Assistant Director (5157C) - Mechanical Engineering #89261

University of California; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of California, Berkeley's Department of Mechanical Engineering seeks an Assistant Director to provide advanced student advising and manage program administration for ME and AE. The role supports scheduling, enrollment, funding, and student services.

The First Review Date is October 16, 2026. The budgeted salary range is $76,230 to $103,554 annually. This exempt, full-time position offers UC benefits and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Advising undergraduate and graduate students and staff.
• Administer complex programs and policies.
• Analyze enrollment, funding, scheduling data.
• Develop policy and workflow improvements.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced student advising across ME and AE.
• Oversee ASE hiring and documentation.
• Lead admissions processing and recruitment strategies.
• Assist course scheduling, enrollment, and curriculum ops.
• Utilize data analytics to monitor trends and reports.
• Create SOPs and ensure operational continuity.
• Support budgeting, funding, and student services.
• Counsel on career readiness and opportunities.

Skills

Advising

Program Administration

Data Analysis

Process Improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Assistant Director (5157C) - Mechanical Engineering #89261

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is a large academic department within the College of Engineering. Academic positions include around 38 tenure track faculty, 1 adjunct professor, 4 professors of the Graduate School, 6 Joint Professors and approximately 4 temporary instructors and, 100+ visiting scholars and post-doctoral fellows and 23 career staff.

The department serves approximately 380 graduate and 1,039 Mechanical Engineering undergraduate students, and approximately 220 Aerospace Engineering undergraduate students. The Aerospace Engineering program is a college-wide initiative currently housed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, sharing administrative services (including student services) with the Department.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is actively engaged in teaching and research in the disciplines of Biomechanical Engineering, Controls, Design, Dynamics, Energy Science and Technology, Fluids, Manufacturing Materials, Mechanics, MEMS and Nano, Ocean Engineering, Robotics, and Aerospace Engineering with research and instructional laboratories in Etcheverry Hall, Hesse Hall, and the Richmond Field Station.

The Departments mission is to provide high-quality instruction at all levels, prepare undergraduate and graduate students for leadership in the profession, perform high-impact research, and serve the campus, the State and the nation.

Position Summary

The Assistant Director, Mechanical Engineering provides advanced student advising and program administration across undergraduate and graduate programs administered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, including Aerospace Engineering (AE), as assigned based on departmental needs. This position also administers key instructional support processes and contributes to data-informed improvements in scheduling, enrollment, funding and student services operations.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: October 16, 2026

For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Student Advising, Program Administration, and Policy - 30%

• Applies advanced student services concepts to provide academic and administrative guidance for undergraduate and graduate students across Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering (AE), addressing degree progress, enrollment, funding, petitions, and academic standing.
• Interprets and communicate complex University, College, Graduate Division, and departmental policies to students and staff, seamlessly referring individuals to central campus resources when matters exceed departmental scope.
• Navigates high-sensitivity issues, such as alleged discrimination, complex grade disputes, and personal crises, by directing them to appropriate channels and evaluating multi-departmental petition exceptions.
• Advises faculty and department leadership on complex student cases, policy compliance, and programmatic decisions.
• Identifies systemic student-service bottlenecks, recommend policy or workflow enhancements, and support the implementation of clear, equitable, and consistent departmental practices.
• Analyzes the operational impact of College and departmental academic policies, advising faculty and college management on policy formulation, clarification, and structural enhancements.
• Develop proactive solutions and policy recommendations to address complex, unprecedented organizational challenges.
• Plans and implements complex, high-visibility departmental events, such as student orientations, and professional development workshops, to support degree progress, community engagement, and student success across Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering programs.
• Counsels students on post-degree employment opportunities, industry trends, and career readiness practices.

Academic Student Employee (ASE) Hiring - 20%

• Oversees the full recruitment and hiring lifecycle for Academic Student Employees (ASEs), including but not limited to Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs), across Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering instructional programs.
• Partners with faculty, department leadership, student services, and campus entities to determine staffing needs, verify appointment eligibility, establish workload percentages, finalize funding, and track required documentation.
• Maintains precise hiring records and monitor critical timelines while ensuring all appointments comply with university policies, departmental standards, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Analyzes appointment and instructional-support data to advise department leadership on teaching assistantship allocations, budget planning, and future instructional needs.
• Identifies and implement administrative improvements to enhance accuracy, transparency, efficiency, and operational continuity across academic hiring cycles.

Strategic Admissions and Recruitment - 20%

• Oversees full-lifecycle admissions processing, including application reviews, committee support, applicant communications, recruitment events, and seamless onboarding for incoming students.
• Develops, executes, and evaluates comprehensive graduate recruitment strategies to attract top-tier applicants and hit enrollment targets.
• Utilizes data analysis to identify target institutions, assess recruitment outcomes, and advise departmental leadership and faculty on outreach strategy.
• Collaborates closely with the Berkeley International Office (BIO) to support incoming and current international students, guiding them on departmental requirements and facilitating referrals to BIO for visa and immigration compliance.

Course Scheduling, Enrollment & Curriculum Operations - 15%

• Assists and serves as designated backup and operational support for Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering course scheduling and enrollment, including managing room requests, section configurations, waitlists, seat reservations, crosslisted courses, and concurrent enrollment requests.
• Facilitates new course proposals and curriculum modifications through coordination with College Policy partners and the Academic Senate.
• Partners with departmental leadership (Vice Chair for Instruction, Primary Scheduler) to modernize scheduling and administrative workflows.
• Utilizes data analytics, automation, and policy-compliant AI tools to assess enrollment trends, support degree progress monitoring, optimize ASE recordkeeping, and reduce manual administrative workload.
• Creates and maintains comprehensive documentation, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and shared tracking tools to ensure seamless backup coverage and operational continuity across hiring and academic cycles.
• Proactively requests, collects, and organizes end-of-term course evaluations, making them available to the Academic Personnel (AP) team and Department Chair to support faculty merit and promotion cases.
• Administers block grants, restricted funds, departmental fellowships, scholarships, and awards, including managing application coordination, budget tracking, award disbursement, and committee facilitation.
• Resolves complex financial issues, advise students on internal and external funding opportunities, and provide support for overall student funding.
• Leverages CalAnswers to analyze chartstrings, generate financial reports, and guide leadership and faculty on funding allocation strategies and award administration.

Professional Development and Department/College Service - 5%

• Engages in ongoing professional development to expand expertise in student services, graduate education, Academic Student Employee (ASE) administration, scheduling systems, data analytics, and emerging administrative technologies.
• Represents the department across departmental, College, campus-wide, and professional committees, working groups, and training programs.
• Maintains up-to-date working knowledge of evolving University policies, administrative systems, operational practices, and compliance standards.
• Performs other related duties and special projects as assigned to support changing departmental needs.

Required Qualifications

• Advising
• Program Administration / Program Management
• Data Analysis and Reporting
• Process improvement and operational planning

Preferred Qualifications

• Course scheduling and enrollment administration
• Academic Student Employee administration
• Knowledge of student information systems and related administrative tools and/or the ability to learn
• Ability to use emerging technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to support analysis, workflow improvement, and decision-making

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $76,230.00 - $103,554.00 yearly.

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• This position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement between UAW (United Auto Workers) and the University of California Regents for SV.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

“Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.