Program Administrator

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

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 and shape 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.

Position Summary:
The Program Administrator for the Departments of Philosophy and Religion supports all front office operations and plays a pivotal role in academic administration, communications, and event execution. Reporting to the department administrator, this position serves as the primary liaison for faculty, students, visitors, and campus partners, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and high-quality support for departmental programs, events, and communications.

This position is responsible for planning and executing a wide range of academic and public events, managing internal communications and digital content, coordinating course scheduling, supporting student programs and travel, and administering budget and procurement processes. The Program Administrator works independently and collaboratively to ensure both departments function efficiently and project a dynamic public presence.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate is a proactive, high-energy professional who thrives in a vibrant, people-centric environment and genuinely enjoys the daily variety of a front-facing role. You understand that in a busy academic hub, face-to-face interactions and frequent interruptions from faculty and staff are not distractions but a core part of the mission that requires a “warm welcome” mentality and exceptional patience. Beyond your superior interpersonal skills, you are a master of organization, who can pivot seamlessly between complex administrative tasks and event planning while remaining calm under pressure. You possess a solid foundation in academic administration and communications, with the technical savvy to move fluently between creative platforms like Adobe Creative Suite or Canva and critical internal systems such as iO, CLSS, and CIM.

Workplace Requirements:
This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at Rice University’s Humanities Building from 8–5, Monday–Friday. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Participates in occasional evening or weekend events (e.g., conferences, lectures, student events, and commencement events).

Hiring Range: This position is benefits-eligible and exempt*. It has an expected minimum salary of $58,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree

  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year for year basis may be substituted

• 1+ years of related professional experience (not as a student or volunteer) in office administration and event planning and execution