Job Details

Academic Coordinator, SAS - Physics and Astronomy

Position Number: 6396520
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Position Type: Academic Advising

Academic Coordinator, SAS - Physics and Astronomy

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Academic Coordinator, SAS - Physics and Astronomy

Job Profile Title
Academic Coordinator

Job Description Summary
This position will assist the Graduate and Undergraduate Chairs with student affairs, communications, and activities as needed in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Job Description

The University of Pennsylvania Department of Physics and Astronomy combines world-leading science with the intimate faculty-student community unique to small departments. We are among the smallest of all Physics and Astronomy Departments of the top 25, but we have labs and facilities comparable to some national laboratories, and we often top the list of most highly-cited research.

We have three broad areas of research: Condensed Matter Physics, which includes experimental and theoretical work in hard condensed matter, quantum materials, soft condensed matter, biophysics, and living matter; Astronomy, which at Penn includes experimental theoretical and experimental astronomy, dark energy and dark matter, galactic observations and modeling, and extrasolar planet searches; and Particle Physics, which on the experimental side includes higgs and SUSY searches at ATLAS, and low- and high-energy neutrino physics with experiments like SNO+, T2K, and DUNE, and on the theoretical side includes string theory and phenomenology, broad and deep explorations of field theory, and implications for cosmology.

Job Responsibilities/Duties:

This position will assist the Graduate and Undergraduate Chairs with student affairs, communications, and activities as needed in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Coordinate and oversee the graduate program from admissions to graduation. Register permits for classes, track course and exam requirements. Process all forms related to degree completion, withdrawal, leave of absence, and generate student letters when needed for travel, conferences, and reimbursements. Monitor graduate student budget for activities and events.Liaison between DRL business office and the Graduate Division of Arts & Sciences. Process, track, and submit all internal fellowships and awards supporting graduate students. Organize and coordinate visiting day recruiting for prospective applicants. Update career tracker employment of graduating students. Track applications and run reports throughout the admission cycle for completion in Slate. Assist Graduate Chair with generating application reports at the end of the admissions cycle for all internal and external reports.

Assist Undergraduate Chair and Graduate Chair with tracking undergraduate submatriculation course requirements. Prepare undergraduate MS course requirements for graduation completion. Approve permits for undergraduate courses. Assist the Undergraduate Chair with tracking XCAT approvals for credit away and AP credit approvals. Liaison between the Undergraduate Chair, student representatives, and DRL business office. Process departmental student awards.

Recruit, track, record, and approve timesheets for teaching assistants, learning assistants, graders and proctors for undergraduate and graduate courses in the department in the Fall, Spring, and Summer.

Monitor updates, changes, and corrections for undergraduate and graduate department websites, handbooks, and catalogs throughout the academic year and submit changes to appropriate staff.

Act as a backup assisting faculty with copying coursework and exams.

Perform additional duties as assigned

Qualifications:

High School Grad/GE Degree and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Bachelor's Degree with 3-5 years of related experience strongly preferred. . Excellent diplomatic, interpersonal and professional skills a must. A collaborative, positive, problem-solving, patient, customer service attitude toward faculty, students, staff colleagues and department visitors is essential. Strong computer skills required. Excellent organizational skills, oral and written communication skills are required. Familiarity with University systems is strongly preferred.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range
$21.15 - $29.00 Hourly Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/DRL-Physics/Academic-Coordinator--SAS---Physics-and-Astronomy_JR00108615