Program Coordinator for Biology, Biomanufacturing, and Biotechnology at CSU Spur

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• Bachelor’s Degree

Skills and Competencies

• Evidence of strong interpersonal skills (e.g. teamwork experiences, leadership roles)
• Evidence of written and oral communication skills (e.g. courses in communication, public speaking experiences, prior work experience that required regular written or oral communication).
• Demonstrated organizational skills (e.g. project management experience, prior roles involving coordination of multiple tasks or people).
• Proven complex problem-solving abilities (e.g. prior projects or work situations where problem-solving skills were applied).

Technical Proficiency

• Proficiency in MS Office Suite.

Decision-Making

• Evidence of collaborative yet independent decision-making (e.g. instances where the candidate took the initiative and led a project or team).

Licensing

• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain one, or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.

The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States by the proposed start date. The Department will not sponsor a visa for this position.
Ability to travel to multiple CSU campus and other sites around the state and work non -standard hours, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends

• Having at minimum a Bachelor’s Degree in a field that is related to the role
• Work experience leading to possession of a bioscience industry network (e.g. a history of participation in a bioscience industry association, previous industry outreach experience).

Program and Project Management

• Experience with program management.
• Demonstrated experience in organizing and planning events or professional development opportunities.

Technical Competencies

• Competency in organizational applications such as Microsoft Teams, Slate CRM, Hubspot CRM, ARIES CIS, etc.
• Prior experiences that required significant time, effort, or skill using computers (MS Office).

Communication and Marketing

• Professional work experience in creating external communications, marketing materials, social media, and website design.

Higher Education Experience and Knowledge

• Experience with enrollment and/or recruiting in higher education.
• Familiarity with University student academic requirements, graduate program advising, and University policies and procedures.
• Experience working in a graduate program, an office of graduate studies, a Graduate School, or other University administrative/office functions.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal policies affecting Higher Education.

Diversity and Inclusion

• Experience working with and supporting people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to advance the commitment to diversity and inclusion of the BBPSM and Biology programs through student support, outreach activities, and recruiting.

Verbal Communication

• Experience in a position that required excellent verbal communication skills.

• Student recruiting and admissions management.
  • Collaborate with the program Director, the Spur instructor, and potentially other University admissions and recruitment personnel to develop strategies to attract high-caliber students to the program.
  • Conduct outreach to prospective students via informational sessions, either in-person or virtually.
  • Discuss curriculum, prerequisite academic training, and the admissions process with candidates.
  • Serve as a professional and courteous point of contact via phone or email for prospective students, answering initial questions they may have and providing them with detailed information regarding the University, admissions, the program curriculum, program cost, funding opportunities, and its potential career outcomes.
  • For students who plan to apply, inspect the calendar for the BBPSM Program Director and schedule interviews.
  • Create and maintain a record of applicant contacts, and application status, allowing for quick determination of the reasons why some applications are held at various bins in the Slate CRM software system.
  • Assist applicants to determine the correct steps forward when their application appears to be stopped due to a needed document.
  • Act as a liaison between applicants and Main Admissions, the Graduate School, or the International Scholar and Student Services office to answer applicant questions and to identify and resolve issues that arise during admissions and matriculation.
  • In some cases, guide international students who require additional guidance and support into the program via the CSU Bridge program which allows students to remotely take preliminary courses prior to formal admission.
• Advising of Current Students.
  • Advise incoming and current students on (A) selecting courses, registration processes, and creating an academic plan tailored to their goals, (B) possible routes for financial support, and ( C ) where to seek answers to other questions.
  • Send emails and submit administrative paperwork on behalf of students (e.g. course override requests, transfer credit evaluations, etc.).
  • Meet at least once a semester with students in the program and thereby monitoring academic progress.
  • Meet more frequently with struggling students, and provide targeted advising to help them overcome academic challenges.
  • Keep up-to-date records related to student progress and report these once a semester to the BBPSM Director.
• Program Alumni Engagement.
  • Conduct exit interviews with students completing the program to obtain feedback that can be used to continually improve the support and services offered by the department.
  • Maintain accurate records of alumni positions.
  • Assist with alumni outreach and engagement activities, to establish and maintain a strong professional network for current and former students.
• Program Enhancement.
  • Organize and facilitate workshops or events to enhance the academic, professional, and personal growth of students in the program.
  • Since the PSM degree in Biomanufacturing and Biotechnology is designed to attract working professionals, and since some outreach activities are designed for engaging the general public, some teaching and outreach will be performed on evenings and weekends.
  • Represent the needs of the students in the Professional Science Masters program while participating in pertinent departmental meetings or committees.
  • Collaborate in a professional capacity with other staff members in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering to enhance overall operations and cross-train in pertinent areas of responsibility for other graduate programs.
  • Undertaking other duties or projects aligned with the strategic goals of the Professional Science Masters program, as assigned by the BBPSM Director or CBE Department Head.

To successfully perform major role 1, the ideal candidate will have a passion for fostering student success, a keen understanding of the academic and administrative landscape of higher education, and demonstrate exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

• Industry Outreach and Recruiting. Contacting biotechnology companies throughout the Front Range, with and without existing connections, and by participating in events of the Colorado Bioscience Association.
  • Holding in-person and virtual meetings with company representatives to assess needs.
  • Coordinating outreach and recruiting activities with the CSU Spur BBPSM instructor.
  • Using software such as Hubspot CRM to manage contacts and log relevant information for each company.
  • Coordinating with the leadership team for the Biology Department effort and the leadership team for the PSM Program to craft questions for each contact and decide the means of recording information from each meeting.
• Program Enhancement.
  • The Project Coordinator and leadership teams will also organize brainstorming sessions with relevant Biology and Engineering department staff and faculty to get broader departmental input on student curriculum needs, common student questions and concerns, other possible industry partners, and avenues for recruiting students.
• Program Progress Reporting.
  • Participating in the regular meetings of the CSU Spur leadership by providing updates on upcoming program events, and periodically reporting on program progress.
  • Deliverables of the project coordinator’s external-facing efforts will include: (a) a log of all contacts and status updates of communication made available to the project’s leadership team; (b) quarterly reports summarizing curricular needs and potential avenues for meaningful ongoing relationships with each company contacted; ( c ) a recruitment plan to locate potential students for these programs, including from within the partner industries who see opportunities for upskilling of existing employees; and (d) a set of written guidelines for developing and maintaining effective industry partnerships, with a special focus on the challenges of interdisciplinary cross-college needs, produced with continued input from CSU Spur staff.