Senior Program Coordinator Hart Leadership Program, Sanford School of Public Policy

Duke PA; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 56,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke University’s Hart Leadership Program within the Sanford School of Public Policy in Durham, NC, invites applications for a Senior Program Coordinator. The role combines program coordination, student advising, and external partnerships to advance leadership education and civic engagement on campus and in communities across North Carolina.

Reporting to the Director, the coordinator will design and manage the Hart Fellowship experience, supervise logistics, track reflections, manage budgets,

Qualifications

• Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.
• Three years of experience in program administration or related activities to plan, coordinate and implement program events.
• Experience in university-community engagement, partnership development, and advising or student-facing roles.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage the Hart Fellowship experience with mentoring for fellows.
• Coordinate recruitment, application, and selection processes.
• Plan and lead retreats, orientations, and monthly seminars for fellows.
• Convene and lead regular staff/faculty meetings and annual program reviews.
• Advise students on project development, community partnerships, budgets, and logistics.
• Assist with Hart Fellowship program budget and manage travel, visas, and stipends.

Skills

Student advising

Partnership development

Public speaking

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Canva

Access

PowerPoint

Google Suite

WordPress

Job description

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Senior Program Coordinator Hart Leadership Program, Sanford School of Public Policy

Work Arrangement: On-Site

Requisition Number: 274359

Regular or Temporary: Regular

Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710

Date: Sep 30, 2026

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Be You. Be Bold. Choose Duke.

Hart Leadership Program | Sanford School of Public Policy

Be You.

At Duke, we celebrate individuality and the unique perspectives that each member of our community brings.

The Hart Leadership Program prepares and inspires undergraduate students to practice the art of leadership in public life. Program offerings include internships, fellowships, and co-curricular leadership projects at Duke, in Durham, and in communities across North Carolina and around the world.

The mission of the Hart Leadership Program (HLP) is to teach Duke undergraduates how to practice ethical leadership by fostering community-based action, research with a civic mission, and collaborative practices that build genuinely public goods.

Reporting to the Director and working closely with staff colleagues and Hart faculty, the Senior Program Coordinator serves as a key member of the Hart Leadership Program team. The position combines program coordination, student advising, community engagement, partnership development, and co-curricular design. Strong candidates will bring passion for each of these areas and an eagerness to help shape the future of the Hart Leadership Program.

The Senior Program Coordinator must be comfortable working both independently and as part of a fast-paced, tightly coordinated team. We seek candidates who are dependable, hardworking, energetic and creative, have excellent people skills, and are thorough and careful in their attention to detail.

Be Bold.

As the Senior Program Coordinator, you will play a critical role in supporting undergraduate leadership development, strengthening community partnerships, and advancing the mission of the Hart Leadership Program.

What You'll Do

Manage the Hart Fellowship Program (50%)

• Working closely with relevant Hart faculty, design and implement all aspects of the Hart Fellowship experience, providing a high level of support and mentoring to fellows while they are in the field.
• Coordinate the recruitment, application, and selection process.
• Plan and lead the Hart Fellows retreat and orientation.
• Plan and lead monthly seminars for fellows and other programming as needed.
• Convene and lead regular team meetings for staff and faculty, including annual program review.
• Advise students on project development, community partner outreach, research design, project budgeting, faculty mentor selection, and placement logistics.
• Supervise logistics, including payment process for student stipends, required forms, travel and visa arrangements, immunizations, housing, insurance, and other items that may arise.
• Track program participants’ written reflections and other assignments.
• Maintain and update program manuals, ensure accurate record keeping and data management.
• Assist with management of the Hart Fellowship program budget in coordination with the Director and Finance Coordinator.
• Represent the program to potential community partners and placement organizations.
• Develop awareness of the fellowship program among Duke campus partners.

Build and Strengthen Community Partnerships (50%)

• Identify, contact, and cultivate relationships with potential community partners whose work aligns with the mission, values, and goals of the Hart Leadership Program.
• Work closely with faculty to map, steward, and deepen existing partnerships.
• Represent the Hart Leadership Program to external partners in Durham, nationally, and globally.
• In close coordination with the Director and other stakeholders, develop and implement near- and medium-term strategies to guide future growth for the Hart Fellowship through partnership development.
• Support colleagues in community partner engagement by facilitating partner meetings and orientations as needed.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.
• This position may supervise work-study students.

What You Bring

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience

Work requires three years of experience in program administration or involving academic, instructional or counseling activities to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate and implement a variety of program activities and events.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate will possess the following qualities and attributes:

• Experience in a student-facing role, preferably in advising or program coordination.
• Experience working with nonprofits, NGOs, public agencies, or community-based organizations.
• Experience in university-community engagement or partnership development.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and project management and implementation skills.
• Superior oral and written communication skills, including confidence in public speaking and writing for a public audience with minimal editing to the highest standards of professionalism.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and internal and external constituents.
• Highly motivated with the ability to work under pressure against multiple deadlines and coordinate multiple simultaneous projects efficiently and effectively.
• An eagerness to find solutions, collaborate with a team, and share both work and credit.
• Abiding interest in the work of the Hart Leadership Program and ability to describe the mission, scope, and values of the program.
• Proficiency in software programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Canva, Access, PowerPoint, Google Suite, and WordPress.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the theory and practice of civic engagement pedagogy, service-learning, community-engaged research, experiential education, and/or leadership development.
• Knowledge of the Duke University community.
• Work is completed on-site at the Sanford School of Public Policy.
• Regular business hours with occasional evenings and weekends.
• Reports to the Hart Leadership Program Director.

Choose Duke.

At Duke University, you'll join a collaborative community dedicated to innovation, leadership, and public impact. Through your work with the Hart Leadership Program, you will help shape transformative experiences that prepare students to practice ethical leadership and create meaningful change in communities around the world.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy- related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and reasonable accommodation(s) can be requested with Duke Access and Accommodations Services (email: [e-mail]; phone: [phone]).

Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.