Senior Lead – Academic Administration (All 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.

Job Description

This position will be part of the Academic Office that manages all teaching programmes at IIHS. The role is to lead and oversee the administration and delivery of all teaching programmes at IIHS, including all Masters and Bachelors degree programmes. 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 the Associate Dean – Academics, all the IIHS Schools, School Managers, IIHS Faculty and Staff, particularly the Admin, Procurement, Finance and HR teams to ensure 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.

Overall, the Senior Lead – Academic Administration will be responsible for the holistic student experience at IIHS. Ensuring adherence to the code of conduct and other policies (including POSH), and handling disciplinary matters in consultation with the Associate Dean – Academics, would be part of the role.

Activities and Tasks

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

• Overseeing the successful and seamless delivery of all academic programmes, through planning, delivery, management and (as required) problem- solving of all operational aspects and activities of the Academic Office, in close coordination with all the Schools, School Offices, Faculty, Staff, Admin, Finance, HR and Procurement teams;
• Enhancing the overall student experience in IIHS academic programmes by effectively managing processes, resolving issues and identifying optimal solutions in close coordination with relevant teams – Administration (for residential facilities, transportation, meals, travel and logistics), IT (for technical issues), Student Wellbeing Office (for physical and mental wellbeing concerns), HR (for insurance and wellness aspects), Finance (for bursary and scholarships), Procurement, and other teams across IIHS as needed;
• Ensuring student alignment with the code of conduct, policies and processes; and dealing with disciplinary issues in consultation with the Associate Dean – Academics.
• Maintaining documentation of all academic programmes, across all technology platforms that will be in use, including LMS, SIS, ERP, and any other relevant platforms in use for external facing accreditation, inspection, audit and other purposes, as required, in coordination with the IT team and other teams;
• Facilitating the activities of the Academic Office to support the full cycle of the academic programmes including outreach, admissions, internships, placements and other requirements, in coordination with the Outreach, Placements, Communications & Design, Media, Admissions Office, etc;
• Ensuring that the Academic Office works collaboratively with the IIHS Resource Development Office to support fund–raising for academic programmes; providing inputs and data as needed for activities like proposal creation and donor reporting;
• Facilitating all activities of the Academic Office with respect to internal and external – facing media and communications, in coordination with the Media lab and the Communications & Design teams;
• Overseeing and ensuring the successful execution of logistical and operational requirements for all 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, including support in dealing with dynamic needs or emergencies as per protocol;
• Monitoring operational systems and processes to ensure efficiency in vendor management, book-keeping, billing, purchase request creation, ERP-related tasks; finance and budgeting; travel and logistics for external faculty and resource persons/ reviewers; reimbursements related to scholarship, stipend, learners’ expenses, honorarium; learners’ changing F&B needs, etc.
• Oversight and management of key academic life cycle events such as orientation day, graduation day, alumni reunion and alumni chapter activities;
• Ensuring that the multiple calendars for academic classes, activities and events are efficiently tracked, with timely communication of changes and updates to all stakeholders;
• Ensuring accurate maintenance of records, filing system, and documentation;
• Ensuring timely resolution to queries related to academic programmes through their life cycle;
• Representing the academic programmes on committees or other forums, where required, and advocating for the interests of the courses;
• Guiding and mentoring the Academic Office team to strengthen operational excellence, responsiveness and problem-solving capabilities;
• 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 Senior Lead – Academic Administration will report to the Associate Dean – Academics 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 18 years of relevant experience; 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, foster a collaborative work environment by leading and guiding the team, and maintain effective coordination with the multiple related schools, functions and programmes in IIHS – the five Schools, 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.