Program Manager, MSW Program- School of Social Work

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Duties & Responsibilities:

The Program Manager, MSW Program provides strategic administrative leadership and operational management for the Master of Social Work (MSW) program within the VCU School of Social Work. The position is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the program’s core administrative functions, managing complex academic and operational processes, and ensuring effective service delivery that directly supports student success, faculty effectiveness, and program quality.

Working under intermittent supervision, the Program Manager independently resolves complex operational issues, refers unprecedented matters to senior leadership as appropriate, and serves as a key liaison among faculty, staff, students, and central university units. The position reports to senior academic leadership (e.g., MSW Program Director and/or School leadership) and may provide functional direction to instructional and administrative personnel without being primarily supervisory in nature.

The primary purpose of the role is the strategic management of daily MSW program operations, with responsibility for continuous improvement of administrative practices, policies, and systems.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Administrative Management

• Oversee and coordinate all administrative affairs of the MSW Program, ensuring alignment with School, College, and University priorities

• Provide strategic management of daily operations across multiple program functions, including academics, student services, faculty support, assessment, and communications

• Identify opportunities to improve administrative effectiveness through development of new processes, tools, and practices that enhance program efficiency and service delivery

• Manage and execute highly complex or specialized academic and operational processes, exercising independent judgment with significant impact on student progression and faculty support

Program Operations and Decision-Making

• Serve as a primary operational liaison between the MSW Program and internal units such as Academic Affairs, Finance, Human Resources, Student Services, Enrollment Management, Registrar, and the VCU Bookstore

• Provide expert guidance and administrative leadership on interpretation and implementation of policies, procedures, and regulations affecting MSW students and faculty

• Maintain responsibility for complex policy-related documentation and decision workflows, including Special Action Forms (SAFs), registration overrides, licensure documentation, course waivers and transfers, independent studies, incompletes, and program format changes

• Collaborate with senior leadership to address escalated student, faculty, and operational concerns with discretion and confidentiality

Budget and Resource Management

• Collaborate with the MSW Program Director to monitor and manage the MSW program budget, including tracking expenditures and forecasting needs

• Meet regularly with the School of Social Work Finance Office to review financial status and support fiscally responsible program operations

• Prepare and process purchasing requests, reimbursements, and supply management in accordance with university and school policies

Academic Program Administration

• Oversee course management processes, including:

  • Coordinating course staffing workflows for Community Embedded Faculty (CEFs)

  • Managing course scheduling, section changes, and enrollment monitoring in Banner

  • Ensuring internal databases accurately reflect official course offerings and registrations

• Provide leadership in faculty onboarding processes, coordinating HR access, instructional resources, syllabi, and course materials

• Maintain institutional course documentation, including syllabus archives, course competencies, and instructional resources, to support assessment and accreditation needs

• Coordinate mid-semester course evaluations and support instructional quality improvement

Assessment, Data, and Reporting

• Provide administrative leadership for MSW program assessment activities, including collaboration with the Director of Assessment

• Oversee data collection, tracking, and reporting related to enrollment, course staffing, grade submission, and student progress

• Generate and analyze enrollment and operational reports to inform strategic planning and staffing decisions

Communication and Engagement

• Lead the development and distribution of the MSW Program newsletter and other strategic communications to students, faculty, and instructional staff

• Coordinate dissemination of program events, deadlines, and opportunities through appropriate communication channels

• Maintain oversight of MSW program communication systems, shared drives, calendars, and documentation repositories to ensure accuracy, consistency, and accessibility

Institutional Support and Collaboration

• Provide program-level administrative leadership in support of School initiatives, including graduation processes and student success events

• Serve as a cross-trained resource and operational back-up for other academic programs as needed

• Participate in School and University initiatives that require administrative expertise and cross-functional coordination

• Perform other administrative duties as assigned in support of School and program objectives

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications

• 5-6 years of professional experience working within Higher Education 

• Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling, or related field or an equivalent combination of education, experience, and training

• 3-5 years of extensive experience advising online graduate students 

• Demonstrated ability to provide independent administrative leadership in a complex academic environment

• Proven experience managing multiple, interrelated operational processes with competing priorities

• Strong oral, interpersonal, and written communication skills, with the ability to serve as an effective liaison across functional areas

• Demonstrated judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential matters

• Ability to analyze processes, recommend improvements, and implement solutions that enhance service delivery and student success

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

• Ability to work effectively in both in-person and remote/hybrid environments

• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications

• HigherEd experience within multiple roles (i.e. financial aid, graduate admissions, recruiting, graduate advising, administration)

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Benefits: All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more.

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Restricted Position: No

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Contact Information
Contact Name: Qasarah Bey-Spencer
Contact Email: beyqd@vcu.edu