Senior Program Manager, Academic Engagement and Career Readiness

Job Summary

The Senior Program Manager for Academic Engagement and Career Readiness provides leadership and strategic direction for undergraduate student success initiatives, with a primary focus on preparing graduates to be professionally ready. This role is responsible for shaping and advancing a cohesive vision for academic engagement, career readiness, and experiential learning across undergraduate programs, while also overseeing and supporting the Graduate Program Coordinator to ensure alignment and continuity of student experiences.

Core Responsibilities

• Provide high-level guidance to undergraduate students regarding programs of study, academic pathways, and progression toward degree completion, complementing formal advising structures.
• Identify barriers to student success and recommend strategies to improve retention, time to degree, and overall academic engagement.
• Lead efforts to expand, track, and assess undergraduate signature experiences, including internships, co-ops, undergraduate research, service learning, and other applied learning opportunities.
• Develop and track participation metrics related to professional experiences, with a focus on increasing internship and experiential learning engagement.
• Collaborate with faculty and academic leadership to integrate career readiness and industry-aligned competencies into the undergraduate curriculum.
• Initiate and sustain partnerships that connect students with industry and professional communities through experiential learning, guest lectures, mentorship, and career-focused programming.
• Support initiatives that enhance students’ exposure to professional environments and workforce expectations.
• Coordinate the awarding, tracking, and impact assessment of academic unit scholarships.
• Analyze scholarship data to assess effectiveness in supporting retention, persistence, and student success.
• Serve as the manager and primary liaison for the Graduate Program Coordinator, providing guidance, oversight, and strategic alignment.
• Partner with the Graduate Program Coordinator to enhance the graduate student experience and ensure operational consistency across undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Support student registration processes by tracking, reviewing, and expediting unit-level forms and requests, including prerequisite overrides, independent studies, and co-op approvals.
• Ensure timely processing and clear communication with students, faculty, and advising partners.
• Assist with data collection, reporting, and documentation for ABET or other accrediting agencies.
• Use data to inform continuous improvement efforts related to student success, engagement, and academic outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Three (3) years of related work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in higher education administration, student success initiatives, academic programs, or career readiness efforts.
• Experience providing leadership, program development, and strategic vision in a complex academic environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to use data to inform decision-making.
• This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure.

Key Metrics and Outcomes

• Undergraduate retention rates.
• Graduation rates.
• Time to degree completion.
• Participation in signature experiences, including the percentage of students completing internships or equivalent experiential learning.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Three (3) years of related work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in higher education administration, student success initiatives, academic programs, or career readiness efforts.
• Experience providing leadership, program development, and strategic vision in a complex academic environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to use data to inform decision-making.
• This position requires the ability to maintain the security and integrity of UT San Antonio and its infrastructure.