Job Title: Graduate Staff Assistant
Department: College of the Environment Dean’s Office
Location: UW Main Campus, Ocean Sciences Building
Hourly Rate: $49.25 to $56.30 – Graduate students will be compensated at the student salary rate, which aligns with their current program progression.
Estimated time commitment: The position has a flexible 20-hour-per-week work schedule.
Application Deadline: This position will remain open until filled, with priority consideration given to applications received by November 5, 2026.
The Research University Alliance at the University of Washington (UW-RUA) is looking for a dynamic Graduate Staff Assistant (SA) to coordinate the UW-RUA Program.
About this Opportunity:
The Graduate Staff Assistant position is housed within the Academic Affairs team in the College of the Environment and is responsible to a leadership team for the UW-RUA program composed of deans and institute directors. This position can be held for at least one year (starting in Fall 2026 or Winter 2027), allowing the student to deepen their SA work and to connect this work to their scholarly and career goals. Goals of the position include (see below): creation and maintenance of a thriving and well-supported community of RUA participants at the UW, all eligible PhD graduate students and postdocs at the UW are aware of UW-RUA activities, and the UW-RUA Research Exchange is well-utilized.
The successful candidate for the Graduate Staff Assistant position will work in concert with the UW-RUA Leadership Team and project PI, with other members of the Academic Affairs Team in the College of the Environment, and mostly with the graduate student and postdoc audience.
The Graduate Staff Assistant must develop and foster a community within RUA-eligible students and postdocs, providing them with access to services and activities. In addition, this position must develop strong interactions with contacts (Graduate Program Advisors) across all Research Exchange-eligible academic and research units to facilitate the Research Exchange and other shared activities among the university partners.
We are seeking an individual who is energized by assisting early-career PhD students, postdocs, and scientists in advancing their academic careers and representing the University of Washington across the Academy. This work requires an outgoing, social person with a high degree of emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity who is excited to design and implement successful programming to bring eligible UW graduate students and postdocs into the RUA community. Prospective applicants must possess advanced time management skills, the ability to organize tasks and follow through multiple, ongoing tasks to timely, successful completion. The successful candidate will be a creative, independent worker who is energized by team-based projects, can multitask and prioritize, and work flexibly and strategically within a deadline-driven atmosphere.
UW-RUA develops, curates, and advertises professional development programming for PhD candidates and postdocs in non-medical STEM units at the University of Washington, principally within the fields of Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Computer Sciences, and Engineering. UW-RUA is a multi-college effort, including the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Environment, and the iSchool, as well as the Applied Physics Laboratory.
Two ongoing activities form the foundation of UW-RUA:
- The Research Exchange funds short-term (3-5 day) visits of eligible UW senior PhD candidates and postdocs to faculty or senior scientist laboratories at academic institutions and national laboratories in the U.S. and worldwide. Visits allow these early-career scientists to present their work and ideas, engage in collaborative discussions with potential employers and colleagues, and broaden their career opportunities. The Graduate Staff Assistant is the linchpin of the UW Research Exchange, creating awareness across all 37 participating academic and research units, managing quarterly application deadlines, assisting applicants in establishing connections to desired faculty hosts, setting up visit logistics, managing all travel and reimbursement according to UW rules and guidelines, and following up with all travelers to ensure continuous improvement in the program.
- Professional development programming in close cooperation with the College of the Environment Graduate and Postdoc Specialist includes a series of in-person and online events, including a workshop series presented annually by the Stanford Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and a networking series run cooperatively across participating UW-RUA departments. The Graduate Staff Assistant works with the PI of UW-RUA as well as the senior leadership team to recruit presenters and attendees for all events, plan and execute event logistics, and follow up with attendees to ensure continuous improvement in the program.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Support a growing community of UW-RUA participants (graduate students, postdocs) via outreach and select activities, linking to existing college and RSO activities and groups wherever possible.
- Update and maintain the database of all RUA participants on a monthly basis.
- Lead in the scheduling, advertising, and staffing of all UW-RUA professional development activities.
- Manage the UW-RUA website and keep its content fresh, innovative, and responsive to the needs of eligible graduate students and postdocs.
- Manage the Research Exchange (RE), including but not limited to:
- Coordinate with the Graduate School to keep an updated list of highly eligible graduate students.
- Coordinate with HR to keep an updated list of highly eligible postdocs.
- Quarterly outreach to eligible graduate students and postdocs about the RE; reminders.
- Host frequent information sessions for eligible graduate students and postdocs about the RE.
- Monitor and actively manage quarterly incoming applications, and work closely with the PI on traveler selection.
- Follow up with all interested persons through implementing RE visits.
- Outreach to host PIs to provide all RE materials and ensure hosts understand and agree to program requirements.
- Setting up travel for 15-25 visits/year (i.e., pre-purchasing flights, lodging, itineraries), and travel troubleshooting (i.e., rebooking, delays).
- Maintain RE eval form and analyze data as needed.
- Process travel requests, paperwork, and reimbursements for RE scholars in accordance with UW travel office guidelines.
- Lead in pulling together needed materials for annual WRF and/or other grantor reporting requirements.
- Regular Meetings and Associated Reporting:
- Weekly meetings with UW-RUA PI to review weekly progress, set goals, and discuss challenges.
- Weekly Academic Affairs meetings as part of the College of the Environment team.
- Report and presentation preparation, scheduling, and staffing of the UW-RUA Leadership Team (quarterly).
Minimum Requirements:
- Current graduate student at the University of Washington.
- Project management and program assistance experience involving deadline-driven, multiple priorities.
- Proficiency and demonstrated experience using MS Office, specifically Excel or other spreadsheet programs; ability to construct and maintain a budget, including but not limited to tracking income and expenses, and projecting expenses.
- Excellent outreach, interpersonal, and engagement skills involving in-person, verbal, written, and graphic modes of communication.
- Demonstrated writing experience, preferably in grant and project reporting and other long-form synthesis documents.
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence in an educational environment.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
Preferred Qualifications:
- PhD candidate in an RUA field (Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Computer Sciences, and Engineering).
- Experience with University of Washington travel rules and regulations, and in submitting travel requests and reimbursements.
- Experience supporting PhD students, postdocs, and scientists.
- A deep understanding of the lived experience of graduate students in the context of STEM and the academy, and particularly of students from backgrounds or life experiences not steeped in higher education.
- Scholarly work (as a graduate student) that supports, and can be supported by, the work of UW-RUA.
Working Conditions:
As a Graduate Staff Assistant, the position has a flexible 20-hour per week work schedule, with desk space in the College of the Environment Dean’s Office (Ocean Sciences Building) as a member of the Academic Affairs team, and reporting to the Associate Dean of Academics, who is also the Principal Investigator for UW-RUA.
Application Requirement
- Submit application materials 1) current resume/CV and 2) cover letter. In your cover letter, please indicate how many quarters you could commit to working in this position.
- This position will remain open until filled, with priority consideration given to applications received by November 5, 2026.
