Program Coordinator

LOCATIONWorcesterDEPARTMENT NAME Robotics Engineering DIVISION NAME Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPIJOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY 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.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Essential Responsibilities:

Scholar Recruitment, Selection, and Onboarding 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.

Cohort Management and Scholar Tracking 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 escalate concerns promptly to the PI and the scholar's Faculty Champion so that 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.

Mentoring and Program Activity Coordination 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 personalized academic plan…