Program Coordinator

JOB TITLE

Program Coordinator

Worcester

Robotics Engineering

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

Worcester Polytechnic Institute seeks a full-time Program Coordinator for a six-year, NSF-funded S-STEM scholarship program that will support 70 annual scholarships for low-income undergraduate and master’s students across four degree programs (RBE, MME, CEAE, IMGD). The program combines scholarships with an integrated set of academic and professional development activities: VINE (Vertically Integrated Nexus Experience) research projects that connect scholars across academic levels, CoHORT cross-disciplinary project teams organized around convergent research themes, a personalized Bridge curriculum for transfer and entering scholars, and a structured internship and career pathway with industry partners.

The Program Coordinator is central to the daily operation and cohort continuity of the program. Working closely with the PI, a Co-PI team spanning four academic programs, an external evaluator, community college partners, and industry partners, the Coordinator serves as the program’s operational hub and the primary day-to-day point of contact for scholars. Because scholars enter in overlapping annual cohorts, the position requires someone who can hold a complex, multi-year picture of every participant while running the recurring annual cycle of recruitment, selection, programming, and reporting.

• Manage the annual application and selection cycle end to end, including the unified application process, the Spring deadline for fall cohort entry, and the mid-year replacement cycle that maintains full cohort strength.
• Work with departmental advisors and Faculty Champions each spring to identify high-potential sophomores eligible for junior-year entry; coordinate with the Office of Student Aid & Financial Literacy to confirm financial eligibility.
• Support Faculty Champion follow-up with admitted students prior to enrollment.
• Support Co-PI recruiting visits to community college partners (QCC, MWCC, Mass Bay, NECC, Manchester CC, Berkshire CC, Holyoke CC) and to the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez, including scheduling, materials, and follow-up with prospective transfer scholars over the 12–18 month pre-transfer window.
• Serve as a member of the selection committee alongside the PI and Co-PIs; administer the holistic review rubric, coordinate faculty recommendation letters, and schedule finalist interviews.
• Coordinate onboarding for each incoming cohort, including orientation, Bridge placement, faculty champion assignment, and scholarship award notification.

• Build and maintain the centralized scholar database tracking all participants, with semester-by-semester records of GPA, program participation, financial aid status, and milestone completion.
• Monitor early warning indicators (academic, financial, and engagement) and elevate concerns promptly to the PI and the scholar’s Faculty Champion so that the support can be put in place before a scholar is at risk of leaving.
• Track scholarship eligibility, renewal decisions, and award continuation in coordination with the Office of Student Aid & Financial Literacy and the sponsored programs office.
• Maintain accurate rosters and status records for scholars moving between stages (junior/senior undergraduate, accelerated BS/MS, master’s) and manage the replacement cycle when a scholar exits.

• Coordinate mentor–mentee matching across the program, pairing scholars with near-peer mentors and Faculty Champions based on research theme, discipline, and academic level; monitor Faculty Champion caseloads against the five-scholar cap.
• Coordinate scholar placement into VINE vertical projects and CoHORT cross-disciplinary teams, working with faculty to align scholar interests with active projects.
• Support delivery of the Bridge curriculum, including coordination of the self-paced module library, the structured summer course pathway for incoming transfer students, and…