Program Manager

About the role

Palo Alto University (PAU) is a private, non-profit university located in Northern California's Silicon Valley. Founded in 1975, PAU is committed to addressing societal issues in psychology and counseling through its diverse student body and engaged faculty.

Responsibilities

• Lead the coordination and execution of program operations, ensuring efficient and consistent delivery of academic and administrative processes.
• Represent program operations in departmental, executive, admissions, and cross-functional meetings.
• Support department/program/university events, including residencies, Unified Student Orientation.
• Representative of program operations in departmental, executive, admissions, and cross-functional meetings.
• Manage complex academic and operational processes, lead cross-functional projects, and collaborate with university partners to support admissions, registration, clinical training, accreditation activities, and continuous improvement.
• Assist department/program leadership and External Affairs team to update MA program web pages.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvement and implement sustainable solutions.
• Develop and maintain annual course schedules, cohort degree plans, and academic calendars in collaboration with faculty and staff.
• Routinely audit class sizes and review and approve add/drop forms.
• Review and process Updated Expected Graduation forms and MFCC Emphasis Forms.
• Maintain accurate student records and program documentation.
• Take minutes for meetings and maintain official minutes of program meetings and proceedings.
• Respond to general inquiries from prospective students by providing basic information and directing admissions-related questions to the appropriate admissions advisor.
• Respond to current student questions, and provide general information to students via email, phone, Zoom, and NinjaOne tickets.
• Initiate and maintain communication with newly admitted students throughout the pre-enrollment period and manage onboarding and orientation.
• Collaborate with Admissions to support each student’s transition from admitted to registered status.
• Track enrollment and cohort capacity, assign students to cohorts, and manage program waitlists.
• Collaborate with Registrar, Clinical Training, and Department Manager monthly to ensure students are on track to graduate.
• Develop and distribute regular program communications, including newsletters and student updates.
• Work with program leadership to communicate regularly with students, faculty, and alumni.
• Coordinate student surveys, analyze feedback, and support implementation of quality improvement initiatives.
• Support the department in the preparation of periodic self-study reports and PAU academic program review reports.
• Support accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement efforts through data collection, reporting, and documentation.
• Manage student workers & graduate assistantships as needed.
• Provide faculty and student support when necessary.
• Identify opportunities to improve procedural efficiencies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 2 years minimum experience in a similar role preferred.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Zoom, DocuSign, and e-mail applications required.
• Strong multi-tasking, time management and problem-solving skills.
• Strong project management skills and attention to detail.
• Comfort with new technologies and databases.