Academics Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Academic Operations Manager serves as a resource for the Dean in support of the operational administration of the School/College. This position manages and coordinates the operations functions within and across the departments within the School/College and assigned University operations and processes across School/Colleges. The primary responsibility of this role is to manage a variety of projects within School/College as well as those which involve interaction with the University as a whole and to continually improve practices and procedures that create the highest level of efficiency possible within the School/College and in assigned areas across Schools/Colleges. This role is a central point of contact with full-time and part-time faculty, particularly at the programmatic level. The Academic Operations Manager will support the School/College with duties ranging from operations planning and management, project management, reporting and documentation for academic projects and will take a leadership role in developing and coordinating student retention initiatives.

Essential Functions:

• Participates in collation of requests regarding budget.
• Manages the academic operational workflow of the School/College at the programmatic and/or department level.
• Manages and coordinates assigned NU operations processes across Schools including course retirements, and translation table updates, and works with the Registrar’s Office to facilitate development and testing of cross-functional academic operations processes.
• Plans, directs, and prioritizes activities of the School/College (such as Commencement, simulations, test preparation, grant-funded projects, etc.) with external and internal constituents, vendors and other School and University colleagues.
• Recommends process changes to improve operational practices/procedures in the School/College.
• Manages and coordinates faculty performance management documentation, evaluations, Faculty Performance Plans (FPP), liaison on behalf of Dean for related administrative processes.  
• Serves as point of contact for incoming student requests (for example, Student Services).
• Collaborates with University departments and staff to facilitate and improve processes and services provided to the University by the School/College.
• Represents the School/College on committees, initiatives, and processes as assigned by the Dean and supervisor.
• Works closely with School/College Faculty and Directors to ensure the completion and implementation of projects that impact the School/College.
• Coordinates the collection and maintenance of required documentation for the processes and procedures related to academic affairs operations.
• Monitors progress/improvement data and creates and maintains School/College operations reports.
• Responsible for event management, including organizing meetings, leading discussions, developing project plans, writing follow-up reports, revising, and editing presentations, and following up on action items.
• Recruit, manage and report on ancillary College/School councils. 
• Manages internal and external staff, faculty, and/or student inquiries received by the College/School by referring to appropriate team members as needed.
• Serves as liaison with other National University departments when their projects impact the School/College.
• Monitors student retention and, in collaboration with the Assistant of Associate Dean of Students, develops and implements, with Dean approval, initiatives designed to increase student retention.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned by the Dean or the Dean’s representative.

Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in related field (such as Higher Ed Administration, Business, Organizational Leadership) from a regionally accredited institution required; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of three to five (3-5) years of experience working with online college/university in role required (role related to academic affairs preferred).
• Experience in project management and implementing strategic initiatives preferred.
• Experience in higher education preferred.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of online education structures and processes.
• Ability to proactively analyze technical factors, identify and understand stakeholder concerns and provide solutions that support the best interests of the organization.
• Knowledge of strategic planning processes and project management principles.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and management of multiple projects.
• Effective interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to solve complex problems and create win-win situations.
• Experience with process modeling and facilitation preferred.
• Ability to participate as an active team member of the team and organization and work toward a common goal. Contributes fully to the team effort and plays an integral part in the smooth running of teams without necessarily taking the lead.
• Accepts personal accountability, proactively seeks resolution for personal limitations head-on; and supports honesty and respect towards others, the company and oneself.
• Actively seeks to influence, build effective relationships and gain alignment with peers, functional partners and/or external partners to accomplish business objectives. 
• Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes. Ability to generate and/or recognize imaginative or creative solutions that generate successful outcomes.
• Working knowledge, principles, and practices of office management/systems within a higher education environment, preferred. Demonstrates an understanding of underlying organizational issues.
• Work independently and foster a cooperative spirit within a large and/or small team of diverse cultures, while working in a fast-paced environment with multiple projects, deadlines, and frequently changing priorities.
• Ability to drive towards achieving measurable and challenging goals to support organizational success. Demonstrates the ability to focus on achieving results consistent with the organization’s objectives. As a leader, develops goals based on the organization’s vision, mission, strategic goals and objectives.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with many constituencies in a diverse community.
• Intermediate use of computers and Microsoft Office Suite Applications such as Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook.

Location: Remote.

Travel: Travel required, as necessary. Travel required as necessary, may include quarterly college/school meetings, Commencement, and bi-annual leadership team retreats.

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Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies.  Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family.  For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

Compensation Range:

Annual Salary: $56,890.00 - $73,600.00

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality, diverse workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff and serves over 41,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community and a commitment to diversity. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our diverse student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University offers an opportunity to work in an innovative environment that supports diversity.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a diverse mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people come together to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University. We are focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, color, ancestry, age, family care status, veteran status, marital status, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and other legally protected group status.