Program Manager

Ready to shape the future of graduate education under the Big Sky? Join Montana Technological University as a Graduate School Program Manager and manage the end-to-end student journey.

About the role

This position performs diverse and complex operational duties required for the effective functioning of Graduate Student Enrollment and Academic Record Keeping. The role involves handling inquiries, maintaining confidentiality, and communicating effectively with a diverse population of students, including both domestic and international applicants. The successful candidate will collaborate with various university stakeholders, including senior leadership, faculty, students, and staff.

Responsibilities

• Administer and improve graduate school functions related to the graduate application process, including receipt, processing, and verification of application credentials for both domestic and international students.
• Ensure efficient transmission and return of complete applications to departmental stakeholders to minimize application response time and drive graduate enrollment growth.
• Maintain student records with accuracy, including data entry into admissions databases (Banner, Etrieve, CollegeNet).
• Implement graduate student course registration, record management, add/drop or withdrawal of courses, program review forms, and faculty committee assignments to enhance data integrity.
• Ensure student eligibility for assistantships and track utilization of Graduate Teaching Assistantships to increase graduate student recruitment.
• Analyze student records and perform regular data queries to inform recruitment decisions and improve graduation rates and retention.
• Track progress toward degrees, create alerts for Graduate School staff, and monitor progress toward internal performance metrics (e.g., degree completion, time to degree, student retention, 'at risk' students).
• Oversee the awarding and processing of graduate teaching assistantships in collaboration with the business office, financial aid, and the Research Office.
• Lead communications and processing regarding graduation timelines and deadlines, and administer graduation checkout operations.
• Serve as liaison to the Digital Commons Platform, maintaining publications and e-thesis uploads, implementing a publishing delay process, and streamlining the graduate student graduation experience.
• Streamline processes to decrease administrative burden on faculty and staff, provide general office support, and maintain/update the graduate student handbook.
• Communicate process changes to faculty to increase transparency, efficiency, and enhance student experience.
• Respond to student inquiries, advise on required application credentials, track inventory for recruiting materials, and provide data cleaning and entry support.
• Complete national data surveys and provide administrative support for the Graduate School and Graduate Council.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from a post-secondary institution or three years of operations and project management experience.
• Demonstrated experience using database, word processing, Excel, email, and internet software.
• Experience in analysis, design, formatting, and typing forms and reports.
• Strong communication skills: effective and professional abilities via verbal, written, and electronic media.
• Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret data.
• Ability to work within a team and communicate with stakeholders.
• Must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with graduate student admissions processing.
• Experience in a student services and/or enrollment setting.
• Experience in student-centered customer service.
• Experience with Banner, EMP Liaison, and Etrieve.
• Ability to effectively present information to various university stakeholders.

Physical Demands

Work requires occasional evenings and weekends.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance with low deductibles and employer contributions worth $6.08 per hour.
• 5.9% retirement employer contribution for eligible employees.
• 11 holidays per year.
• 3 weeks of annual leave to start, plus generous sick leave policy.
• 6 credits of coursework free per year (fees not included).
• Life and disability insurance.
• Reduced tuition for dependents after 4 months of employment for eligible employees.
• Employee Assistance and Wellness Program.
• Optional Retirement Plan for eligible employees.
• Possible remote work days with supervisor approval for eligible positions.

Pay

$21.28 per hour.

About Montana Tech

Montana Technological University, located in Butte, Montana, is nestled in the Heart of the Rocky Mountains along the Continental Divide, where I-15 and I-90 intersect. The university is home to the largest National Historic District in the country and is a special focus institution with a reputation for excellence and value. Montana Tech is ranked #1 in the nation by CollegeNET.