Academic Program Manager - Jacobs Institute

Academic Program Manager (4576U) - Jacobs Institute #89681

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

The Berkeley Master of Design (Berkeley MDes) is a professional graduate degree offered in partnership between the College of Engineering and the College of Environmental Design, with a curriculum focused on designing emerging technologies and the social and cultural contexts in which these technologies are shaped.

Berkeley MDes is a studio-based program in which students are immersed in community, collaboration, and hands-on learning. Over three semesters and one summer, students complete a total of eight required core courses and four electives. In the final semester, students develop and present a thesis project that represents the culmination of their intellectual journey in the program.

MDes is housed in Jacobs Hall, a 24,000 square foot building equipped with design studios and equipment rooms featuring the latest in digital fabrication technologies. Second and third semester MDes students have dedicated studio desks and full 24/7 access to the MDes Studio.

Jacobs Hall is managed by the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation (Jacobs Institute) which operates a makerspace open to all UC Berkeley students, conducts undergraduate courses in design innovation, and supports learning and making at the intersection of design and technology through grants, public programming, and community building. The Jacobs Institute and MDes collaborate across their operations in order to leverage common knowledge and practices.

The Academic Program Manager handles a wide range of student services duties and responsibilities for an academic department, school, college, or organization. This position provides assistance to the dean, chair, faculty, and students in academic advising, recruitment, admissions, financial aid, visa/immigration matters, the evaluation and awarding of fellowships and block grant funds, student orientation and events, career counseling, and related programs.

The Academic Program Manager serves as a strategic programmatic leader for the MDes program, managing the entire student lifecycle from recruitment and admissions to graduation. This position is responsible for driving program growth through data-informed recruitment strategies, benchmarking against national competitors, and implementing complex academic and financial policies. Additionally, the Academic Program Manager provides high-level consultative guidance to faculty and leadership and leads the design of professional development initiatives and high-visibility academic milestone events.

The First Review Date for this job is:
November 11, 2026

For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Program Management - 40%

• Provide and make recommendations on MDes policies; identify policy areas needing clarification,…