

Temporary

Location

Ron Joyce Centre

Open Date

2026/09/15

Job Type

Limited Term (>12 months)

Close Date

2026/09/30

Employee Group

Unifor Unit 1, Staff

Favorite Job

Department

DSB Grad Programs

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Salary Grade/Band

Grade 9

Salary Range

$34.99 - $49.20 (hourly)

Job Code

JD0675

Existing Vacancy

Yes - Backfilling as Existing

Contract Duration

12.3 Months

Target Number of Openings

1

35

Schedule Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm (Hybrid schedule)

Education Level Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study.

Career Level Requires 3 years of relevant experience.

The Transition Program Coordinator leads the retention and onboarding strategy for all MBA and Specialized Graduate programs at the DeGroote School of Business, Reporting to the Manager, MBA Student Recruitment and Admissions and the Manager, Specialized Graduate Student Recruitment and Admissions. The Transition Program Coordinator plays a key role in the strategic development and operationalization of initiatives that support admitted students through program enrollment. This role is responsible for designing and executing retention initiatives, including event planning and programming that engage admitted students throughout the decision and onboarding process. The Transition Program Coordinator works closely with internal campus partners and external organizations, including housing, funding, and student support services—to ensure incoming students have access to the resources required for a successful transition to graduate study. The Transition Program Coordinator also supports CRM-driven communications and outreach strategies to support applicant engagement and conversion. A strong analytical component of the role involves conducting complex data collection and analysis, running database queries, and monitoring admissions data to track progress toward enrollment targets. This includes identifying multi-year trends in applicant profiles and using insights to inform recruitment and retention strategies. In addition, the Transition Program Coordinator provides dedicated support for incoming international students navigating the study permit process, working in partnership with the McMaster Immigration team to ensure timely guidance and compliance with immigration requirements.

Job Summary:

Responsible for the development and delivery of programs and services to assist students in areas of transition, skills development, knowledge acquisition, and experiential learning for the purpose of achieving academic success and enhancing the student experience. Builds strategic alliances with faculty, staff and the greater community to create a culture of collaboration and partnership in ensuring student success. Areas of focus include student development with a particular emphasis on the transition process for new students and their families, pre-arrival orientation programs, community engagement and transition support throughout a student’s first year. Creates shared institutional support programs for new students by developing collaborative partnerships within the University.

Purpose and Key Functions:

• Assess students’ academic and personal stage of development to inform on appropriate strategies and developmental tasks to promote growth and skill building.


• Design, implement, and evaluate transition programming for incoming first year students.


• Support the enrolment management efforts of the University with an emphasis placed on the transition process for new students and their families.


• Design and deliver workshops and presentations based on research, sound methodology and an understanding of student experiences and needs in response to faculty and student requests.


• Design and implement evaluation strategies such as surveys, focus groups, and rubrics to measure program outcomes and effectiveness.


• Develop an effective and efficient program delivery strategy such as student-based models, seminars, workshops, and online resources that serve to optimize resources and service capacity.


• Direct effective marketing and promotion of the program to target students in need of services.


• Initiate collaborations and partnerships using a multi-departmental team approach in support of an integrated approach to providing services and promoting a shared approach for student success.


• Conduct proper needs assessment to assess areas of student needs and wants to promote academic success and personal growth and development.


• Analyze and interpret data for purposes of evaluating results, communicating with partners and stakeholders, and informing future planning.


• Act as a resource expert to the campus community on issues related to student development and transition.


• Refer students to appropriate resources, information and services across the University.


• Write and deliver instructional and training materials for presentation in print and on-line formats.


• Develop relevant and quality resource information for the website and social networks.


• Determine appropriate information for students to be included on the departmental website and ensure information is correct and up to date.


• Seek financial sponsorship for orientation programs.


• Implement and maintain program budgets.


• Monitor and report on program expenditures and provide financial projections and adjustments.


• Provide recommendations on the financial and human resources required to support the strategy.


• Establish work priorities and schedule the necessary resources.


• Deal sensitively, responsibly and calmly with students who present with serious medical, social, and psychological issues, and refer to appropriate care.


• Cultivate and maintain relationships with campus partners and build partnerships with various stakeholders across the University and the greater community.


• Update, maintain and verify database information for program participation for the purpose of program review and reporting.


• Participate on related committees and working groups to promote the work of the Student Success Centre.


• Research best practices in service delivery and resources available by conducting regular scans of literature, attending conferences, and reviewing other institutional websites.


• Update and maintain detailed knowledge of information about student development theory, enrolment management, campus environments, and community development required to develop the appropriate programs and services to assist students.

Supervision:

• Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time.

Assets:

• Flexibility in terms of work hours and availability to travel inside of Canada is required.


• Must be able to work evenings and weekends on a flexible schedule.


• Experience in managing and working with a CRM and building and executing marketing and student recruitment campaigns within the CRM, specifically Dynamics365.


• Experience in market research (establishing and remaining current with market trends).


• Project Management Skills.


• Leadership Skills: the ability to motivate and guide a team effectively.


• Experience working with diverse populations and an understanding of their needs.


• Strong networking and relationship-building skills.


• Public Speaking Skills.


• Exceptional technical skills, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and advanced Excel, and the ability to analyze and summarize complex data sets.


• The incumbent will be a dynamic self-starter, who can work independently as well as provide leadership within the team.

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Interview Experience

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to [e-mail] or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.

AI Statement

McMaster and its third-party partners may use AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants during the hiring process. Please note that currently our recruitment platform does not use AI nor is it part of our current recommended recruitment process.