Job Description:
POSITION SUMMARY
The Assistant Director of Student Advising provides leadership in delivering student-centered experience while supporting institutional initiatives through student advising, financial aid expertise, and strategic data reporting. This position serves as a bridge between Student Support, Academic Affairs, and Student Finance by advising students on academic progression and financial aid implications while developing reports and analyses that support enrollment management, compliance, and operational decision-making.
The Assistant Director is responsible for overseeing complex student cases, interpreting institutional and federal regulations, producing data reports for Student Support leadership, and identifying trends that improve student success and operational efficiency.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES
Student Support
- Counsel students experiencing academic, financial, or enrollment challenges and identify appropriate solutions.
- Collaborate with Academic Departments, Financial Aid, Registrar, Admissions, and Student Accounts to resolve complex student issues.
- Review and evaluate student petitions, appeals, exceptions, and special circumstances related to each eligible student’s funding.
- Assist with onboarding and training new Student Services staff.
- Serve as an escalation point for complex advising cases requiring cross-departmental coordination.
- Support student retention initiatives through proactive outreach and intervention.
Student Finance & Financial Aid
- Serve as a subject matter expert regarding federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations.
- Advise students on the academic impact of financial aid eligibility, satisfactory academic progress (SAP), enrollment status, Leave of Absence policies, and loan regulations.
- Partner with Financial Aid leadership to identify students impacted by regulatory or policy changes.
- Monitor enrollment patterns affecting aid eligibility and recommend intervention strategies.
- Assist with compliance initiatives and institutional audits related to student enrollment and financial aid.
Reporting & Data Analytics
- Develop, maintain, and distribute recurring reports supporting Student Finance, Student Services, and university leadership. Assists in maintaining weekly reporting to Student Support that identifies financial at-risk students.
- Extract, validate, and analyze student data from the Student Information System (SIS), CRM, and reporting platforms.
- Identify data trends and present actionable recommendations to leadership.
- Ensure data accuracy and integrity while adhering to institutional policies and federal regulations.
Leadership & Operational Support
- Assist the Director with strategic planning and departmental initiatives.
- Develop and improve departmental procedures and workflows.
- Assist with policy implementation and continuous process improvement.
- Serve as Acting Director in the Director's absence, as needed.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education.
- Minimum of 2 years of experience in Financial Aid, Student Finance, Enrollment Services, or Student Services.
- Experience with academic advising in a college or university setting.
- Experience producing reports and analyzing institutional data.
- Knowledge of federal Title IV financial aid regulations.
- Strong understanding of higher education policies and student lifecycle processes.
Ideal Qualifications
- Experience working with Student Information Systems (Colleague, Banner, PeopleSoft, CampusVue, or similar).
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, Power Query, XLOOKUP, reporting).
- Experience interpreting institutional data to support strategic decision-making.
- Supervisory or leadership experience.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Comprehensive knowledge of higher education administration.
- Working knowledge of federal financial aid regulations and compliance.
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Ability to interpret complex policies and communicate them clearly.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong customer service and conflict resolution skills.
- High attention to detail and data accuracy.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality while handling sensitive student information.
- Collaborative leadership and relationship-building skills.
COMPENSATION RANGE: Salary range is $33.33-$35.90, commensurate with education and experience.
The Chicago School offers a generous compensation and benefits package, as well as the opportunity to work for a leader in the field of education. Some of our key benefits include: generous paid time-off, medical and dental coverage, company-paid life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts (FSA), tuition reimbursement, professional development, and regular employee appreciation events.
The Chicago School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Company:
The Chicago School
