Assistant Director, Admissions Operations

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range:

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Admissions Operations is a leader on the admissions team in functional areas related to application verification management, data and document management, and quality assurance. The Assistant Director oversees the day-to-day workflow for the Admissions Operations team and is responsible for several cyclical projects for the Office of Admissions. The Assistant Director supports in upholding and strengthening the integrity of the admissions process from application through enrollment for the School of Professional Studies growing set of offerings.  These offerings currently include 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.

Responsibilities

Application Verification Management:

• Manage the day-to-day workflow of the Admissions Operations team related to application verification, ensuring that caseloads are realigned depending on volume; proactively monitor application volume across programs to ensure workload is assigned evenly across the team
• Provide initial and ongoing training to team members on fraud detection and how they should be incorporating this type of assessment into their work; maintain current knowledge of trends and best practices in the identification of application fraud, and implement process changes that reflect best practices
• Oversee transcript review process including exception requests; ensure all information is accurately represented in Columbia’s student information system (SIS)
• Responsible for placing and removing registration holds, including communication hold details to students and status updates to staff
• Run end-of-cycle analyses of fraud indicators and make recommendations on changes to admissions processes and communications

Quality Assurance and Data Management:

• Manage the audit of applications to ensure University minimum standards are being upheld and work with team members to address any areas of improvement, and determine how escalated situations in this area should be resolved
• Provide insights on application processing patterns, making and implementing recommendations for enhancing and improving efficiency
• Conduct frequent audits of data and records and lead efforts to ensure the integrity and accuracy of all data related to student admissions and enrollment within all relevant application management systems
• Work with senior leadership to develop the strategy and execution of application document management practices and policies to support all SPS program offerings 

Admissions Operations:

• Oversee the creation of new student records as applicants confirm their intent to enroll and the deletion of student records for applicants who initially committed but did not ultimately enroll
• Complete application reviews including fraud and compliance checks
• Ensure proper movement of applications through the Slate CRM system; adjust processes as needed; make recommendations on enhancements and ways to streamline processes
• Responsible for the creation and ongoing maintenance of Confluence documentation and training materials for use by the entire Admissions Operations team; complete regular reviews of pages to make sure all content is correct and relevant

PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

Minimum Qualifications

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

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience handling a high volume of applications for multiple, diverse programs
• Experience reviewing transcripts from high school, undergraduate and graduate programs
• Experience reviewing and/or processing international applications and related materials
• Experience with system implementations and/or new system testing
• Familiarity with SPS program offerings overall

Other Requirements

• Background in higher education admissions or field where compliance and adherence to standards is critical
• Demonstrated experience using a relational database, online application system and/or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, ideally in a higher education setting
• Familiarity with SIS, TargetX, OnBase, Slate, or other systems, applications and software used by the University and the School, or with similar software
• Proven track record identifying and implementing improvements to streamline and/or automate complex processes
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Exceptional attention to detail, strong organization and time management skills, and the ability to perform routine and non-routine work with changing priorities
• Demonstrated ability to problem-solve and move a project from ideation through to execution
• Proven ability to use judgement to make difficult decisions independently, and with a high risk of consequences
• Proven ability to work effectively within a collaborative team setting
• Ability to handle confidential information in a mature, professional manner
• Adaptability and flexibility in working in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word and Excel required
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends during peak application periods

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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