Western Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.

The WWU Department of Psychology's mission is to provide an exemplary educational program rooted in the scientific study of psychological processes, encompassing its historical, developmental, biological, cognitive, social, and cultural foundations. Through teaching, scholarship, and service, the faculty emphasizes scientific methodology to enhance critical thinking, writing, research skills, and the application of psychological knowledge to real-world problems. 

Behavioral neuroscience explores the role of the nervous system in normal and abnormal behavior, thought, and emotion. This major emphasizes an understanding of nervous system structure and function from the molecular/cellular level to the systems level. For example, behavioral neuroscientists study the neurobiological basis of normal learning and memory, psychiatric illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, and drug abuse and neurological illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s Disease.

The BNS Program Specialist independently advises and provides information to students and the public regarding program content, procedures, and activities; acts as a liaison for the BNS program with on-campus and off-campus units that contribute to the BNS program.

Additionally, this position provides administrative support to both BNS and Psychology that includes activities such as travel, purchasing, contracts, compilation of program outcomes data for annual program assessment, and oversight of curricular changes in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology that impact the Bachelor of Science in BNS.

Finally, this position is responsible for financial monitoring and planning for funds designated to the BNS Program that may include, projecting expenditures related to the BNS program budgets. This position purchases, receives, communicates about and reconciles purchases.

This position works collaboratively with other BNS and Psychology staff in a respectful and supportive work environment.

Typical duties include:

• Advising and supporting students in Psychology and the BNS program specifically
• Faculty and student support for travel requests and reimbursements
• BNS program budget monitoring and forecasting
• Purchasing and records management
• Event planning and logistics

The State HR Classification is Program Specialist 2.

• BS/BA in related field OR equivalent education/experience
• Familiarity with Biology, Chemistry and Psychology, sufficient to advise and counsel students regarding course registration, requirements, and degree progression as well as post-baccalaureate options
• Experience performing clerical or administrative support work, including duties such as managing travel, budgets, day-to-day office operations, reception duties, purchasing, hiring paperwork, personnel management, and/or records management
• Experience working as part of a team and independently
• Experience working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds including community members, potential students and their families, and current WWU students, staff, and faculty
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated organizational and analytical skills
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel (spreadsheet and graphing capabilities), and Outlook (calendar and email capabilities)
• Experience working with frequent interruptions

• Experience advising students or similar constituent group with academic or similar advising
• Demonstrated proficiency with social media and updating/maintaining websites
• Experience managing budgets, including monitoring, forecasting, and transferring expenditures
• Familiarity with University policy and procedures such as travel policies and event planning
• Familiarity with data base programs such as Concur, Banner, and Millennium

Application materials should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3751 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.