Manager – Academic Administration (Masters Programmes)

About the IIHS Academic Programmes and Schools

India’s urban transition is unprecedented in scale and complexity. Within it lie both the opportunities of increased economic growth and employment as well as the challenges of persistent inequality, extreme deprivation and environmental degradation. IIHS’ academic programmes aim to foster a new generation of urban practitioners and change makers, to become part of shaping this transition.

The academic programmes are supported by the five interdisciplinary IIHS Schools: School of Environment and Sustainability (SES), School of Systems and Infrastructure (SSI), School of Economic Development (SED), School of Human Development (SHD) and School of Governance (SoG). Each School has a particular transformational theme and a set of teaching, research and practice projects and programmes within it. Collectively, the five schools systematically address a wide range of urban issues, from questions of livelihood and economic development, access to basic infrastructure, affordable housing and healthcare for all, to tackling climate change and land governance.

This position will be part of the Academic Office that manages all teaching programmes at IIHS. The role is to support the administration and delivery of Masters-level programmes at IIHS. The Academic Office works on a range of general administrative, operational and logistical tasks related to, among others, student management, learning process management, facilities and logistics, and finance and budgeting.

The incumbent will work in close coordination with IIHS Faculty and Staff, particularly with the Admin, Procurement, Finance and HR teams to ensure the smooth delivery of academic programmes. The role requires following the timelines and processes for all courses offered, throughout all stages, and interacting effectively and professionally with all stakeholders. An ability to maintain confidentiality of information and records is very important for this role.

Activities and Tasks

Responsibilities would include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Managing the logistics and operational requirements of all aspects of proposed Masters courses, including classroom sessions, masterclasses, panel discussions, field visits, exposure trips, projects, Practica, student presentations, assessments, etc.;
• Providing support to IIHS Admin to manage teaching-learning facilities – this requires the onboarding, operations and troubleshooting with response protocols for dynamic needs or emergencies; providing regular updates and ensuring efficient communication with the Academic Office; maintaining an oversight on the state of amenities and services including quality of meals, IT requirements and challenges, travel and transportation arrangements within the course etc.;
• Oversight on routine administrative and operational matters including vendor management; basic bookkeeping functions, which may involve billing, creating purchase requests, responding to invoices and cash receipt and payment processes on the ERP;
• Actively managing and coordinating with all relevant IIHS teams for the orientation day, graduation day, alumni reunion and alumni chapter activities, in collaboration with the Admin, Finance and HR teams at IIHS;
• Assisting with efficient and timely communication on routine administrative and budget/ financial tasks including scholarship, stipend, learners’ expense reimbursement and honorarium processes; travel management of external faculty and resource persons/ reviewers; and responding to dynamic changes to learners’ daily F&B and local transportation logistics, in coordination with the Admin, Finance and HR teams at IIHS;
• Keeping track of multiple calendars for academic classes, activities and IIHS events; actively communicating and assisting in changes and updates;
• Maintaining the filing system, compiling and organising data as required; maintaining and updating operational records and documents with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail;
• Responding to phone calls related to the academic programmes at IIHS and assisting in active communication via email and phone calls at all stages of the programmes;
• Participating and supporting in other activities of the Academic Programme at IIHS as necessary; and performing miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned;
• Representing the Academic Programme on committees or other forums, where required, and advocating for the interests of the courses;
• Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others;
• Participating in all activities of Institution-building at IIHS; carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS; and travelling on IIHS work within or outside the country as and when needed.

Structure and Reporting

The manager will report to the Senior Lead – Academic Administration or to any other person designated by the Associate Dean – Academics at IIHS and will be required to collaborate effectively with the Academic Committee, along with a diverse group of internal teams and external Individuals/ organisations, and students.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate should have:

• A Master’s degree in any discipline, with at least 8 years of relevant experience;
• Experience in academic administration/ project management with the ability to maintain records and calendars, and schedule appointments; (prior experience in academic management and administration or a similar domain is preferred, or strong experience in programme management);
• Proficiency in English (verbal and written), and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to create, compose, and edit written materials;
• Ability to independently establish a working protocol and schedule, maintain effective coordination with the multiple related functions and programmes in IIHS – Research, Practice, Capacity Building, Admin, Finance and HR teams, among others, to hold to academic programme schedules and procedures;
• A high level of organisational capability, including the ability to establish and maintain effective systems, procedures and processes and manage competing demands and deadlines without compromising quality;
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of records and information;
• Strong attention to detail, and rigour of approach in any task taken up;
• Technology: Data entry skills; working knowledge of basic software (MS Office and Adobe), Google Forms and Spreadsheets; organising and maintaining records of online meetings on Zoom, Skype, GMeet, MS Teams, etc.;
• Sectoral knowledge in the field of Urban Studies or related fields will be an added advantage.

This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.

The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Location

This position is based in Bengaluru and may entail travel to other locations in India.

Review and Assessment

The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.

Diversity Policy

IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.

Contact

Please write to us at hr@iihs.co.in if you need any clarifications while filling the online application form.