Director, Academic Affairs and Instructional Services

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Academic Affairs, Academic Background, Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking, Budget Management, Calendar Management, Canvas, Career Counseling, Change Management, Clinical Advice, Communication Skills, Continuous Improvement, Cross-Functional, Customer Support/Service, Data Analysis, Data Management, Detail Oriented, Emergency Response, Employee Orientation, Facilities Management, Financial Planning, Fire Safety, Google Apps, Human Resources, Human Resources Management, Human Resources Processes, Information Technology & Information Systems, Instructional Design, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Management of Information Systems/Technology (MIS), Mentoring, Microsoft Office, Onboarding, Operations, Operations Management, Organizational Development/Management, Organizational Skills, People Management, Peoplesoft, Performance Reviews, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Project/Program Management, Purchasing/Procurement, Reporting Skills, Resource Management, Statistics, Strategic Planning, Team Player, Training/Teaching, Training/Teaching Curriculum, Writing Skills
LOCATION
Chicago, IL
POSTED
30+ days ago

Department

About the Department

Job Summary

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and vision for academic affairs and instructional services, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive work culture. • Supervise, mentor, and evaluate four professional staff, offering guidance and oversight to ensure operational excellence across faculty and instructional support.

• Collaborate with Program Directors and Clinical Advisory Team to plan course scheduling, instructor assignments, curriculum, and the Capstone experience, aligning with current and future program needs.

• Partner with Sr. Manager of Facilities & IT to optimize class scheduling and space utilization.

• Direct long-term planning and compliance for faculty and academic employee recruitment, hiring, onboarding, evaluation, promotion, and reappointment.

• Uphold the highest standards of confidentiality, discretion, and integrity in handling sensitive information, academic records, personnel data, and institutional documents.

• Ensure compliance with institutional policies, accreditation standards, and maintain up-to-date faculty credentials and contract records.

• Guide development and refinement of academic policies in support of institutional and program objectives.

• Work closely with enrollment management, student affairs, career services, clinical advisory, and external partnership teams to ensure alignment of academic policies, course offerings, and teaching assignments with program strategy and student success initiatives.

• Coordinate with the PSDs Director of Academic Affairs for effective processing of instructor appointments and pay requests.

• Oversee teaching assistant recruiting and training, supporting ongoing TA professional development.

• Provide strategic oversight for professional development and instructional design initiatives, led by the Instructional Designer, to advance pedagogical innovation and teaching quality.

• Lead change management efforts, driving continuous improvement of courses and workflows based on data analysis and collaborative assessment.

• Manage budgetary planning and execution for instructional services in partnership with Faculty Director and Executive Director.

• Analyze data from academic operations, enrollment, and student outcomes to inform strategic planning, resource allocation, and budget management.

• Establish, monitor, and assess goals, benchmarks, and outcomes for academic and faculty support activities.

• Represent MS-ADS academic affairs in institutional committees, cross-functional teams, and external collaborations.

• Lead special projects related to academic innovation, curricular transformation, and real-world student experiences.

• Manages the daily operations of an organizational unit or assists with managing the daily operations of a larger organizational unit, primarily in the areas of financial, purchasing, grant, facilities, human resources and support services management. Ensures compliance of staff with organizational, University and other relevant policies and guidelines.

• May oversee the management of informational technology planning, ensuring necessary operating and information systems and resources are in place to accomplish strategic goals. Conceives and directs special projects related to the business of the organizational unit.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Work Experience:

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• Experience working in academic affairs, including direct student-facing responsibilities. • Experience with international students. • Experience managing human resources processes. • Experience working with faculty and instructors. • Experience with professionally oriented graduate programs.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Experience with learning platforms and technologies (e.g., Canvas, Zoom, Panopto, Wistia, other). • Advanced data and reporting skills (Slate, Excel, PPT, Database, PeopleSoft) for prospective and enrolled student data management. • Proficiency in office software such as Microsoft Office, Google Docs, etc.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal skills including the ability to resolve problems with a high degree of discretion, diplomacy, and tact. • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate to a diverse audience including students, faculty, donors, and staff. • Ability to coordinate with many partner offices simultaneously to innovatively problem solve on behalf of students and staff. • Superior organizational skills and constant attention to detail. • Ability to work independently, with guidance in only the most complex situations. • Commitment to excellent customer service, including tact, discretion, and proper judgement as necessary. • Expertise to collect and maintain a vast array of records to improve organizational knowledge and data points. • Strong project management skills, including experience with large-scale projects, working effectively across organizational boundaries and disciplines. • Demonstrated expertise in financial planning, data-driven decision making, and resource management within an academic environment. • Excellent supervisory skills.

Working Conditions

• This position is eligible for a partially remote work schedule. • This position requires occasional work on evenings and weekends.

Application Documents

• Resume (required) • Cover Letter (required) • References (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Role Impact

Scheduled Weekly Hours

Drug Test Required

Health Screen Required

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

Pay Rate Type

FLSA Status

Pay Range

The included pay rate or range represents the Universitys good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the Universitys Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicagos Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

About the Company

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University of Chicago