New job opening: Academic Collective Coordinator

Are you interested in helping shape the future of design education? Do you thrive on organization and creative problem solving? The d.school Academic Collective team is seeking a highly collaborative and detail-oriented operations associate to perform a range of operational duties as they relate to classes and other learning experiences. The ideal candidate will have administrative, operational, and financial experience with the ability to thrive in a creative, and at times ambiguous, environment.

This is a full-time, on-site, 40-hr. per week position.

Design is a highly interdisciplinary program where students learn to create products, experiences, and systems across a multitude of domains. Our academic program encompasses a Design BS, Design MS, and Elective course portfolio that produces 60+ classes and serves a community of over 1500 students and ~100 instructors.

The following four pillars underpin the d.school’s academic programs:

(1) Make. The ability to prototype and make across all mediums, existing and emerging, with a particular fluency in a chosen area.

(2) Care. The care and responsibility to be leading stewards of the planet, all people, and the data we generate.

(3) Adapt. The flexibility of adaptive learning – letting the individual needs and interests of students shape their academic pathway.

(4) Spark. The quirky creativity and scrappy resourcefulness that produces new to the world ideas.

Primary responsibilities

Student + Instructor Support

Act as the primary “front of house” resource for students and instructors in need of operational support for their course.

Manage primary channels of outreach with key audiences: in-person presence, email inquiries, form submissions.

Responds in a timely manner to requests from students and instructors by efficiently sourcing answers to questions or resources needed internally.

Course Production + Operations

Work collaboratively with our Academic Ops team to coordinate class operations each quarter.

Master the interconnected back-end systems and processes involved in class organization, maintenance, and production.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date course records in the d.school database.

Proactively manage projects, communication and materials for core courses with high programmatic needs.

Event Logistics

Support the execution of small- and larger- scale student or instructor facing events.

Communicate internally with other program partners and externally with attendees regarding event logistics.

Numbers Magic

Partner with program leads, teaching teams and students to simplify course finances and student project finances.

Stay current with Stanford finance guidelines to ensure instructors and students are well informed about course spending guidelines.

Support financial transaction processing during peak volume seasons during the academic year.

Work as a member of the team

Collaborate closely with the program leads, and core members of the Academic Collective team throughout the course production process.

Identify opportunities to refine and upgrade core operational processes, and work with other members of the team to implement improvements.

Mind the mission of the d.school across all tasks.

Become an integral member of the d.school community. Pitch in and help out on a range of projects from within the team and beyond.

Be flexible with projects and willing to pivot as needs shift either unexpectedly or with time.

In this role, you will:

• Act on behalf of the supervisor, department manager, or chair in regards to establishing priorities and identifying and resolving problems that are administrative in nature.

• Oversee and/or perform duties associated with scheduling, organizing, and operating complex conferences, seminars, and events, including arranging with vendors for services, overseeing the production and distribution of materials, administering logistics, and managing event within budget.

• Compose and draft documents and correspondence for presentations, course handouts, grants, conferences, seminars, and reports; perform substantial editing and fact checking. Create, maintain, modify, and/or ensure accuracy of content in various unit documents, displays, reports, brochures, social media, and/or websites.

• Oversee and/or process a variety of complex financial transactions; produce, monitor, and reconcile budget statements; research, identify, and resolve discrepancies. May assist with capital or special equipment requests and/or vendor selection.

What we’re looking for

Experience and Education

Years of experience in operations, finance or other relevant role: 2+

Education level: Bachelor’s Degree

Skillsets

Evidence of strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Database experience

Self-starter with ability to maintain high level of productivity at all times

Diversity

The d.school is committed to welcoming and supporting a diverse community of learners, teachers, and doers. As such, people with personal or professional experience as part of communities of color and underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to be in touch.