Program Specialist

This position has been deemed critical by the School of Engineering Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring freeze. 

Note - Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. All candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S.

Work Arrangement: This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with a minimum of 3 days/week working at the Stanford main campus, subject to operational needs.

Budgeted Salary: The budgeted base salary range for this position is $38.46 to 45.67 per hour.

The School of Engineering

Stanford Engineering has been at the forefront of innovation for over a century, creating pivotal technologies that have transformed the worlds of information technology, communications, health care, energy, business and beyond. Our faculty and students are creative risk-takers who pursue excellence across a breadth of disciplines. Our alumni include some of the world's most successful leaders in technology and business. Our staff are critical to enabling Stanford Engineering to accomplish its mission: seeking solutions to some of the world's most urgent challenges and educating leaders who will make the world a better place through the power of engineering principles, techniques and systems.

About STVP

Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) is Stanford University's entrepreneurship center, housed within the School of Engineering's Department of Management Science and Engineering. As one of the world's leading entrepreneurship education programs, STVP is dedicated to accelerating high-technology entrepreneurship through cutting-edge research, innovative education, and thought leadership. The program brings together students, faculty, researchers, and industry leaders to foster breakthrough innovations that create positive global impact.

Position Overview

STVP is seeking a detail-orientated, service-minded Program Specialist to support our events and program operations. This role is critical to advancing STVP's mission of entrepreneurship education and thought leadership. As Program Specialist, you will oversee the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of STVP's portfolio of fellows programs and support events - from intimate student engagements to flagship events reaching hundreds of participants. 

The ideal candidate will take pride and ownership of our well-established fellows’ programs and will have the skillset to incrementally improve operations and program value over time. You'll cultivate relationships with key program stakeholders, support students and ensure programs on time and within budget. This is a primarily on-site role with some flexibility for hybrid work when not managing events.

In this role, you will provide:

Program Management & Execution (50%)

• Manage STVP's portfolio of fellows programs, ensuring alignment with organizational mission, audience needs, and priorities
• Identify opportunities for program innovation, expansion, and improvement based on audience insights, assessment data, and emerging trends in entrepreneurship education

Events Planning & Execution (35%)

• Drafting event communications including email invitations, event reminders, thank you for attending and general RSVP management
• Develop contingency plans and manage risk across all program activities

Stakeholder Engagement & Support (10%)

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including faculty, university leadership, industry partners, alumni, and teaching team members
• Serve as primary liaison with School of Engineering and university partners on cross-functional initiatives
• Build partnerships across the Stanford ecosystem to extend our program offerings
• Represent STVP at all STVP events

Operational Excellence & Systems Management (5%)

• Properly leverage program technology platforms and tools (CRM, AI playground, registration tools and other project management software, etc.)
• Ensure compliance with university policies, including financial, legal, and accessibility requirements

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience in higher education, particularly in entrepreneurship or innovation programs
• Knowledge of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and Stanford's entrepreneurial landscape
• Familiarity with AirTable, Luma, or similar platforms

Physical Requirements:

• Valid California Drivers License Required.
• Driving Required. Events are held all over the Bay Area.

Working Conditions:

• Primarily on-site role with some flexibility for hybrid work when not managing events
• Fast-paced environment requiring sustained attention and multitasking
• Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
• Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
• Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.

Responsibilities

Core Duties:

• Act on behalf of the supervisor, department manager, or chair in regards to establishing priorities and identifying and resolving problems that are administrative in nature.

• Oversee and/or perform duties associated with scheduling, organizing, and operating complex conferences, seminars, and events, including arranging with vendors for services, overseeing the production and distribution of materials, administering logistics, and managing event within budget.

• Compose and draft documents and correspondence for presentations, course handouts, grants, conferences, seminars, and reports. Perform substantial editing and fact checking. Create, maintain, modify, and/or ensure accuracy of content in various unit documents, displays, reports, brochures, social media, and/or websites.

• Plan and schedule calendar(s) with limited consultation, resolve calendaring conflicts, and arrange travel in compliance with unit, university, and sponsor policies.

• Create complex reports and spreadsheets which may utilize specialized software and systems.

• Oversee and/or process a variety of complex financial transactions; produce, monitor, and reconcile budget statements; research, identify, and resolve discrepancies. May assist with capital or special equipment requests and/or vendor selection.

• Coordinate and monitor routine maintenance services completion. Plan and coordinate office moves and/or minor renovation projects.

• May lead staff or supervise day-to-day work of student and/or temporary workers, including scheduling, assigning, and prioritizing workloads, setting appropriate deadlines, reviewing work for quality and timeliness, and providing performance review input.

Minimum Education and Experience

High school diploma and four years of administrative experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Advanced computer skills and demonstrated experience with office software and email applications.

• Demonstrated success in following through and completing projects.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and assign work to others.

• Ability to take initiative and ownership of projects.

• Ability to routinely and independently exercise sound judgment in making decisions.