1575 I Street, NW
Boston, Massachusetts
Palm Beach, Florida
Boston, Massachusetts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Brookings, South Dakota
Posted: 11-Feb-25
Location: Fairfax, VA, Virginia
Internal Number: 10002252
Department: Col of Engineering and Computing
Classification: Education Support Spec 3
Job Category: Classified Staff
Job Type: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)
Location: Fairfax, VA
Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible
Pay Band: 04
Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience
Criminal Background Check: Yes
About the Department:
Our primary purpose is to perform research and provide education at the undergraduate and graduate level at the intersection of engineering and bioscience to improve health. We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding multidisciplinary education to our students, establish and conduct nationally-recognized research programs in bioengineering, and serve the university as a nexus for opportunities at the interface of engineering and biomedicine.
About the Position:
The primary purpose of the Graduate Academic Advisor and Department Coordinator position is to provide support within the Department of Bioengineering for advising graduate students and managing administrative aspects of our graduate programs, as well as coordinating communications, marketing, outreach, events, and onboarding for the department. The position works collaboratively with the department chair, associate chairs, and program directors, as well as liaises with other offices within the university (such as Graduate Admissions, the Provost Office, Registrar, Human Resources, and the Office of International Programs and Services) to promote the academic mission and goals of the department. The position will also partly provide administrative support to the Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering (CASSBI).
Responsibilities:
Graduate Advising and Graduate Program Coordination
- Provides graduate student support by tracking and monitoring Bioengineering MS and PhD students? academic progress, managing documentation (e.g., relevant records, forms, and correspondence), assisting with program-related inquiries, and managing communication ensuring students meet key milestones (e.g., qualifying exams, dissertation defense, graduation);
- Serves as a point of contact for prospective students, processes applications, coordinates open houses, and manages communication with accepted students;
- Prepares and maintains tuition waiver records, verifies student enrollment, and processes Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Research Assistant contracts; and
- Confirms PhD student health insurance eligibility, verifies employment status, and manages communications with graduate students to facilitate enrollment.
Department Administrative Duties, Hiring and Affiliates
- Manages the hiring process for adjuncts, student and non-student wage positions, and affiliates, including processing contracts, tracking onboarding, and maintaining records. Coordinates faculty affiliate renewals and graduate faculty status requests;
- Schedules and organizes departmental meetings, faculty search interviews, student defenses, and ad-hoc meetings, ensuring proper space reservations and logistical support;
- Plans and advertises Bioengineering seminars, coordinates speaker travel and accommodations, manages attendance tracking, and handles seminar logistics, including catering and virtual setup;
- Coordinates faculty search processes, including scheduling interviews, organizing travel, and collecting feedback. Assists with promotion and tenure documentation and meeting logistics;
- Supports department events such as open houses, orientations, career fairs, and graduations by handling invitations, space reservations, marketing materials, catering, and setup; and
- Maintains listservs, oversees student volunteer records, assists with marketing efforts, serves as a backup purchaser, and updates the department website as needed.
Administrative Assistance to Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering (CASSBI)
- Manages communications and outreach efforts for the Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering (CASSBI);
- Oversees logistics and administration for the graduate training program;
- Maintains records of CASSBI members; and
- Reserves meeting spaces, coordinates event setup, and handles catering arrangements for CASSBI special events.
Required Qualifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent;
- Office and administrative experience;
- Experience with web and video conferencing tools including Zoom and Microsoft Teams;
- Knowledge of graduate admissions process;
- Ability to work in a higher education environment with a diverse student population; and
- Familiarity with the use of e-mail and social media as a means of communicating with students, staff, faculty and the general public.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor?s degree in related field;
- Experience with hiring and onboarding;
- Experience with tracking student progress and degree completion requirements in academic programs;
- Experience with Salesforce platform, Banner, and CourseLeaf;
- Experience with computer data entry, Microsoft Office, Adobe Suite, Interfolio, scheduling and calendar tools including 25Live;
- Experience with tools for creating marketing materials including Canvas;
- Experience with organizing university events and catering; and
- Experience with website maintenance and data entry using Drupal.
Instructions to Applicants:
For full consideration, applicants must apply for Graduate Academic Advisor and Department Coordinator at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application with a list of three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.
Posting Open Date: February 10, 2025
For Full Consideration, Apply by: February 24, 2025
Open Until Filled: Yes
Mason Engineering: The Future of Engineering is Here!
About the College:
The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) at George Mason University is a fast-growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the CEC enrolled a record high of 10,933 students in fall 2023. The college has 34 undergraduate, master?s and doctoral degree programs including several first-in-the-nation offerings. Of its 320 full-time faculty, 93 are tenured, 77 are tenure-track, 90 are term faculty, and 60 are research faculty. As part of a nationally ranked research university, CEC research teams expended $65 million in sponsored research awards in the past year and had projects with over $119 million in current and anticipated awards. The college stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architectures, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, and more. The college encourages and supports multidisciplinary research and provides ample opportunity for faculty to work with other disciplines.
About the University and the Region:
George Mason University is the largest and most diverse public research university in Virginia, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 students studying in over 200 degree programs. Mason is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. It was classified as an R1 research institution in 2016 by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutes of Higher Education. The university has campuses in Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William County. Its proximity to Washington, D.C. provides unmatched geographical access to federal agencies and national laboratories. Northern Virginia is also home to one of the largest concentrations of high-tech firms in the nation, providing excellent opportunities for interaction with industry. The region is consistently rated as being among the best places to live in the country and has an outstanding local public school system.
About the Future:
In conjunction with Amazon?s decision to establish a second headquarters in Northern Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced a multi-year plan to invest in the growth of degree programs in computing. As a result, Mason has committed to accelerate its plans to grow its capacity in computing and high-tech fields. Among the university?s exciting initiatives are the launch of the Institute for Digital Innovation-a university think tank and incubator to serve the digital economy-and the expansion of Mason Square home to its Arlington facilities. In 2025, Fuse a new 355,000 square foot building, will open to students, faculty, and research teams. This net-zero facility will house the Institute for Digital Innovation, state-of the-art classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces. It will also include retail space, and leasing opportunities for local businesses. These initiatives reflect hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment by Mason that will rapidly elevate the university?s already leading national position in computing and related areas.