Graduate Program Senior Professional
Requisition Number: 66447
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 17-Aug-2025
Date Posted:
Job Summary
The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at CU Boulder is encouraging applications for The Graduate Program Senior Professional position! This role provides high-level coordination, analysis, and oversight of the graduate programs and serves as a strategic partner to the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and Program Directors. While final authority for academic and programmatic decisions rests with the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, this position plays a critical role in leading the operational and procedural functions of the department's five PhD programs-Behavioral Neuroscience, Behavioral, Psychiatric & Statistical Genetics, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and Social Psychology- and in implementing initiatives that enhance student success, retention, and degree completion. The role exercises substantial independent judgment in navigating complex and critical issues related to graduate admissions, student support, and policy compliance, and is a key resource to faculty, staff, and students.
The Graduate Program Senior Professional is responsible for the full lifecycle of graduate student engagement-from application and recruitment to degree completion-ensuring all academic and administrative achievements are met in coordination with the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and ensuring compliance with Graduate School and university policies. The role coordinates admissions processes, organizes recruitment and orientation events, tracks student progress, and supports key functions such as TA assignments and graduation clearance.
This position develops and leads communication strategies, recruitment events, application tracking, and admissions logistics, and also supports ongoing student advising, progress tracking, graduation clearance, and Teaching Assistant (TA) appointments. This role interprets and applies university, college, and departmental policies and proactively identifies areas for improvement in internal processes and student services. Additionally, this position is often relied upon to provide expert-level insight into graduate program operations and campus systems, helping to align departmental practices with broader institutional goals. CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Who We Are
The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is composed of Faculty, Staff, Research Assistants, Graduate Students, and Undergraduate Students. Through teaching, learning, research, and community outreach, we seek to promote scholarship at the intersection of psychology and neuroscience. Driving this mission is a deep, shared commitment to improving the human condition for all people.
The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience is responsible for over 3,700 students in two undergraduate majors and five PhD programs. Our 52 faculty teach and conduct research on topics that range from the molecular to the community level. Our work is spread across multiple campus locations (MUEN, IBG, WILD, & CINC), with an annual budget of $20 million, which includes approximately $12 million in grant-funded research and $600,000 in gift funds.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Graduate Program Management and Administration
Independently manages the daily operations of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience graduate programs, ensuring compliance with Graduate School, College of Arts & Sciences, and university-wide academic and administrative policies.
Serves as a key resource for graduate students from admission through degree completion, providing expert guidance on Graduate School requirements, degree achievements (e.g., Master's, Comps, Candidacy, Dissertation), enrollment procedures, and tuition classification.
Maintains and analyzes student records and academic progress across all graduate programs (BN, BPSG, CL, CO, SO), including tracking milestones and handling official documentation to support timely degree completion; prepares reports and data summaries for departmental leadership, college administration, and the Graduate School to support planning, compliance, and student success initiatives.
Supervises administration of the Neuroscience Combined PhD major (NRSC), including transcript review, milestone tracking, graduation processing, and file management.
Coordinates with the Department Events Coordinator, Program Directors, and the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies to support graduate students' onboarding and orientation, ensuring timely communication of enrollment steps, funding details, and university services such as health insurance.
Assists students and faculty with enrollment in restricted or non-standard courses, including dissertation credits and independent studies, and resolves enrollment challenges in coordination with campus offices.
Monitors Colorado residency requirements for out-of-state students and provides proactive advising to ensure tuition classification compliance.
Serves as the central liaison for graduate program policy updates and procedural changes, communicating relevant information to students, faculty, and staff, and implementing department-level compliance strategies.
Refers students to appropriate university resources (e.g., International Student and Scholar Services, Counseling Services, Disability Services) and follows up as needed to ensure resolution and support student well-being.
Supervises the hiring process for graduate student appointments (e.g., TAs, RAs, GPTIs), ensuring timely, accurate submission of materials, communicating policies to students, and resolving complex or non-standard HR/payroll issues in coordination with campus offices.
Tracks and reconciles student funding across sources and supports Graduate Faculty Appointment processes to maintain compliance with Graduate School instructional eligibility standards.
Leads planning and implementation of key program events, including new graduate student orientation and TA training; ensures timely and accurate communication of academic, professional development, and funding opportunities to students and faculty.
Provides comprehensive support to students nearing degree completion, coordinating dissertation/thesis defense logistics, Graduate School requirements, and clearance for graduation.
Graduate Recruiting
Leads the full lifecycle of graduate student recruitment and admissions process for the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, including advising prospective students, monitoring application progress, and ensuring timely submission of official admissions and rejection letters.
Partners with the faculty admissions committees and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies to resolve application issues, develop, implement, and evaluate systems for reviewing, tracking, and reporting on application data to support multidisciplinary faculty evaluation and inform admissions strategy; interprets trends and prepares summaries for departmental leadership to support faculty throughout the application review process.
Is responsible for the electronic workflow of graduate applications through all review and decision stages, ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and confidentiality of applicant materials and records.
Stays current on standard methodologies and system functionality by participating in Slate and Graduate School trainings; proactively communicates relevant updates to faculty and staff involved in admissions.
In collaboration with the Department Events Coordinator, this position designs and handles the planning of prospective student campus visits, ensuring schedules meet departmental objectives, align with budget constraints, and stay in sync with university travel and hosting policies.
Coordinates and communicates visit itineraries with faculty, current graduate students, and administrative partners; anticipates logistical challenges and adapts plans accordingly to ensure a professional and welcoming experience for candidates.
Serves as the primary point of contact for prospective students throughout the admissions process, providing timely, accurate, and professional communication regarding requirements, timelines, and next steps.
Provides administrative and programmatic support to the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies and Curriculum Program Manager on an as-needed basis, contributing to the overall success and efficiency of graduate program operations.
Advising
Serves as a key advising and administrative resource for graduate students, offering ongoing support across academic, procedural, and administrative policies, Graduate School requirements, and departmental procedures to ensure a positive and successful student experience while supporting the Associate Chair in broader program oversight.
Monitors graduate student enrollment each semester and provides detailed reports, analysis, and required Graduate School forms; communicates thesis and dissertation defense announcements to the department and facilitates post-defense processes.
Generates and analyzes reports for internal planning and external reporting needs, including enrollment statistics, milestone tracking, and data for training grant submissions; collaborates with faculty and leadership to ensure accuracy and alignment with program goals.
Maintains and updates departmental graduate student databases; applies CU-SIS, CU Data, and other university systems to verify and reconcile student records, track milestones, and support compliance.
Attends monthly Graduate Education Committee meetings alongside program directors, the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies, and the Curriculum Program Manager to support graduate program coordination and academic planning.
Engages regularly with students and faculty-both individually and in groups-to interpret and communicate academic and administrative policies from the Graduate School, college, Financial Aid, and ISSS, ensuring consistency and clarity across all touch points.
Collaborates with campus partners, including ISSS, Counseling Services, and Student Affairs, to connect students to appropriate support resources and provides timely, individualized follow-up to confirm that guidance is clear, accessible, and actionable.
Assessment and Information Management
Generates, maintains, and analyzes data reports related to graduate enrollment, student progress, and program assessment to support strategic decision-making of resource allocation and assessment of student success.
Collaborates with program faculty to coordinate graduate learning outcomes assessment, compiling and interpreting results to inform continuous program improvement and meet institutional reporting requirements.
Is responsible for the maintenance and annual update of a centralized alumni tracking system to support departmental accreditation, grant reporting, and long-term program development initiatives.
Develops and leads internal databases for tracking student records, academic milestones, and cohort progress across graduate programs, ensuring data integrity and supporting compliance with university and Graduate School standards.
Process Improvement
Position works to expand information about program resources by collecting, interpreting, and reporting data to evaluate admissions, recruiting, diversity planning, and funding processes and awards. Recommends modifications or improvements, based on analysis of operations, demographics, and other research information.
This requires continuous development of new perspectives and skills to improve processes.
The position will undertake a review of the webpages, compare with other departments on campus and across peer institutions, and evaluate for features such as scope of content, ease of use by domestic and international students, etc. Will require evaluative skills as well as the ability to work closely with department personnel to better define objectives and goals.
Other/Projects
Other duties as assigned that support the department's graduate program operations and expansion.
Contribute to other departmental projects and initiatives as assigned to advance departmental goals and student success.
What You Should Know
Hybrid Schedule: At least 3 to 4 days/week on campus. This can be subject to change based on the business needs of the department.
Employees may be expected to be on campus up to 5 days a week during the initial training period.
What We Can Offer
The annual salary for this full-time position is $61,200 - $64,000.
Benefits
The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits (https://www.colorado.edu/jobs/benefits) , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder (https://www.colorado.edu/about) .
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Be creative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.
What We Require
BA/BS Degree from an accredited institution in a related field of study. An equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute.
3+ years of education administration or relevant administrative experience
What You Will Need
Proven problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Proficient in handling multiple tasks and meeting target dates.
Written and verbal communication skills, with the skills to explain complex policies and procedures.
High degree of professionalism and ability to maintain confidentiality and work with critical information.
Proven track record to proactively analyze issues to foresee possible problems or concerns that may arise and to develop proactive solutions and initiate related action.
Ability to establish and maintain positive and cooperative working relationships within the department and with outside units.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook).
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
A current resume.
A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by 8/17/2025 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs. (https://www.colorado.edu/jobs/)
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Graduate-Program-Senior-Professional/66447 (https://apptrkr.com/6443943)
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The University of Colorado does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, pregnancy, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, political affiliation, or political philosophy. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.
