Program Coordinator

• Job Type: Support Staff - Union
• Bargaining Unit: Local 2110
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 20
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building: Pulitzer Hall
• Salary Range: $33.45/hr. - $35.72/hr.

Position Summary

This part-time administrative position will support both Columbia Journalism Review (CJR)  and The Brown Institute (Brown).

The Program Coordinator will work closely with the Deputy Director, Brown Institute to carry out the institute's goals, with primary responsibility for the administration of finances and event logistics.

They will also work to support CJR’s mission, primarily through the administration of the publication’s finances and other administrative and logistical work. 

The Brown Institute is a unique, bicoastal partnership between Columbia Journalism School (CJS) and Stanford’s School of Engineering. It was founded with a gift from Helen Gurley Brown (HGB) in 2012, and offers grants and development support for original work crossing journalism, media and technology. Each year, the Columbia and Stanford sides of the institute together award over $1M to help teams “follow their passions and experiment with new approaches to storytelling,” to paraphrase Gurley Brown. Since our founding, the Institute has funded over 160 projects, supporting nearly 425 people. Some of these grants produced innovative works of journalism, others developed platforms to assist with creativity, and still others explored entirely new forms of expression. 

The Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) is the intellectual leader in the rapidly changing world of journalism. Our coverage takes the form of special issues, daily articles, newsletters, podcasts, and more. The work we do is produced by a small team of staff members, including post-graduate fellows, along with regular contractors and occasional freelancers.

This position is contingent on performance and the continued availability of funding.

Responsibilities

Manages financial transactions for CJR and the Brown Institute including, but not limited to, making vendor payments, processing travel expenses, issuing contracts, and managing other bills. Where applicable, creates and provides reports analyzing these expenditures, and presents these statistics to senior leadership.

Supports staff, fellows, grantees, and researchers by coordinating travel, procurement, and reimbursements. 

Prepares and monitors budgets and regular status reports. Researches, analyzes, and summarizes financial activities in all accounts; oversees the reconciliation of those accounts. Be prepared for regular meetings and be responsive to emails or calls about budget-related matters. 

Responsible for financial and administrative compliance with Columbia fiscal policy and provides fiscal oversight department accounts. This includes reviewing and analyzing budgets, and identifying improvements and solutions to budget issues.

As needed, handles logistics for CJR or Brown Institute events and workshops and coordinates in-house staff (e.g. Facilities, Audio Visual, IT) and outside vendors to develop successful events that meet budget requirements. 

Serves as the point person for HR administrative issues including, but not limited to, paid time off tracking and reporting, performance appraisals, effort reporting, hiring, and onboarding.  

Manages administrative aspects and day-to-day operations of the Brown Institute. Responds to inquiries, evaluating and categorizing accordingly, and forwarding when suitable to appropriate parties. At CJR, ensures that all billing and budget related needs are addressed such that the publication can function, responding to updates from service providers, communicating with colleagues, and participating in recurring budget meetings. 

Serves as liaison to various university offices including, but not limited to, Journalism School and Central Finance, Sponsored Projects and Procurement.  

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:        Bachelor’s degree and/or its equivalent

Experience:       Minimum of up to 2 years related experience

Other: 

Ability to work independently under great pressure and to meet deadlines exercising initiative. Must be detail oriented, and be able to identify priorities within multiple assignments. Excellent customer service orientation and good communication, organization, interpersonal and writing skills are essential.  Should have some research skills. Strong computer proficiency is also required. Should be able to work extended hours and weekends when events and/or conferences are scheduled.

Preferred Qualifications

Other Requirements

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.