Position Title:

Program Director, Undergraduate Fellowships and Research

Position Type:

Full time

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Categories:

Staff Exempt

Job Summary:

Bucknell University seeks a Program Director of Undergraduate Fellowships and Research who will serve as a collaborative, campus-wide leader responsible for administering and expanding a broad range of programs that promote student engagement in research, scholarship, and creative projects, in partnership with the library and other University units. This role is responsible for developing an integrated approach to supporting student research from the College of Arts & Sciences, The College of Engineering, and The Freeman College of Management. This person will be responsible for preparing and monitoring the annual budget and advocating for appropriate resources for the office.

Job Duties:

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Duties related to undergraduate research include:

• Develop, promote and administer internally- and externally-funded undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative endeavors;
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to maximize the number of opportunities for research, scholarship, and creative projects across divisions and disciplines;
• Administer university-wide programs that support undergraduate research and scholarly endeavors such as Bucknell’s Program for Undergraduate Research, Emerging Scholars, Digital Scholarship, and McKenna;
• Oversee the many endowed funds that support this work, ensuring that funds are used for the purposes stated and that students are recruited and supported to engage in the activities for which the funds were established;
• Collaboratively provide programming for students conducting research, scholarship or creative projects on campus over the summer and encourage student attendance;
• Ensure Bucknell’s compliance with relevant laws and regulations in the administration of these undergraduate research programs, collaborating with others across campus to do so, e.g. General Counsel, the Finance Office, Office of Sponsored Projects, and Dean’s Offices;
• Collaborate with the Office of Sponsored Projects to pursue grants and awards that support undergraduate excellence, including in research, scholarship and creative endeavors;
• Cultivate and maintain strong donor relations through collaboration with University Advancement.
• Promote the Kalman undergraduate research symposium; 
• Support benchmarking, assessment, and evaluation of programs and data to guide future planning.

The Director will also create and lead a program designed to maximize Bucknell undergraduates’ opportunities to successfully compete for national fellowships and awards. These duties include:

• Promote to Bucknell’s faculty, staff and students the upcoming opportunities for fellowships, scholarships, awards, research opportunities, and other enrichment activities;
• Collaborate with relevant programs, e.g. Merit Scholars, the Posse Program, the Admissions Office, the Center for Access & Success and honor societies, to target audiences likely to produce promising award applicants;
• Counsel students on available fellowship opportunities and align individual student strengths and interests with appropriate programs;
• Create and offer to a network of past fellowship recipients and other alumni resources for current award applicants;
• Create and lead selection processes that engage faculty and staff in choosing the most promising candidates for awards and fellowships;
• Mentor students through the award application processes, including during the summer, particularly those requiring institutional endorsements. This might include counseling students on: selecting careers and graduate education programs, drafting personal statements, creating efficacious project proposals, crafting application essays, preparing video responses to prompts, preparing for interviews, and post-award project implementation;
• Recruit, train and organize relevant faculty and staff to draft effective letters of recommendation and aid fellowship applicants through the entire application process;

These listed responsibilities and tasks are not exhaustive. Additional non-essential tasks and responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s degree in a field relevant to Bucknell’s curriculum
• 4 years professional experience
• Demonstrated strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to develop and deliver presentations to groups or individuals, to convey information clearly and concisely, and to listen and respond appropriately to others.
• Ability to use Microsoft Ofice, Google, and basic databases and software.

Preferred Requirements:

• 6 years professional experience

Travel Demands: None

Physical Requirements:

• Able to work in a typical office environment. No specific or unusual physical or environmental demands.

To Apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume to http://careers.bucknell.edu. Applications will only be accepted online. Questions about the position may be directed to Ghislaine McDayter, at mcdayter@bucknell.edu

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until filled. We expect to hire for a January 2026 start date.

Job Exempt:

Yes

Salary Range:

72,640.00-90,800.00

The offer rate will be based on a review of the candidate's credentials compared to the qualifications of the position, internal equity, and our overall compensation philosophy. 

This role is not budgeted for visa sponsorship at this time, all candidates must be authorized to work in the US at the time of submission of the application.

Benefits:

Eligible full- and part-time employees are compensated beyond base salary through our total rewards package that includes (but is not limited to):

• Flexible scheduling options determined by role; 
• Medical, prescription drug, vision, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance options
• An outstanding 10% employer contribution to your retirement plan (no contribution requirement for non-exempt positions)
• Generous paid time off, including vacation and sick time, a community service day, and 19 paid holidays (including two full weeks off for Winter Break!)
• Full-time and part-time members of the faculty and staff are eligible for tuition remission for themselves. Additionally, full-time members of the faculty and staff are eligible for tuition remission for their spouse/spousal equivalent and are eligible for various tuition programs for their children. Credit for full-time benefits eligible employment at other institutions of higher education will be applied to waiting periods.
• A comprehensive employee wellness program including program incentives
• A myriad of other benefits, including parental leave, an employee assistance program, fitness center membership, and the power of your Bucknell ID card 

To learn more about Bucknell's benefits, click here! (*Eligibility criteria and waiting periods may apply.)

Inclusive Excellence:
Bucknell is committed to fostering an environment that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion, and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports the growth and development of a diverse campus community.  We endeavor to enhance our capacity to value and capitalize on the cultural richness that diversity brings.  We encourage all individuals to apply and do not discriminate in admissions, employment, educational programs and/or activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, sex/gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, marital or family status, military or veteran status, or genetic information.

E-Verify

Bucknell University participates with the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) E-Verify program.  We will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

For additional information regarding Bucknell's E-Verify requirements, please contact the office of Talent, Culture & Human Resources (570) 577-1631 or email hr@bucknell.edu.