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 mission of Western Washington University - Peninsulas is to empower individuals and communities across the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas through high-quality, accessible, higher education. Through innovative programs and partnerships with Olympic College and Peninsula College, we provide diverse pathways to academic excellence and career success. By aligning our curriculum with the evolving needs of the region and prioritizing engagement with local industries, we aim to foster a culture of lifelong learning and economic vitality. With a commitment to equity, inclusivity, and community collaboration, we strive to cultivate leaders who will positively impact the social, cultural, and economic landscape of the Peninsulas and beyond. WWU Peninsulas offers a suite of 10+ Bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity, business, environmental programs and more. 

Position Summary

The Human Services and MSW Program Specialist is a unique combination of administrative and student support functions. Both programs have their academic home in the Woodring College of Education in the Department of Health and Community Studies. This role supports students and faculty in Human Services and the Master of Social Work programs on the Peninsulas. Serving as a primary point of contact for students, community partners, and faculty, this position helps strengthen enrollment and student success with high level administrative support in all university-related functions and brings structure to the unstructured. The incumbent in this role will be a highly collaborative and communicative team player, bringing both high energy and a high level of detail to the position. This is a face-to-face position to be located in Bremerton with limited remote work opportunities to support student outreach and recruitment. The typical schedule for this position will generally be 9AM – 5:30PM Monday – Thursday and 8:30AM – 5:00PM on Fridays. There will be occasional weekend and evening hours to support program needs. 

We’re looking for a relationship-driven professional who thrives at the intersection of strategy, service, and community impact.

You’re someone who builds trust quickly and genuinely. Whether you’re working with students, faculty, community partners, or leadership, people experience you as credible, thoughtful, and easy to collaborate with. You communicate clearly and confidently—on paper, in conversation, and in front of a room.

You’re energized by launching new ideas and turning vision into action, especially in environments that don’t come with a perfectly written playbook. Ambiguity doesn’t rattle you; it motivates you. You take initiative, manage details with care, and follow through. When something needs to get done, you don’t wait to be told twice.

You are highly organized and able to juggle multiple priorities without dropping the ball. Deadlines matter to you. Accuracy matters to you. Serving students well matters to you.

You value collaboration and show up as a strong contributor to a high-functioning team. You’re just as comfortable working independently as you are partnering across departments. You’re excited to be present, on campus, and engaged in the day-to-day work that directly supports students. You understand that meaningful student support sometimes happens outside of traditional hours and are open to occasional evenings or weekends when needed.

You bring a bachelor’s degree and at least two years of full-time professional experience beyond your degree. You’re comfortable working in Microsoft Office 365 and using tools that keep communication and operations running smoothly.

Most importantly, you care about people. You are committed to working effectively with diverse populations and creating environments where all students feel seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Full description will be provided prior to the interview process.

Sample duties of the position:

Student Advising, Admissions and Support – 35%

•  Guide students through the admissions process, including application completion, transcript review, and program eligibility requirements, communicating timelines, deadlines and missing information as needed.
• Support students with registration, scheduling, course overrides, graduation related forms and processes
• Monitor student academic progress; advise on petitions, academic standing, and retention strategies, communicating to lead faculty/program director as appropriate.
• Connect students with financial aid, scholarships, career services, and support resources to ensure progression.
• Support students through the graduation application and completion process.
• Provide advising on prerequisites, transfer strategies, and degree completion planning for Human Services program
• Facilitate the application and admissions process for MSW applicants by ensuring students submit complete and competitive applications, scheduling admissions interviews and coordinating the process and outcome of admission on behalf of the program.
• Assist with post-graduation licensure examination planning for students.

Outreach and Recruitment – 30%

• Serve as the primary contact for prospective students for Human Services and the Master of Social Work programs; provide information about transfer pathways, admission requirements, and program opportunities for both programs
• Support enrollment growth on the Peninsulas through collaboration with local WWU Peninsulas colleagues as part of a dynamic team
• Maintain excellent program knowledge for assigned programs and serve as subject matter expert for prospective students, faculty, colleagues and partners
• Build relationships with regional universities, local community colleges including Olympic and Peninsula Colleges, and workforce partners to increase WWU Peninsulas visibility and engagement.
• Collaborate with WWU Peninsulas Marketing and program leadership to ensure accurate content for recruitment materials across websites, digital and social media, and promptly communicate any programmatic changes or updates

Administrative Support – 25%

• Coordinate new student orientation, quarterly schedules, textbooks and classroom reservations, cohort gatherings, graduation events, and other program activities to support student onboarding and retention
• Assist students and faculty with the appropriate forms, including WWU forms and any necessary partner college forms
• Collate and consolidate data for MSW program accreditation, which may include coordinating with WWU campus departments for reports and information on a regular basis.
• Maintain MSW practicum software by entering and updating information in a timely manner
• Coordinate and monitor MSW partner organization MOUs for practicum sites to ensure adherence to WWU policies and procedures
• Provide tenured/tenure track and non-tenure track faculty support with travel, classroom logistics/booking, course evaluations, and new instructor onboarding as needed
• Maintain student records and databases in appropriate WWU systems; manage admissions and enrollment reporting.

Special Projects and Other Duties as Assigned – 10%

The State HR classification for this position is Program Specialist 2.

• Bachelor’s degree and 2 years’ full-time professional work experience post bachelor's degree or equivalent
• Proven ability to build rapport, establish trust and credibility with internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills that leave students/stakeholders feeling valued, respected and well supported
• Proven experience working authentically and effectively with diverse populations
• Comfortable conquering new technology in a professional environment
• Success launching new programs or initiatives in an ambiguous environment
• Proven ability to initiate and complete work on time as an individual contributor
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to convey information clearly, professionally and effectively in presentations and meetings
• Experience successfully managing multiple priorities with varying deadlines and numerous stakeholders
• Eagerness to collaborate deeply and regularly with, and contribute to the success of a high-functioning and highly collaborative team
• Ability to work in person, on campus, up to 5 days per week to serve student needs
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Experience with Microsoft Office 365

• 4 years’ professional work experience
• Prior experience with Slate, Salesforce, Hubspot or other CRM
• Familiarity with university systems such as Slate, EAP Navigate. Banner, and SAP Concur.

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 employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU’s Policies on Prohibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. 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 Student Life at student.life@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.