Manager of Recruiting & Operations for Biomedical Graduate Programs

Position Summary:

The Manager of Recruiting and Operations for Biomedical Graduate Programs position is part of the Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) office located within the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The Manager will work closely with the Sr Assistant and Sr Associate Deans for BRET as well as the Recruiting and Curriculum leadership team to support the activities related to recruitment within the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) and Quantitative and Chemical Biology (QCB) programs. Additionally the manager will support various operational tasks to enhance the training experience for first-year biomedical research graduate students and the activities of the Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy (VSSA). This role requires strong communication skills ability to work well with others and independence in task execution.

About the Work Unit:

The BRET Office supports and coordinates graduate education postdoctoral training minority affairs career development and educational technology initiatives for the Vanderbilt biomedical research community. Within the BRET Office are the Office of Career Development ASPIRE Program the Office of Outcomes Analysis and all aspects of the admissions processes for graduate programs in the biomedical sciences including the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and the Quantitative & Chemical Biology Program.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Recruiting and Admissions (60%):

• Arrange recruitment catering book rooms for applicant meetings prepare and set up items needed for in-person recruiting day activities (name tags refreshments goodie bags)
• Schedule on-site travel arrangements for applicants (hotel blocks air-travel)
• Manage communications with applicants including messaging related to interview selection dates arrangements to meet with faculty; communicate invitations to interview offers declines etc.
• Ensure access to applications for faculty interviewers etc.
• Build an online workbook for the IGP/QCB teams to record and monitor the status of candidates.
• Establish interview schedules by securing three faculty interviewers per candidate.
• Organize students and faculty to meet with interviewing candidates during recruiting lunches and dinners.
• Secure the submission of interview reports for each candidate and remind faculty interviewers as needed.
• Problem-solve any unanticipated last-minute changes (e.g. no-show interviewers candidates whose travel is disrupted disruptions in vendor services).
• Organize student reimbursements.
• Maintain outcomes analysis of the interview vs admissions process. Work with Director of Recruitment to provide detailed picture for various leaders.

• Notify faculty interviewers of applicant offers and acceptances. Send faculty interviewers notice of candidates with unanswered offers who might want to reach out in the hope of securing an acceptance.

• Facilitate candidate-faculty and candidate-grad student connections post-visit.

• Download application materials for full cohort and work with the Web Applications Group (WAG) to load them into the BRET Student Files system.

• Stay engaged with best practices and introduce new and/or alternative recruiting strategies as needed.
• Use data to establish and track recruitment goals during the interview season.
• Continue to build faculty and grad student participation in recruiting.
• Leverage functionality of available application portal systems to support recruiting efforts.
• Stay abreast of recruitment trends and yield strategies.

• Develop standard correspondence for the admissions process.

• Work with leadership to select interview dates for the IGP & QCB each year considering University holidays local schools scheduling and availability of hotel blocks and on-campus rooms.

• Partner with the Director of Recruitment to plan and coordinate special events: admissions workshops support services expo interviewing workshops for faculty.
• Compile admissions data and create reports for the admissions committee as needed.

• Recruit train and supervise graduate students participating in recruiting events.

• Secure competitive bids for hotel blocks and document reasons for hotel selection.

• Negotiate secure and sign hotel catering event space and hired shuttle service contracts for all recruiting events.

• Review process and pay hotel shuttle catering and event space invoices.

Academic Support and Operations (20%)

• Lead the multi-step annual rebuild of the Open Lab List (OLL) each summer. This includes surveying all eligible faculty about their interest in taking students during the upcoming academic year and obtaining approvals from primary chairs and DGSs for faculty who want to be included on the OLL.

• Organize and host poster sessions for PIs on the OLL.

• Coordinate with the Web Applications Group (WAG) team to populate the Affiliation System with OLL faculty.

• Process requests for faculty additions or removals from the OLL throughout the academic year.

• Solicit create and publish a list of PIs interested in hiring early arriving students for summer work.

• Create the Program Lunch Schedule to send to DGSs and Program Managers.

• Communicate with Program Managers to ensure the smooth execution of program lunches.

• Collect materials presented during program lunches and post them on Brightspace.

Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy (20%):

• Update and maintain the VSSA handbook and website.

• Collaborate with the VSSA Director to generate the Seminar Schedule.

• Communicate with VSSA seminar speakers and securing room bookings.

• Plan and supervise weekly VSSA seminar lunches.

• Coordinate with the Director of Trainee Well-Being on VSSA activities.

• Generate and maintain/manage the list-serve of VSSA students and send email.

• Organize and host the VSSA symposium at the end of summer including communicating with attendees booking rooms arranging poster boards compiling the abstract book and ordering refreshments.

• Update end of VSSA survey send survey and compile results.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

This position is 60% dedicated to admissions and recruitment activities; 20% academic support and operations and 20% management of the VSSA activities. For all key functions the Manager is expected to report to and work closely with BRET leadership attend all meetings associated with the key functions and be responsive and highly communicative with leadership to ensure smooth operations for admissions recruitment and first-year student curriculum and activities.

Required qualifications:

A Bachelors degree from an accredited institution of higher education

Proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Word Excel PowerPoint Publisher Outlook); Strong written and verbal communications skills; the ability to multi-task and work well with others; responsiveness to requests and ability to meet deadlines.