Program Manager, Operations

Stanford University; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Career Management Center seeks a Program Manager, Operations to oversee daily operations, coordinate communications with alumni, employers, and students, and represent the CMC in internal and external settings.

The role requires organizing schedules, managing front desk presence during core hours, processing employer requests, and ensuring accurate data reporting and budgeting in line with university policies.

Qualifications

• Minimum bachelor’s degree with three years of relevant experience.
• Experience in university admin or project coordination is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Represent the CMC to internal and external stakeholders.
• Administer day-to-day activities of the department.
• Manage scheduling, calendars, and meetings.
• Coordinate events and liaise with vendors.
• Prepare staff expense reports and manage financial transactions.
• Maintain department website and resources.
• Support data analysis, reporting and outcomes.
• Apply ethical AI and maintain policies.

Skills

Prioritization

Organizational skills

Initiative

Communication (written and oral)

Judgment and decision-making

Teamwork and collaboration

Policy/process improvement

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) has built a global reputation based on its immersive and innovative management programs. We provide students a transformative leadership experience, pushing the boundaries of knowledge with faculty research, and offering a portfolio of entrepreneurial and non‑degree programs that deliver global impact. We invite you to be part of our mission of developing innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change lives, change organizations, and change the world.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business Career Management Center (CMC) is an innovative, high‑performing department that annually serves 850 MBA students, 85 MSx students, and more than 32,000 alumni. The department develops and delivers world‑class career services, including workshops, 1:1 coaching, and online resources, and develops and maintains strategic relationships with employers and alumni to support student and alumni career objectives.

The CMC seeks a Program Manager, Operations to represent the CMC to internal and external stakeholders and to administer activities of the department.

Duties Unique to the Role

• Monitor, evaluate, resolve, and write, reply or refer to another team member all inbound communication as determined appropriate to the CMC from alumni, employers, students and other stakeholders.
• Manage inbound alumni coaching appointment scheduling requests, matching with appropriate coaches.
• Manage process of scheduling MBA career advisor appointment calendars.
• Maintain a consistent presence at the CMC front desk during weekday core business hours (Monday - Friday, 9am - 3pm), welcoming students who come to the department.
• Evaluate and approve (or decline) new employer requests and job listings to internal jobs platform. Post approved listings, demonstrating judgment to align listing with proper industry segment and function.
• Process reported student career outcomes, screening for accuracy and completeness, and applying judgment when outcome does not align with reporting rubric.
• Prepare staff expense reports and oversee other financial transactions, following University expense reporting process and operating in accordance with University policy.
• Manage and maintain internal department website, keeping resources and policy references current.
• Perform duties associated with scheduling, organizing, meetings and events, which could include arranging services with vendors, overseeing the production and distribution of materials, administering event logistics, and managing events to remain within budget.
• Assist with general administrative duties to support the overarching goals of the department. This could include ordering supplies, composing and drafting documents, printing name tags, and creating handouts for presentations.
• Perform editing and fact‑checking. Create, maintain, modify, and/or ensure accuracy of content in various documents and process instructions.
• Continually evaluate department processes, and make recommendations for improvement where needed.
• Leverage AI ethically and appropriately, adhering to university policies.
• Demonstrate critical thinking and good judgment across all responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Core Duties

• Independently implement, administer and evaluate day‑to‑dayactivities of the unit, function or program by identifying and executingtasks and objectives, making recommendations that impact policies andprograms, and assigning resources to achieve the goals of theprogram.
• Collect and analyze data, create reports, review and explaintrends; formulate and evaluate alternative solutions and/orrecommendations to achieve the goals of the program orfunction.
• Analyze and interpret policies; develop, revise and implementprocedures for program or function.
• Represent the program or function as the key contact and subjectmatter expert within the department, unit or school. Commit resourcesand provide information and/or training. May also represent the programor function to external/internal stakeholders andconsituencies.
• Organize and/or participate in outreach activities that mayinclude developing communications and training, planning/promotingevents and/or conferences.
• May participate in development of budgets, monitor, and approveexpenditures. May perform limited forecasting and providerecommendations that determine the budget.
• May direct staff to perform various tasks and assignments. Mayalso supervise staff.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience, orcombination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize own work and multi‑task.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and ownership of projects.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and inwriting.
• Ability to routinely and independently exercise sound judgment in making decisions.
• Demonstrated experience working independently and as part of a team.
• Relevant subject matter knowledge.
• Ability to direct the work of others, for jobs requiringsupervision.