Assistant Director, Columbia Publishing Course

Company: Columbia University
Location: New York
Posted on: March 13, 2025

Job Description:

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
  
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
  
• Hours Per Week: 35
  
• Building: Pulitzer Hall
  
• Salary Range: $70,000 - $75,000
  
  The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
  
  Position Summary
  Reporting to the Director of Columbia Publishing Course, the incumbent will oversee the administration of two intensive courses in publishing, while managing the NY office throughout the year and coordinating with the UK office.
  The incumbent will be UK-based from late August through early October, setting up and administering the program and associated events at Oxford University and in London.
  Incumbent must be available to work evenings and some weekends during the six-week NY course (which takes place in June and July) and the four-week UK course (which takes place in September).
  
  Responsibilities
  

• 
  
• Manages domestic and international recruiting process. Identifies recruitment sources for candidate selection. Oversees and identifies improvements to the admission process. Promotes the NY and UK courses by leading outreach/recruiting sessions on Zoom and by occasionally traveling internationally and domestically to promote the course and recruit applicants as needed.
  
• Update, maintain, and troubleshoot online application/CRM tool (Slate). Work with the Journalism School's wider admissions team and participate in ongoing training in Slate to improve technical knowledge in data collection and the processing of applications.
  
• Manages social marketing and advertising strategy. Creates entry materials and other literature for public distribution. Maintains program website and social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), connecting online with potential applicants and alumni.
  
• Acts as liaison to alumni of the Columbia and Radcliffe Publishing Courses. Maintains alumni database via Google Drive, tracking graduates passively (via industry news sites) and actively (direct mailings and outreach on social media). Oversees social media posts promoting alumni as they rise through the publishing industry.
  
• Working closely with the Director, develops programming for NY and UK courses. Tracks publishing industry news and generates ideas for speakers, and updates the course curriculum accordingly.
  
• Conducts research. Produces, evaluates, and organizes materials for publishing courses. Writes extensively, including outreach materials, correspondence, and reports. Acts as a liaison to publishing officials at all levels in the US and UK.
  
• Oversees the day-to-day administration of the course office in New York and the UK program to ensure smooth day-to-day operations here and abroad.
  
• Monitors program budget and reconciliation, running reports and performing historical research as needed. Processes invoices, travel disbursements and other related financial transactions for New York program. Manages relationships with vendors, donors, and other key external contacts in New York. Assists the Director in managing relationship with UK course host via tracking and processing invoices and by reviewing yearly pricing and contracts.
  
• Responsible for the planning and coordination of all on and off-campus events in New York and the UK.
  
• Administers job placement services and other duties as assigned, liaising with human resources departments and hiring managers. Assists the Director in providing career counseling to students and graduates of the course.
  
• Supervises student and temporary/casual employees as needed.
  
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
  
  
  Minimum Qualifications
  
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  • Bachelor's degree and/or its equivalent.
    
  • Experience: 3-5 years of related experience, preferably in higher education and/or publishing, especially magazine or digital publishing.
    
  • Willingness to travel and to work for 6 weeks from the UK required.
    
  • Must be able to work independently as well as part of a team.
    
  • Strong computer skills a must, including a working proficiency in Excel, Google Drive, other database programs, and Zoom.
    
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
    
  • Demonstrated ability to work under changing priorities and manage multiple tasks under deadline pressures.
    
  • Proficiency with program budgets is required.
    
  • Ability to use digital and social media is also a must.
    
    
    Preferred Qualifications
    
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    • 
      Experience with Google AdWords and other Internet platform advertising
      
      
    • 
      Strong network of mid- and executive-level publishing contacts
      
      
    • 
      Experience with designing and managing relational databases (such as FileMaker or Access) is strongly preferred
      
      
    • 
      Experience with Technolutions/Slate CRM tool
      
      
    • 
      Experience planning events for 80-100+ people.
      
      
      
      Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
      Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
      

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