Academic Program Manager (4576U) - Jacobs Institute #89681

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Departmental Overview

The Berkeley Master of Design (Berkeley MDes) is a professional graduate degree offered in partnership between the College of Engineering and the College of Environmental Design, with a curriculum focused on designing emerging technologies and the social and cultural contexts in which these technologies are shaped.

Berkeley MDes is a studio-based program in which students are immersed in community, collaboration, and hands-on learning. Over three semesters and one summer, students complete a total of eight required core courses and four electives. In the final semester, students develop and present a thesis project that represents the culmination of their intellectual journey in the program.

MDes is housed in Jacobs Hall, a 24,000 square foot building equipped with design studios and equipment rooms featuring the latest in digital fabrication technologies. Second and third semester MDes students have dedicated studio desks and full 24/7 access to the MDes Studio.

Jacobs Hall is managed by the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation (Jacobs Institute) which operates a makerspace open to all UC Berkeley students, conducts undergraduate courses in design innovation, and supports learning and making at the intersection of design and technology through grants, public programming, and community building. The Jacobs Institute and MDes collaborate across their operations in order to leverage common knowledge and practices.

Position Summary

The Academic Program Manager handles a wide range of student services duties and responsibilities for an academic department, school, college, or organization. This position provides assistance to the dean, chair, faculty, and students in academic advising, recruitment, admissions, financial aid, visa/immigration matters, the evaluation and awarding of fellowships and block grant funds, student orientation and events, career counseling, and related programs.

The Academic Program Manager serves as a strategic programmatic leader for the MDes program, managing the entire student lifecycle from recruitment and admissions to graduation. This position is responsible for driving program growth through data-informed recruitment strategies, benchmarking against national competitors, and implementing complex academic and financial policies. Additionally, the Academic Program Manager provides high-level consultative guidance to faculty and leadership and leads the design of professional development initiatives and high-visibility academic milestone events.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: November 11, 2026

For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Program Management - 40%

• Provide and make recommendations on MDes policies; identify policy areas needing clarification, identify solutions, analyze the consequences of policies, and recommend new or changed policies. Benchmark with other colleges on the Berkeley campus as well as across the UC system and with competitor campuses nationwide to identify best practices and trends to improve the management of the program.
• Lead programmatic evaluation and analysis for aiding strategic planning decisions. Conduct analysis of programmatic issues, including working with Faculty Directors to organize committees, task groups, focus groups, surveys, etc to identify scope, impact, and appropriate solutions. Monitor emerging trends, policy shifts, and best-practice recommendations for design education, professional degree programs, and higher education administration.
• Responsible for the content of resources such as the MDes Academic Handbook and the DES INV Instructor Guide and for communicating the content to users - students and instructors. Collaborate with marketing colleagues and Jacobs Institute staff to create and maintain related websites, printed materials, videos, webinars and other media.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and identify ways to enhance programs and services.
• Develop, manage, and implement academic milestone events (orientation, end of semester final presentations, capstone showcase, and commencement.) Advise student leadership groups, including the MDes Student Association (MDSA), on best practices and university policies. Ensure policies are followed and clearly communicated to students. Keep detailed statistics about the MDes program. Utilize data to develop reports.
• Manages the processes of academic program review with faculty and students; gathers information for leadership review and revision and synthesizes program related data for the purpose of these reports. Manages the drafting, data collection process, and submission of the Graduate Councils review of the MDes program (which occurs every three years) and other reporting.
• Serves as the MDess programs primary staff liaison with the Academic Senates Courses of Instruction (COCI) committee. Coordinates with faculty and manages the process of obtaining COCI approval of new courses, modification in existing courses, and variances in course and graduation requirements.
• Coordinate the faculty advisor program which seeks to pair MDes students with faculty who will advise on academic matters such as selecting elective courses and specializations. Mentor faculty on advising strategies and campus resources. Serve as staff liaison to faculty. Support faculty review process and coordination of faculty meetings, committees and communications.
• In collaboration with faculty leadership, manage new or revised academic initiatives (including those partnered with JIDI) such as course engagement with industry partners, summer programs, and undergraduate certificate programs.

Admissions - 30%

• Serve as the administrative lead on the MDes Programs annual admissions process: Respond to admissions inquiries; deliver in-person admissions marketing & outreach; provide 1:1 admissions advising; process admissions data; manage all responsibilities related to the admissions application (Slate) including the processing of data in Slate; manage the recruitment and onboarding of the admissions committee; liaise with human resources to create appointments for alumni serving on the admissions committee; manage admissions review materials; deliver online admissions outreach; track admissions event engagement; coordinate admissions review process; communicate with admitted students on admissions materials; track yield data; analyze admissions data; respond to incoming student questions; liaise with the Berkeley International Office on visa issues; plan outreach and recruitment logistics; liaise with the UC Berkeley Graduate Division to ensure admissions program compliance with university policy; and advise leadership on university policies affecting decision-making.
• Recruitment and Admissions: Advise leadership and external affairs colleagues on outreach strategies. Directly contribute to admissions marketing and communications. Meet with prospective students and conduct information sessions.

Staff Supervision - 15%

• Supervise staff including full time employees. These employees may have responsibilities at the Jacobs Institute. Recruit, hire and supervise student employees. For all, develop regular operating procedures and updates for assigned responsibilities. Provide training and/or coaching.

Academic Advising & Development - 5%

• Apply advanced academic advising concepts, experience, and knowledge of widely recognized advising theories/philosophies to identify and resolve intricate student issues/grievances. Determine the proper referrals for these students whose academics may be adversely affected by issues such as mental health, financial aid, personal and/or family problems, and disabilities.

Financial Aid - 5%

• Recommend resolution of extremely sensitive, specialized, and/or complex financial aid issues. Supervises the staff member who allocates financial aid to students in campus systems.

Financial Aid Coordination - 5%

• Advise MDes management on available funds for entering students based upon return to aid and fellowship opportunities. Coordinate with leadership to obtain the annual return to aid amount.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of advising and counseling techniques.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills: advanced skills in navigating decision-making and stakeholder viewpoints.
• Multicultural competencies; ability to work with diverse populations.
• Enthusiasm for working with students to create a high-quality education and experience in the MDes program, at the Jacobs Institute, in the College of Engineering, and in the College of Environmental Design, and at UC Berkeley in general.
• Ability in problem identification and reasoning: ability to develop original ideas to solve problems and persuade leadership.
• Skills in monitoring / assessing people, processes or services, to make improvements.
• Skills in project management, social perceptiveness to be aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of how design is taught at the graduate level including studio-based learning.
• Knowledge of University-specific policies, procedures, and computer applications required to perform responsibilities and/or the ability to learn.

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• A degree in a design discipline (Preferred).

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $74,700 - $106,900 yearly.

• This is an Exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Other Information

• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.