State Role Title: Policy and Planning Specialist I
Position Type: Full-time Staff (Classified)
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt: Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: Student Life and Involvement
Department: 100358 - University Career Center
Pay Band: 4
Pay Rate: Pay Range
Specify Range or Amount: $45,739 - $47,250
Is this a JMU only position? No
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No
Beginning Review Date: 08/03/2026
About JMU:
At James Madison University (JMU), we’re more than just a publicly funded institution — we’re a vibrant, welcoming community located on a stunning campus where innovation, collaboration, and personal growth thrive. Our mission is to prepare students for a bright future, and we believe that starts with supporting the people who make it all possible: our employees.
Why Work at JMU?
We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your professional journey and personal wellbeing:
- Generous Leave: Enjoy paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave, community service leave, and 19 paid holidays annually.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access high-quality health insurance options that fit your needs.
- Retirement Options: Plan for your future with retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System.
- Employee Well-Being: Our Balanced Dukes program promotes wellness and work-life integration through resources, events, and support.
- Tuition Waiver Program: Advance your education with our tuition waiver program for undergraduate and graduate courses taken at JMU.
At JMU, we believe in Being the Change — and that starts with creating an environment where you can grow, contribute meaningfully, and feel supported every step of the way.
Discover what makes JMU a great place to work: bit.ly/JMUEmployment
General Information:
The Data Coordinator for Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLEs) has 2 primary functions: (1) maintaining an accurate record of WBLE information connected to the JMU curriculum and (2) tracking 22,000 students’ completion of WBLEs. WBLE refers to work-based learning experiences such as internship, practicum, clinical, course-based WBLE project, undergraduate research, cooperative education, on-campus internships, etc.
The successful Data Coordinator will be able to: 1) Demonstrate attention to detail and facility in working with databases of tens of thousands of data points, 2) collaborate with faculty and staff across units to collect and report data, 3) work with university systems, and 4) assist in developing mechanisms to track details on every undergraduate students’ completion of WBLE experiences.
Duties and Responsibilities:
QUALIFIED COURSE TRACKING (30%)
Establish mechanisms to collect and confirm detailed information related to courses identified as WBLE.
- Verify the accuracy of more than 1,251 sections of WBLE tagged courses) to verify a WBLE project is present and confirm names of partner organizations and industry fields if possible (as per requests from State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or SCHEV)
- Audit WBLE tags in the student information system and update tags in course catalog as needed.
- Identify from each of 54+ Academic Unit Heads and professional staff what new courses are coming online and assess whether these courses should have a WBLE attribute
STUDENT COMPLETION DATA COLLECTION: (40%)
Contribute to developing a system to track student completion of qualified experiences, including those attached to coursework and those completed outside of academic credit. This entails putting together data from multiple sources (including the Senior Compass, course enrollment information for qualified courses, Qualtrics student survey data, and additional sources).
- Track WBLE completion data for all 20,000+ undergraduate students annually
- Use advanced database cleaning strategies such as fuzzy match, VBA and Python programming to compile records and minimize duplicate records resulting from the incorporation of data from multiple sources
- Develop data collecting mechanisms to solicit information from departmental internships coordinators for additional data including documenting if opportunities are unpaid or paid, # of hours in the experience and names of partner organizations.
WBLE REPORTING (20%):
Develop reports to share regularly with internal and external constituents that represent the status of WBLEs at the University
- Develop reports to communicate at least quarterly about the status of curricular WBLE completion, including the number of WBLE sections and courses are offered, number and percentage of the student population enrolled in WBLE tagged courses
- Develop reports to communicate at least quarterly about metrics related to student completion of WBLEs, whether for credit or not, the types of WBLE experiences, and details about the partners identified as connected to the WBLE experience.
- Respond to requests from constituents about WBLE data.
- Prepare information for the WBLE Honor Roll
CAREER CENTER SUPPORT (10%)
Support the work of the UCC unit at events, fairs, and classroom presentations as needed.
- Assist with day of large-scale programming, including career fairs
- Contribute to operations of WBLE unit, such as planning days, team meetings, and development of support systems for WBLEs across the university
- Deliver educational programming for current students, faculty, employers as needed
Qualifications:
Required:
- Demonstrated experience in collecting and assembling detailed data from multiple sources into a single Excel dataset
- Experience with datasets exceeding 22,000+lines
- Experience mastering software packages such as Qualtrics, Student Administration System, Microsoft Office packages, especially Excel,
- MS Word Mail Merge, Teams, Handshake, and other software and platforms as needed.
- Communicate clearly and professionally in verbal and written forms
- Attention to detail
Additional Considerations:
- General understanding of college curriculum requirements and university structure
- Familiarity with work-based learning initiatives in the Commonwealth
- VBA or Python programming skills
- Experience with developing reports for multiple internal and external constituencies
Additional Posting Information:
Conditions of Employment:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
EEO Statement:
James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.
Reasonable Accommodation:
If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or [email protected]. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.
