Rice University · 1 day ago
Assistant Chair
Houston, TX
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
4+ years expRice University is a prestigious institution located in Houston, Texas, known for its commitment to academic excellence and innovative research. The Assistant Chair will oversee graduate and undergraduate program administration, focusing on recruiting, enrollment, and student support, while also leading academic events and faculty coordination.
EducationHigher EducationService IndustryUniversities
Responsibilities
Directs staff and provides leadership to achieve the goals and vision of the organization and the day-to-day operations
Develops and implements strategic plan(s) for functional area(s) managed
Graduate Program Oversight & Administration Support: Supervise Graduate Program Administrator for BCB and EEB programs, ensuring consistency, updates, and assistance during high workload periods, enrollment, orientation, commencement, student records, timeline events, payroll data, fellowships, and awards in collaboration with the chair and executive admin
Undergraduate Program Oversight: Supervise Undergraduate Program Coordinator for BIOS and NEUR programs, providing guidance on course schedules, announcements, orientation, commencement, curriculum support, and program updates (BS-MS-PhD requirements, learning objectives)
Academic Event Planning & Support: Lead and support department-wide academic events, including Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium, faculty receptions, scientific symposia, workshops, and awards ceremonies; responsibilities include scheduling, abstract selection, budget oversight, venue coordination, and faculty/student recruitment as needed
Graduate & Undergraduate Recruiting Support: Central role in coordinating graduate and undergraduate recruiting activities, including interview schedules, faculty involvement, reporting applications, and ensuring smooth operation of recruitment events
Works with leadership to develop and implement a strategic plan for the functional area managed
Advises leadership on specific recommendations for current operations and future development
Committee and Program Support: Serves on and supports multiple committees, including Graduate Recruiting, Faculty Awards, Graduate Advising, and the Bioscience & Health Policy Steering Committee
Graduate Teaching Oversight: Manages negotiation of graduate teaching assignments, acting as liaison between the chair and faculty, ensuring timely communication from faculty and staff, and confirming final announcements to student TAs and instructors
Department History and Outreach: Maintains departmental records, photo repository, website, and social media; assists with outreach and initiatives to improve undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs
Interprets, implements, and ensures compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures
Recommends and/or formulates internal administrative policies, guidelines, and procedures
Responsible for overseeing the finances for the area of responsibility, as well as monitoring and analyzing an annual student budget
Represents the organization's business operations and administrative affairs within the organization, and/or to outside constituencies
Performs all other duties as assigned
Course Instruction & Academic Advising: Co-instructor for BIOS 581/582 Graduate Seminar in Biochemistry & Cell Biology with the department chair; serves as course advisor on the Bioscience and Health Policy faculty steering committee
Student Engagement & Event Support: Assists with Summer REU programs, serves as a judge for student poster sessions and symposia, and acts as a temporary substitute instructor when needed
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's Degree
4+ years of experience
Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills, including conflict resolution
Excellent planning and organizational skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Strong negotiation and interpersonal skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Strong expertise in business and management, computer applications, and databases
Strong knowledge of industry standards and/or regulatory requirements
Subject matter expertise for area(s) of responsibility
Preferred
Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences or related field
Company
Rice University
Rice University is a private research university that focuses on providing undergraduate education services.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Rice University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (113)
2024 (81)
2023 (71)
2022 (65)
2021 (82)
2020 (86)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$80.9MKey Investors
National Heart, Lung and Blood InstituteAdvanced Research Projects Agency for HealthUS Department of Energy
2024-09-19Grant
2024-08-13Grant· $18M
2023-07-27Grant
Leadership Team
Ken Medlock
James A Baker III and Susan G Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics
Kyle Judah
Executive Director, Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Lilie)
Recent News
2026-01-17
2026-01-16
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2026-01-16
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