Senior Department Administrator

Special Instructions to Applicants: Applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in PDF format to the Supporting Documents section of the application. 

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors, shaping Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

About The Shepherd School of Music

Founded in 1975, the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University is one of the nation’s leading music schools, offering intensive professional training within a world-class research university. The School enrolls approximately 285 students from around the globe and is supported by 75 artist-teachers and scholars. Shepherd faculty are active performers, composers, scholars, and pedagogues whose work includes major awards, recordings, publications, and leadership roles in the field.

Shepherd offers bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and artist diploma programs in composition, conducting, music history, orchestral and keyboard studies, organ, piano, and voice/opera. The School is supported by a professional administrative and production staff that works in close partnership with faculty to advance both the academic and performance missions of the institution. Housed in Alice Pratt Brown Hall and Brockman Hall for Opera, the School features four major performance venues, extensive teaching and practice spaces, and presents more than 400 performances and events annually. Graduates pursue careers as performers, educators, composers, conductors, and arts leaders in professional organizations and academic institutions worldwide.

Position Summary

The Senior Department Administrator serves as the financial and human resource expert for the Shepherd School of Music, combining strategic budget planning with hands-on administrative support. Reporting to the Senior Assistant Dean & Managing Director, this position works in close partnership with the Dean, department chairs, faculty, staff, and central university offices.

Success in this role depends on earning trust and advancing school goals through collaboration. The Sr. Department Administrator plays a vital part in maintaining a culture of service excellence. They serve a critical leadership role in financial forecasting and long-term planning for the school, while remaining actively engaged in daily operations and transactional work such as processing payroll, expenses, reimbursements, contracts, and reports in support of faculty and key staff.

We are looking for a candidate who brings strong financial acumen and sound judgment, and also sees themselves as a service-oriented collaborator. They will maintain a steady, proactive approach while navigating the diverse roles and ranks of an academic environment. They are comfortable managing complex budgets and identifying practical paths forward, acting as a creative problem-solver who balances high-level strategy with approachable, hands-on partnership with faculty, staff, students, and world class guest artists and scholars. 

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at Alice Pratt Brown Hall. Hybrid/remote work opportunities may be possible on a limited basis outside of the academic year following the completion of the probationary period. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $,92,500 to $101,750 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements