Navigating the Postdoc Office

Postdoctoral positions are temporary roles after a terminal degree like a Ph.D. or M.D. that typically emphasize scholarship and further training and professional development. As such, postdoctoral scholars contribute to research, teaching and other endeavors at universities, research centers and related institutions. Postdoctoral positions are becoming a normalized step in academic training across many fields, including the humanities and social sciences: the “2022 Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering” reported that there were 62,750 postdocs across science, engineering and health fields in the United States. And this population has distinct professional development needs that differ from those of graduate students and junior faculty members and that are not always recognized or met.

Advocacy work in recent decades by postdocs, professional societies and other organizations has identified gaps in resources, support and awareness for this population. Correspondingly, the number of postdoc offices and postdoc-serving organizations has grown. In a 2019 survey, the National Postdoc Association found that there were 74 dedicated postdoctoral offices across the United States, and the number of full-time employees in these offices was increasing.

We both pivoted from different disciplines into administrative roles within postdoc offices at our institutions and have received numerous requests from postdocs who want to transition into this field. So we hope this article will highlight why you might consider a career in academic administration and describe what you can expect to do in an administrative role in a postdoc office or similar department.

Academic Administration as a Field

Academic administration can be a fruitful career path if you wish to remain in higher education but not pursue a tenure-track or teaching-track faculty role. Though academia, like any industry, has its benefits and drawbacks, academic administration can be a good fit for individuals who are lifelong learners, derive accomplishment from supporting others and are not deterred by the challenges of advocacy and policy work. We broadly define academic administrators as people who may be involved in decision-making and work to support various populations at higher education institutions. That may include faculty or staff members working in executive offices, academic departments, centers for teaching and learning, and other relevant academic support units on a campus.

Broadly speaking, postdoc offices in particular seek to improve the postdoc experience, meaning that advocacy and change making are built into the role. They also work to enhance postdocs’ career readiness, so there will be opportunities to teach and mentor. In addition, postdoc offices constantly work to connect with and meet postdoc needs, which necessitates research and innovation on ways to better support the local postdoc population. Within the context of postdoc offices, common titles are director, associate director, assistant director, program coordinator and program manager, and in some institutional contexts, these roles are held by faculty or deans with dual appointments.

Working in a postdoc office or similar department is not without its challenges. Postdoc offices are frequently small, which can limit opportunities for career advancement and bandwidth in terms of funding and personnel. In many institutions, postdocs are often dispersed across departments, schools and geographic locations. As such, a major challenge is figuring out how to meet everyone’s needs while keeping a broad population engaged with your programming and resources.

On top of that, postdocs are not always an easily recognized population and their access to campus and staff resources may have limitations and barriers. For instance, postdocs may not have access to all the benefits of a full-time university employee depending on their institute classification. Additionally, postdocs do not usually have access to the same career-planning resources and health benefits as undergraduate and graduate students.

Finally, while you may be intrigued or even enthused about advocating for change in resources and policies, change in higher education can be slow given the benefits and drawbacks of shared governance. For us, the authors, it took time to adjust to this aspect of administration and to reframe our expectations for immediate impact of our work. Moreover, if your institution’s priorities are not aligned with those of your office, or other student populations have competing priorities, change making may need even more collaboration, cultivation and patience.

Yet despite the challenges that we’ve outlined, you can find support, advice and guidance outside your specific institution from the larger community of those who work with postdocs, such as the National Postdoc Association; the Graduate Career Consortium; the AAMC Group on Research, Education and Training; and the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network. Such organizations are incredibly welcoming and represent a space to share ideas, challenges and strategies, as well as to identify colleagues with whom to collaborate to achieve your own personal, professional or institutional goals. They offer numerous opportunities to grow your professional expertise and to learn, share and implement evidence-based practices.

Roles and Responsibilities as a Postdoc Administrator

You may play many different roles within a postdoc office. What we describe here are general duties you might expect, with the caveat that the scope of responsibilities will vary by specific roles and institutions. Those general duties fall into four broad buckets: 1) administration, 2) education, 3) research and 4) service.

Administration. As the name might suggest, most of the duties within a postdoc office are related to the postdoc experience and support of their career and professional development. You may:

• Communicate, coordinate and collaborate with postdocs, faculty, administrators and other campus partners, such as human resources and international services
• Ensure compliance with university policies
• Directly handle, oversee or monitor postdoc hiring processes
• Mentor, coach or advise postdocs
• Organize, plan and execute social and/or professional events
• Conduct internal needs or experience surveys of your postdocs
• Advocate for policy changes

Education. If you manage program offerings, you may:

• Schedule and plan the office’s offerings during the year
• Develop and facilitate programs
• Conduct assessments on engagement and program outcomes
• Teach an undergraduate or graduate course at your institution, in some cases, especially if this area interests you and/or you are expected to support postdocs in exploring and training for teaching positions

Research. A growing field of practitioners study the impact of career and professional development on postdocs in terms of retention, career choices and other topics. As such, you could choose to:

• Publish on the outcomes and impact of your programs
• Collaborate with other postdoc offices to assess existing programs
• Write and submit grants to design and implement new programs
• Continue your disciplinary research interests and practices (if the flexibility is there)

Service. Similar to many academic roles, you will have many opportunities to provide your input and expertise. You might be asked to:

• Advise and work with a postdoc association, if one exists at your institution
• Serve on institutional committees or external organizations
• Participate in institutional initiatives to raise awareness and advocate for postdocs

Postdocs need support in their professional development and career trajectory to both thrive during their postdoc experience and take their next career steps. If playing this supportive role resonates with you, a career in academic administration can be incredibly fulfilling. It may also be a good fit if you appreciate opportunities to learn continuously, enjoy variety in terms of the various hats that academic administrators wear, are able to navigate both independent and collaborative work well, and are motivated by working toward cultural change.

In a future article, we will discuss how to cultivate the skills you need to increase your viability as a candidate for a role in academic administration. We will also discuss our own transitions into this field and speak to others about how they prepare postdocs for these types of roles or what they look for when hiring for positions in their own offices.