Academic Program Administrator

Rice University; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 57,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Rice University is seeking an Academic Program Administrator in the Chemistry department to manage faculty affairs and act as the operational link across the academic life cycle.

You will oversee recruitment, onboarding, reappointments, promotion and tenure, and offboarding processes, ensuring policy compliance and timely completion while coordinating with the Dean’s Office and central academic personnel teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; additional related experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis.
• 2+ years of related experience required; additional education may substitute on a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

• Administers day-to-day operations for faculty affairs under supervision.
• Develops and delivers ad hoc reports to support business needs.
• Coordinates recruitment, onboarding, appointments, P&T, and offboarding processes.
• Serves as a resource on faculty policies, procedures, and deadlines for compliance.
• Prepares and maintains faculty records and dossiers.
• Coordinates with Dean's Office and central offices to support personnel processes.
• Monitors deadlines and ensures timely, accurate actions.
• Provides administrative support to faculty and leadership.

Skills

Learn new strategies

Written communication

Data analysis

Multi-project management

Organizational skills

MS Office

Independent and team work

Attention to detail

Program partnership development

Budget basics

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Department of Chemistry is seeking a collaborative, detail-oriented Academic Program Administrator to manage day-to-day faculty affairs and serve as a key operational link across the academic life cycle. Reporting directly to the Senior Administrator for Chemistry and collaborating closely with the Dean’s Office, you will manage end-to-end faculty administrative processes, acting as a departmental subject matter expert on recruitment, onboarding, reappointments, promotion and tenure (P&T), and faculty offboarding. In this role, you will bridge departmental priorities with institutional requirements, ensuring seamless execution, strict policy compliance, and a highly organized administrative foundation for our faculty.

Position Summary

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Department of Chemistry is seeking a collaborative, detail-oriented Academic Program Administrator to manage day-to-day faculty affairs and serve as a key operational link across the academic life cycle. Reporting directly to the Senior Administrator for Chemistry and collaborating closely with the Dean’s Office, you will manage end-to-end faculty administrative processes, acting as a departmental subject matter expert on recruitment, onboarding, reappointments, promotion and tenure (P&T), and faculty offboarding. In this role, you will bridge departmental priorities with institutional requirements, ensuring seamless execution, strict policy compliance, and a highly organized administrative foundation for our faculty.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate is an agile, proactive administrative professional and collaborative partner who thrives at the intersection of higher education policy and faculty support. You bring proven experience navigating academic personnel workflows, specifically promotion and tenure (P&T), faculty recruitment, and appointments, and excel at coordinating closely with cross-functional leadership, including the Dean’s Office and central academic personnel teams. Guided by the Senior Department Administrator, you anticipate departmental deadlines and communicate with high levels of diplomacy, discretion, and accuracy. Whether assembling intricate promotion dossiers according to school and university standards or executing a multi-step onboarding plan for a new faculty member, you balance operational rigor with a service-oriented approach that strengthens the Department of Chemistry’s academic community.

Workplace Location

This is an on-site position, Monday through Friday, during normal business hours, with the potential for one remote workday. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

$56,560-$63,000 annually

• Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• Two or more (2+) years of related experience
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills

• Ability to learn new strategies
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Data analysis skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet deadlines and schedules
• Attention to detail
• Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources
• Basic knowledge of budget management and financial planning

Essential Functions

• Administers the day-to-day operations and administrative processes related to faculty affairs under the guidance of the Senior Department Administrator.
• Develops and delivers ad hoc reports as assigned to support business needs.
• Coordinates faculty recruitment, appointments, onboarding, reappointments, promotion and tenure, and offboarding processes.
• Serves as a departmental resource on faculty-related policies, procedures, and deadlines and helps ensure compliance with university and school requirements.
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains faculty records, appointment materials, promotion and tenure dossiers, and other required documentation.
• Coordinates with faculty, department leadership, the Dean's Office, and central university offices to support faculty personnel processes.
• Monitors deadlines and manages multiple faculty-related processes to ensure materials and actions are completed accurately and on time.
• Provides administrative support to faculty and department leadership and responds to questions related to faculty affairs and academic personnel processes.
• Assists with the development and improvement of departmental processes, procedures, and documentation related to faculty affairs.
• Maintains confidential information and handles sensitive faculty matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Rice University HR

| Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/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 [e-mail] for support.

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