PhD Program Coordinator

This competition is open to all applicants however; internal candidates and applicants who were former employees of the University of Alberta will be given priority consideration before external candidates. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

Location - This role is in-person at North Campus Edmonton.

Reporting to the PhD Program Lead and supporting the Associate Dean, PhD Program and Research, the Program Coordinator supports the daily operations of the Business PhD and Research Office. This role provides a wide range of administrative, financial and program advising support to students, faculty, staff and the public on matters related to the Business PhD Program and postdoctoral scholars in the School of Business. The position supports student and visitor enrolment activities and delivers accurate, timely and proactive service to prospective and current students.

Responsibilities

• Office reception and first point of contact. Responds to telephone, in-person and email inquiries and redirects when necessary.
• Processes documentation required for international visiting PhD students and postdoctoral scholars, including Foreign Visitor Category Assessments (FVCA).
• Advises faculty on regulations regarding visiting PhD student registration and processing.
• Reviews and updates the PhD Program website and student web pages.
• Maintains the booking calendar and provides meeting support to the Associate Dean.
• Provides project support for AD Research and the PhD Program.
• Tracks PhD student accomplishments and intellectual contributions for accreditation surveys, reporting, and newsletters.
• Compiles program statistics for various reports: AACSB, Business Advisory Council, and PhD Policy Committee.
• Plans and executes events and meeting arrangements, including online or in-person meeting setup, room and equipment bookings, catering quotes and orders, and calendar invites.
• Provides business support to the unit as required on projects and day-to-day matters.
• Oversees PhD study spaces and carrel allocations, including lockers and key distribution.
• Prepares and submits arriving and departing checklists for students and visitors.

Financial:

• Maintains up to date knowledge of University policies and procedures for financial transactions and expense claim processing.
• Participates in university's offered financial training for travel and expense processing, Campus Solutions financial management, and professional development opportunities.
• Prepares and processes travel and expense claims for students and the Associate Dean, including verification of supporting documents for accuracy and validity.
• Maintains the program’s credit card financial activities (initiates payments, collects receipts) and conducts monthly financial PCard reconciliations.
• Maintains an ongoing and annual summary of students’ claims for budget and statistical purposes.
• Prepares annual Travel and Expense Account statements and distributes to students.
• Assists the PhD Program Lead with the preparation of tuition remission forms.
• Provides backup support to the Program Manager on all student payments.
• Creates and manipulates customised Excel databases to provide reports for management use.
• Collaborates with Finance Partner when required as backup for PhD Program Lead.

Student Support/Program Advising:

• Communicates regularly with students to keep them informed of department and campus activities and updates.
• Refers students to other campus resources.
• Identifies and refers students at risk. Coaches students to identify problems and possible strategies and resources.
• Advises students and applicants of their rights and processes under the Code of Student (or Applicant) Behaviour, referring all affected students to the Ombudservice.
• Organises and/or supports graduate student orientations, convocation and professional development workshops.
• Maintains student orientation materials in Canvas (non-credit course), updating as required to ensure information is current.
• Maintains knowledge of GPS policies and procedures to ensure compliance and communicates updates to students. Attends GPAC meetings.
• Creates and updates various forms for student records purposes, including tracking of annual progress reports and student-supervisor guidelines completion.
• Interprets and communicates Calendar regulations.
• Coordinates student laptop program with IST.
• Assists with processing doctoral exam paperwork when required.
• Supports the students and the Associate Dean in planning and execution of the annual business research conference.
• Supports the Business Doctoral Association as required for continuity and student group regulation.

Student Recruitment and Admissions:

• Provides general program information to students, staff and the general public.
• Provides comprehensive information about the application process.
• Processes PhD program applications. Ensures completeness and conducts initial review to support admissions committees.
• Supports specialisation representatives and admission committees in the application review process, including training on the Grad Application Portal (Slate) when required.
• Calculates admission grade point averages (AGPA) from institutions around the world, converting to the U of A’s grading system using standardized weighted average calculator, for potential applicants to ensure they meet the minimum academic requirements compliance for admission.
• Develops promotional materials for recruitment events and campaigns.
• Prepares print, video and web materials for on-campus and off-campus recruiting initiatives.
• Supports general recruitment strategies by participating in University-wide recruitment events and information sessions.
• Meets with and advises prospective students on program and admission requirements.
• Monitors application progress and generates statistical reports to support AACSB surveys and periodic reviews of specialisations.

• Post-secondary diploma in business or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of related experience in a large and complex organization.
• Experience related to the registration, admissions and advising of students in a complex post-secondary environment is an asset.
• Strong computer proficiency, including Google Suite, Word, Excel and web editing; familiarity with Grad Slate and PeopleSoft Financial and Admin (Campus Solutions) is preferred.
• Ability to create and manipulate customized Excel spreadsheets, including dashboards and reports for management use.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including intercultural sensitivity, and highly refined people skills with a proven ability to work with sensitive and confidential materials.
• A strong interest in and ability to work with individuals from diverse international, professional and academic backgrounds.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to multitask and manage multiple deadlines.
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to work independently with a high attention to detail and excellent record-keeping ability.
• Knowledge of University of Alberta and Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies policies and procedures is an asset.
• Familiarity with Cascade Content Management System and knowledge of AACSB reporting requirements are assets.

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit your resume and cover letter as ONE document.

This position is subject to all applicable terms and conditions of the collective agreement between the Governors of the University of Alberta and the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package.