Job Details

Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs

Position Number: 6158611
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Position Type: Deans - Law and Legal Studies

Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs

Job Profile Title
Director D, Student Services, Admissions

Job Description Summary
The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished law schools. The School offers a unique approach, incorporating cross-disciplinary legal education, a distinctly collaborative environment, and an innovative curriculum to enrich student learning. The small and highly interdisciplinary faculty achieves scholarly excellence while emphasizing a shared effort to advance understanding of the law. The result is an intellectual community that bridges traditional boundaries and disciplines within a renowned internal culture of collegiality, making the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School an extraordinarily supportive academic community for all its members.

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs ("Assistant Dean") is the chief architect of strategies to ensure that international lawyers and scholars of the highest caliber join and participate actively in our LL.M., LL.C.M., and S.J.D. programs. The Assistant Dean serves as a key representative of these programs within the Penn Carey Law community, ensuring that students and their achievements are actively integrated into the broader life of the institution.

Working in close collaboration with the Dean and faculty, including the Deputy Dean for Global Engagement, the Assistant Dean articulates admissions strategies for the program and participates in the representation of Penn Carey Law to a host of partners and organizations world-wide. The Assistant Dean fosters the active engagement of these students in the supportive intellectual community at Penn Carey Law.

Job Description

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Strategic Enrollment, the Assistant Dean manages a team of three full-time colleagues, a GSE intern, and a host of seasonal employees. Responsibilities include:

Strategic

Articulate and implement a vision for existing and potential opportunities to recruit international law students at the highest level. Utilizing innovative approaches and strategic thinking in financial aid and matriculation strategies, build classes of deep academic quality and broad geographical diversity.
Using a deep understanding of the marketplace and sound analysis of complex data, recommend to the Dean program goals and admissions targets.
Design and manage the execution of a comprehensive recruitment strategy to achieve the Dean's and institution's admission objectives. Recommend program enhancements, both administrative and substantive, on an on-going basis.

LLM, LLCM and SJD Recruitment and Admissions

Articulate a vision of existing and potential opportunities for the recruitment of LLM, LLCM, and SJD students at the highest level.

Recommend admissions targets; Design and manage the execution of a comprehensive recruitment strategy to achieve the Dean's and institution's admission objectives

Collaborate with faculty, Communications, and other offices to ensure excellent communication about the program, its benefits, its students, and its alumni to internal, external, local, and national audiences.
- Leveraging Penn Carey Law's strengths and resources in recruitment, financial aid, and matriculation strategies, develop LLM, LLCM, and SJD cohorts that demonstrate strong academic excellence. Oversee the review of applicants; render decisions; and admit and matriculate top students and accomplished professionals.
- Partner with leading institutions within and without the Penn community to attract and matriculate diverse and highly talented applicants.

Program Management

Collaborate with faculty and colleagues to ensure a dynamic and comprehensive program for LL.M. and LL.C.M. students at Penn Carey Law, including a pre-semester orientation program and other innovative opportunities for students' learning and inclusion in the Penn Carey Law community.
In conjunction with the Associate Directors and with Penn Carey Law's coordinated services in these areas (Academic Affairs, Student Affairs), counsel graduate students on academic and administrative matters.

Representational

Represent the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School to a host of external and internal audiences; serve as a key public representative of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, communicating the distinctive educational opportunities at the Law School not only to prospective students but to potential partners, alumni, and to national organizations such as the Law School Admissions Council.
Represent Penn Carey Law to peer institutions and participate in collaborative programs with academic and other partners around the globe.

Foster and sustain strong relationships with Penn Carey Law's international alumni and partner institutions, including Fulbright, other universities, law schools, and international bar associations; represent Penn Carey Law to these and other key internal and external stakeholders."

Managerial

Provide leadership, guidance, and motivation to departmental colleagues, including two Associate Directors, a full-time Program Coordinator, and several seasonal employees.
Oversee day-to-day management of the Graduate Programs' Office.
Recommend and oversee deployment of a budget for the program, including a financial aid budget for matriculating students.
Develop ongoing reports and analysis on the program; make presentations to the Dean, faculty, Board of Overseers, and Board of Managers on these and other topics upon request.

Other duties as requested

Candidate Qualifications:

The successful candidate will hold an advanced degree, J.D. preferred, and have a minimum of seven to ten years of increasing administrative responsibility in a creative enterprise. Experience in high level international programs preferred. The successful candidate will understand and describe Penn Carey Law's strengths in the most competitive arena of international law school recruiting. The successful candidate will have knowledge of database management, reporting systems, and assessment tools related to the admission of academically motivated international students to US law school programs. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent understanding of effective communication and marketing strategies as well as of novel ideas in financial aid leveraging. We seek candidates who have established track records as collaborators in the workplace, within the immediate department and within the larger institution, as well as records as strong and motivational managers. The successful candidate will demonstrate a creative bent and will be well-suited to representing Penn Carey Law proudly in all manner of public and internal forums.

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law. For clarity, this includes not discriminating on the basis of ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, and military status as required by the American Bar Association Standard 205.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Law School

Pay Range
$110,500.00 - $160,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Law-School/Assistant-Dean-for-Graduate-Programs_JR00105037