Assistant Director, Advising for Operations

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Supervised by the Director, Advising, the Assistant Director, Advising for Operations will play a key role in organizing, planning, and executing advising infrastructure for students in the School of Professional Studies (SPS), whose program portfolio currently includes cross disciplinary Master's Degree Programs, Pre-Graduate and Graduate Certificate Programs, Structured and Unstructured Certifications of Professional Achievement, take a class options for bachelor's degree holders and visiting students enrolled at other institutions, High School Programs, and the American Language Programs.

The Assistant Director, Advising for Operations is responsible for supervising a team of Advisors who will provide a seamless experience for students, transformational programming and advising, and proactive outreach to support student success In addition, the Assistant Director will manage processes, operations, systems and data. The Assistant Director will maintain a close collaborative relationship with SPS and Columbia University team members, including the registrar, outside software companies, as well as program teams / academic affairs and analytics to ensure that all students feel supported and have a positive experience with the School.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the strategic planning of SPS advising and advising related initiatives
• Monitor the daily operations of the advising team and regularly identify and develop opportunities and plans for improvement
• Oversee student record maintenance (STUD) and acts as primary liaison between Advising and the Registrar, working with Columbia partners to ensure accurate records, reporting and operations. This includes managing advising processes, including leaves of absence, withdrawals, advising assignments and registration holds.
• Monitor all aspects of registration for SPS students and work closely with Advisors to identify barriers and obstacles for students and how to effectively overcome these challenges
• Assist in the development and execution of assessment strategies to monitor student satisfaction and ensure that the student experience aligns with SPS goals
• Ensure Advisors are effectively utilizing School and University tools to conduct their work and ensure consistent reporting
• Represent Advising and Student Engagement on various school-wide committees related to strategic planning and data governance.
• Supervise a team of Advisors supporting multiple SPS programs and monitor team performance to ensure Advisors are effectively nurturing students from the point of admission through graduation
• Provide support to Advisors in departmental best practices and pursuits of professional development
• Identify, coordinate, and assist in the development of team departmental training on University policies, best practices, and key competencies
• Serve as the first point of escalation for difficult student issues, and assist Advisors in resolving challenging student issues
• Regularly report to the Director and other stakeholders on Advisor accomplishments and progress as well as student concerns and issues
• Develop and maintain relationships with University partners including the International Students and Scholars Office, the Student Service Center, Student Financial Services and more
• Manage the relationship with University partner program stakeholders
• Assist in new program development to ensure student advising needs are taken into consideration in the launch of new programs
• Assist with school-wide events such as Orientation and Graduation
• May be responsible for supervising the work of one (1) or more employees
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned or requested

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and / or equivalent related experience required
• 3 years related experience
• A resume and cover letter with salary requirements must be submitted to be considered for the position

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in enrollment management or academic advising
• Strong working knowledge of current trends in higher education nationwide and internationally
• Demonstrated experience using a relational database, online application system and / or
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, ideally in a higher education setting
• Familiarity with SPS program offerings
• Experience working with faculty and administrators at a major research university

Other Requirements

• Intellectual curiosity, sound problem solving and decision-making abilities, and strength in creative and innovative thinking
• Proven ability to establish relationships, build consensus, and effectively collaborate within cross departmental teams
• Strong leadership skills with a capacity to engender loyalty to an organization and cause coupled with a collegial management style and proven teambuilding skills; ability to hire, develop and retain "A" players
• Exceptional attention to detail, strong organization and time management skills, and the ability to perform routine and non-routine work with changing priorities and aggressive deadlines
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to summarize and present complex information in a clear and concise manner
• Demonstrated ability to lead a project or initiative from concept to completion, with strong organization and time management skills ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Proficiency with Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel required
• Some evening and weekend work required
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn systems, applications and software used by the University and the School
• Ability to handle confidential information in a mature, professional manner
• Must be able to work with a diverse student body, faculty and administrators
• Background in higher education administration

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.