Graduate Contracts and Budget Coordinator, Office of Graduate Studies

Engineering a world of possibilities

The Graduate Contract & Budget Coordinator is a professional within the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS) who plays a critical role in the oversight and administration of graduate funding as well as managing initiatives and events that foster graduate program growth. This position manages the campus-wide graduate contracting system in collaboration with multiple partner offices, while providing specialized contract preparation support for specifically-assigned Master’s and PhD programs within the Energy & Materials Portfolio. This position is also expected to launch new initiatives, manage budgets, organize events, and complete various administrative tasks. The Graduate Contract & Budget Coordinator works under the direction of the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The position must function with a high degree of independence in decision-making and workload management to allow for timely, and often individualized, attention and service to prospective and current graduate students.

FUNDING, BUDGETS AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT (50%)

Essential Functions: Yes

• Uphold and follow Mines policies and practices on graduate student hiring and funding (e.g. RA, TA, Graduate Teaching Fellows (GTF), Hourly, Fellowships, other) as guided by the Graduate Dean, Budget office, Office of Research Administration, Bursar’s office, General Counsel, Human Resources, and campus leadership
• Coordinate the review and approval of graduate funding/contracts with all relevant offices (academic departments, Bursar, International Student Services, Financial Aid, Research Administration, Accounting, Payroll, and others)
• Manage the campus-wide graduate contracting system in OnBase, coordinating with IT and the partners listed above. Work to identify and implement continuous improvements and/or alternatives to the system.
• Train campus staff on contract policies and procedures and be available for questions.  
• For specific assigned departments/IGPs in the EMP portfolio, coordinate with faculty to obtain funding information for the graduate students and prepare/submit contracts for those students.
• Contract students on fellowships, and coordinate and track the management and disbursement of Fellowship funds internal and external to Mines (e.g. NSF-GRFP, GEM, DOE, DOD, Completion Fellowships, differential tuition fellowships, other.)
• Reconcile all OGS budgets and accounts used for direct funding, matching funding, or reimbursable funding to graduate students.
• With oversight from the Assistant Dean, manage the budget of the Office of Graduate Studies. This includes generating reports to track spending relative to the fiscal budget and coordinating the financial activities of the Graduate Student Government in conjunction with SAIL (student Activities) office.
• File & process expense reports for OGS personnel and students when necessary.

PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT AND OUTREACH (20%)

Essential Functions: Yes

• Plan and assist with graduate student recruiting and outreach events, including but not limited to workshops, and academic programs.

• Coordinate all aspects of event logistics including but not limited to program materials, catering, space reservations, staffing, and promotion.
• Assist with commencement ceremonies each semester, including graduation reports, program design, catering, and event execution.
• Assist other OGS staff in the planning and implementation of various office-led events and programs.
• Conduct other tasks as required

GRADUATE ENROLLMENT INITIATIVES (20%)

Essential Functions: Yes

Work with the Graduate Dean and partners both internal and external to Mines on enrollment initiatives including:

• Conduct regular cost/benefit evaluations of current graduate programs to assess financial well-being.
• Research, recommend, and implement strategies to increase program growth and graduate student enrollment, in particular for online degrees and coursework-based certificates/degrees.
• Identify expanded opportunities for outreach, partnerships, fellowships, scholarships, and/or internships that attract new populations of graduate students to Mines.
• Recommend strategies and assist in implementation of a broad range of programs and initiatives—including signature experiences-- that support graduate student enrollment, retention and completion.

Assessment & Continuous improvement (5%)

Essential Functions: Yes

• Collect, interpret, and report data on admissions and program enrollment to evaluate effectiveness.
• Propose and implement improvements to enhance recr