Employment Opportunities at USD

Position Title & Department:

5751

Rooted in social justice, led by compassion, inspired by curiosity, driven by a shared vision.
Mother Rosalie Hill Hall on the University of San Diego campus is home to the School of Leadership and Education Sciences' (SOLES) vibrant and vision-driven collective of academic departments, centers and institutes. Here, we combine innovation with introspection, academics with real-world application, and study with social impact.

Our nationally-accredited programs span the realms of leadership, teaching and counseling, both at graduate and undergraduate levels. They're all approached with an emphasis on social justice, multiculturalism and a determination to forge a better world together.

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

This is a full-time, temporary, benefit-based position with an anticipated end date of May 31, 2029. The appointment is renewable at the discretion of the University and dependent upon performance and continued funding.

The University of San Diego, School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES), in partnership with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, hosts the long-established Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. The Community Engagement Classification serves as the leading framework for higher education community engagement work and is widely used to establish benchmarks and criteria for effectively institutionalizing community engagement across diverse institutional contexts.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Community Engagement Classification, the Senior Program Coordinator provides essential administrative, logistical, and front-line support that keeps the classification's day-to-day operations running smoothly. This position is the operational backbone of the classification office: staffing the applicant help desk, coordinating logistics for webinars and online and in-person trainings, convenings, and other events, supporting reviewer and consultant onboarding, training, and responsibilities, organizing and maintaining files and records, scheduling and supporting working groups and committees, and supporting administrative tasks such as managing travel and expense processes and managing meetings with internal and external partners. The Senior Program Coordinator ensures that the Associate Director and Executive Director/Assistant Dean, who devote their time to strategic leadership, external relations, and programmatic direction, are freed from time-intensive operational and administrative tasks.

This role requires a detail-oriented, service-minded, and highly organized professional who is comfortable managing many moving parts at once, communicating professionally with a wide range of external institutional partners, and handling confidential and time-sensitive information with discretion.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Applicant and Institution Support / Technical Assistance:

• Serves as a first point of contact for prospective and current applicant institutions, responding to routine inquiries via email, phone, and the general classification inbox, and triaging more complex questions to the Associate Director.
• Maintains and updates FAQs, guidance documents, and other applicant-facing resources.
• Provides technical assistance to institutions navigating the application portal and GivePulse platform, including troubleshooting access issues and walking users through submission requirements.
• Supports the maintenance and updating of classification website content and communication channels, including posting resources and updating pages.

Webinar, Workshop, and Convening Logistics:

• Coordinates the logistics for webinars, workshops, informational sessions, and communities of practice, including scheduling, platform setup (e.g., Zoom/Teams registration), invitations and reminders, slide and material preparation, run-of-show support, recording and posting sessions, and compiling attendance and evaluation data.
• Supports in-person and virtual convenings by managing general registration, materials, vendor coordination, room/AV logistics, and day-of logistics.
• Travels to conferences, events, and convenings as needed.

Reviewer and Consultant Coordination:

• Supports the recruitment, onboarding, and scheduling of peer reviewers and outside consultants, including distributing applications, tracking review assignments and deadlines, compiling reviewer feedback, and maintaining reviewer rosters and conflict-of-interest documentation.
• Assists with the logistics of reviewer training sessions and helps process consultant agreements, invoices, and payments in coordination with SOLES finance staff.

Working Group and Committee Support:

• Schedules and provides logistical and administrative support for National Advisory Committee (NAC) meetings, working groups, and other recurring committee activities, including preparing and distributing agendas and materials, taking and distributing notes/minutes, tracking action items, and following up on deliverables.

Records, Data, and Systems Administration:

• Organizes and maintains classification files, records, and shared drives, ensuring documentation is accurate, current, and well organized.
• Enters and updates institutional and applicant data in GivePulse and the university CRM system, supports basic data pulls and tracking reports, and helps maintain distribution lists and contact databases.

Travel, Expenses, and Procurement Support:

• Books travel and accommodations for classification and associated university staff, reviewers, and consultants as needed; prepares and submits expense reports and reimbursement requests; processes invoices and purchase requisitions; and tracks budget line items in coordination with the Associate Director and SOLES business office.

Event Support:

• Attends events on and off campus.
• Domestic and international travel required as assigned.
• Supports attendee registration and payment processing for paid convenings, training, and other revenue-generating programming offered by the classification, in coordination with the Associate Director, Executive Director, and SOLES finance staff.

General Administrative and Office Support:

• Provides day-to-day administrative support to the Associate Director and, as needed, the Executive Director, including calendar coordination for classification-related meetings, correspondence drafting, document formatting, and preparation of materials for presentations, reports, and briefings.
• Supports special projects and other duties as assigned to advance the operations of the classification.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Background check:  Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required. Substitution: A high school diploma plus two additional years of work experience may substitute for degree requirement, at the rate of two years of higher education is equivalent to one year of work experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in an administrative, coordinator, program support, or executive assistant capacity, preferably in higher education or a related field. Three or more years of related experience preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Three or more years of related experience preferred.
• Familiarity with GivePulse or similar program/relationship management platforms.
• Experience supporting events, webinar, or meeting logistics.
• Experience processing travel arrangements, expense reports, or basic budget tracking.
• Experience in a higher education setting or with accreditation, grant review, or similar review-based processes.
• Familiarity with the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement or similar national frameworks.

Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks, timelines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent customer service orientation and professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, etc.) and comfort learning new software platforms and databases (e.g., CRM systems, virtual meeting platforms).
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and customer service across diverse institutional constituencies.

$37.12 - $37.43 per hour; Excellent Benefits

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers.  Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer.  USD: Human Resources: Benefits

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position.  Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Resume and Cover Letter Required

Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review.  If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at jobs@sandiego.edu.

37.5 Hours per week

Closing date: Open until filled

Note: External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.