Program Specialist, Graduate Student Life

**Classification & Regular Hours**:
Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade: 15

**About Western**:
**About Us**:
Student Experience fosters equitable learning environments in which all Mustangs can thrive to their full potential. Our vision is for all Mustangs to **discover **their pathway through the rich, wholistic learning environment, to **engage **in community on and off campus, and to develop the skills they need to **thrive **throughout their degree and after graduation.

**Responsibilities**:
Reporting to the Associate Director, Transitions, Leadership & Enrichment, Student Experience, the Program Specialist, Graduate Student Life, will be accountable for providing leadership in the creation of programming and services for graduate students that support them to thrive in their roles as learners, researchers and educators. Examples of programming and services include graduate student orientation, leadership development programming, Strengths programming, community building, personal and professional development and individual advising.

The role works closely with the directors across the Student Experience portfolio, the Vice-President Students (Student Experience), the Office of the Vice Provost, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS), and the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) as the central resource that provides leadership and support in building a graduate student life and community that enriches student experience and engagement for more than 5,000 students in over 80 + graduate programs.

**Qualifications**:

- Education:
- Masters Degree with a major in Psychology, Education, Business Administration or related field
- Experience:
- 5 years’ experience designing and delivering graduate student affairs or graduate student life activities in a higher education or related environment
- Experience supporting (graduate) student affairs would be an asset
- Experience supporting the diverse needs of both masters and doctoral level students preferred
- Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- In-depth knowledge of programs and services which have proven to enhance graduate student experience in higher education institutes
- Ability to understand graduate student needs and expectations and lead the development of programs and services to directly and indirectly satisfy expectations
- Ability to effectively present information and conduct workshops to diverse audiences including faculty, staff and students
- Ambitious, with the ability to identify opportunities, recommend improvements, develop action plans, and set challenging goals in order to achieve desired outcomes
- Ability to thoughtfully consider the allocation of resources and adjust priorities in response to unexpected events or changing circumstances
- Influential interpersonal skills that build positive and strong relationships at all levels of the organization
- Ability to search within and outside the formal boundaries of the organization for innovative ways to improve work
- Project management skills to align projects with strategic goals and operational objectives
- Advanced ability to effectively communicate (orally and in writing) with all levels of the organization
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, meet tight deadlines and adapt to growth and change
- Flexibility to work outside of regular business hours on occasion
- Attention to detail with an ability to retrieve, analyze and synthesize sizable amounts of data, while ensuring that information is accurate and comprehensive
- Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate both orally and in writing at all levels of an organization, including, preparing reports, and delivering presentations

**Western Values Diversity**:
**Please Note**:
**Effective September 7, 2021, all employees and visitors to campus are required to comply with Western's **COVID-19 Vaccination Policy**.**

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.