Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program Coordinator

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The Cal-Bridge program is a partnership of all three segments of the California higher education system: 10 University of California (UC), 23 California State Universities (CSU), and 116 California Community College (CCC) campuses. The Cal-Bridge program consists of four distinct but interconnected programs: the undergraduate program, summer research program, doctoral program, and postdoctoral program, which together create a comprehensive, end-to-end pathway for undergraduate STEM majors from the diverse student population of the three systems through graduate school to a PhD, postdoctoral fellowship, and ultimately membership in the STEM professoriate or tech workforce.

The Cal-Bridge Undergraduate Program provides financial support, intensive mentoring and professional development for third- and fourth-year CSU students and sponsors summer research opportunities at major research institutions, with the goal of achieving competitiveness with their applications to PhD programs. The Cal-Bridge Summer research program provides research opportunities for CSU and CCC STEM undergraduates at UC campuses and leading research institutions nationwide. The Cal-Bridge Doctoral Program provides doctoral fellowships and focuses on professional development in the areas of research leadership and pedagogy, continued development of professional networks, and acculturation into leadership careers in academia, government, and industry. The doctoral program is open to Cal-Bridge undergraduate scholars who matriculate to a PhD program as well as UC LEADS undergraduates from Cal-Bridge majors who matriculate to a UC PhD program. The Cal-Bridge postdoctoral program, in partnership with the UC PPFP program, provides two-year postdoctoral fellowships at a UC or CSU campus, to further prepare scholars to become competitive faculty candidates.

The University of California, Irvine is seeking a Doctoral Program Coordinator for Cal-Bridge. Under the direction of the Assistant Director for Administration and Finance, this position serves as the primary staff coordinator for doctoral and postdoctoral programs, working closely with program leadership to implement strategic initiatives, develop standard operating procedures, and drive continuous process improvements. The role acts as the central point of contact for scholars, manages program data systems, tracks key outcomes, and coordinates logistics for the Summer Institute, Summer Research scholars at the UCs, and FAST scholars at the CSUs.

The Coordinator also manages a broad range of financial activities, including processing stipends, fellowships, reimbursements, reconciling credit card charges, coordinating fund distribution, and maintaining compliance with campus procurement policies. Additionally, the role provides general administrative support, supervises student employees, trains staff on updated policies, and serves as a knowledgeable resource and liaison within the Cal-Bridge community and across UC campuses. This is a fully remote position that will require travel up to 25% of the time to attend and participate in various Cal-Bridge meetings and conferences as requested.

Doctoral and Postdoctoral Programs Coordinator
Act as primary staff coordinator for all program efforts in support of the doctoral and postdoctoral programs. Work with program leadership to implement their strategic plan for the doctoral and postdoctoral programs. Serve as the key point of contact to provide necessary information to doctoral and postdoctoral scholars. Identify and suggest process and system improvements. Develop SOPs and policies that enhance operations. Create and update manuals. Develop efficient and effective systems for acquiring, compiling, analyzing and managing information pertaining to the doctoral and postdoctoral programs. Create systems to track outcomes and demographics including doctoral degrees and career outcomes. Attend and provide support for the doctoral Summer Institute. Coordinate contracts and logistics for Summer Research scholars at the UC’s. Coordinate contracts and logistics for FAST scholars at the CSUs. Contribute to the program website and platforms as a marketing and program information tool.

Financial Support
Initiate transactions and complete all necessary accounting forms (i.e. stipends and fellowships, check requests, recharge forms, direct payments, hotel accommodations, entertainment and travel reimbursements) for Cal-Bridge personnel, conference speakers, scholars and visitors. Assist in reconciling credit card charges related to conference travel, events, office supplies, and recurring charge accounts.
Coordinate fund distribution to participants, scholars, faculty, consultants, and contractors across the state.
Identify and track outside university financial contacts and Interlocation Transfer of Funds (ITF) account strings. Track expenditures and document disbursements of funds for the doctoral program. Investigate payment problems and resolve discrepancies. Working with the Physical Sciences Purchasing Office, research and recommend vendors/prices/equipment; determine most competitive prices; identify substitutes for supplies and low value equipment. Create purchase requisitions for supplies and services as needed. Maintain and reconcile department purchasing. Maintain knowledge of campus financial and procurement policies and practices, act as a resource and liaison for division/accounting on current accounting regulations and procedures.

General Administrative Support
Perform general administrative duties to include, but not limited to: word-processing, bookkeeping, copying, mailing (including mail merges) and Google drive file management. Maintain email and program distribution lists. Complete projects as assigned such as organizing electronic files/folders, and overseeing and compiling updates to program contact information. Assist with coordination of space and facilities. Schedule room reservations and facilitate media needs for conference rooms. Provide training to new or re-train existing personnel on new processes and policies related to travel, reimbursement, entertainment, and databases etc. Supervise student employees, including submitting and approving hours worked. Assist Doctoral Director and Postdoctoral Director in communication, calendaring, and other administrative tasks as needed. Maintain annual Financial and Doctoral program calendars. Maintain knowledge of campus and program policies and practices. Act as a resource and liaison for Cal-Bridge within the Cal-Bridge community and UCs.

Required:

• Strong organizational and planning skills, including the ability to set priorities, maintain workflow, meet deadlines for simultaneous projects, and complete a high volume of work with attention to detail and accuracy with frequent interruptions.
• Demonstrated analytical, problem solving and decision-making skills, while exercising flexibility, initiative and discretion.
• Financial management and accounting skills. Familiarity with generally accepted accounting principles, funding accounting, internal control standards, and/or audit principles. Ability to learn federal and state funding policies and procedures.
• Ability to work with diverse groups to achieve results.
• Experience using computers with speed and accuracy for word processing, spreadsheets, database record entry, electronic mail and internet searches.
• Ability to learn and use new systems and software programs.
• Strong interpersonal and customer-service skills. Ability to work with and support Faculty, Staff, and scholars.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey information clearly, concisely, and accurately.
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a team.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
• 1-3 yearsFinancial Management and Accounting

Preferred:

• Academic background and experience in Physics & Astronomy and/or Computer Science and/or Mathematics.
• Knowledge of federal and state funding policies and procedures, with a thorough knowledge of and experience in contract and grant administration.
• Demonstrated ability to set and maintain a positive, collaborative, open, "can-do" environment.
• Familiarity with University personnel policies and procedures.
• 1-3 yearsCoordinator of a Program
• 1-3 yearsEmployment in Higher Education

Special Conditions:

• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• Ability to safely perform the physical requirements necessary to move light to moderate objects up to 60 lbs., with or without accommodation.
• This is a fully remote position, and the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCI remote work agreement.
• This position requires the ability to report to campus to work in-person as operationally required, with reasonable notice as determined by your manager.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• Ability to travel to multiple work locations on and off campus.
• Ability to travel within a defined regional or service area.

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

The expected pay range for this recruitment is $32.74- $35.02 (Hourly).

Conditions of Employment:

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UCI community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment:

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct*
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment

*Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
• E-Verify
• Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at (949) 824-0500 or eec@uci.edu.