Job Description

Description
The Director of Graduate Programs is the operational leader of the College of Business and Analytics Office of Graduate Programs and is responsible for the full student lifecycle (admissions to graduation) administrative and student-support functions for all CoBA master's and doctoral programs across residential and online modalities. The Director builds scalable processes, ensures consistent service to students and faculty, coordinates graduate program operations with university partners, and uses data and continuous improvement practices to strengthen recruitment to completion outcomes. The role is designed first as a high-performing operations leader, with expectation and support to grow into a broader strategic program growth leader as the office scales.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity.

Examples of Duties
Serve as the primary administrative point of contact for graduate students, providing accurate guidance on program requirements, policies, registration, milestones, and graduation processes.
Design and maintain a student-support model that includes proactive outreach, issue escalation paths, and coordinated communications
Manage student records, progression/degree audits, academic standing actions and graduation clearances with the Graduate School and Registrar.
Coordinate residential graduate recruitment operations (events, inquiry response standards, communications, and yield support) with programs, departments, and college leadership.
Coordinate with OPM partner on online graduate recruitment/admissions operations to ensure clean handoffs, consistent messaging, and aligned timelines.
Maintain accurate and current graduate program web content, collateral, and published program information in collaboration with relevant units.
Coordinate scheduling and operational readiness (capacity, rotations, modality needs, staffing) in collaboration with departments and faculty program directors.
Interpret and apply Graduate School, university, and college policies; ensure compliance while reducing friction for students and faculty; propose improvements as needed.
Maintain graduate-program handbooks, forms, and SOPs; interpret policies and recommend improvements.
Administer CoBA graduate assistantships (allocations processes, matchings, offers, onboarding, renewals) and liaise with programs, HR, and the Graduate School.
Develop and maintain operational dashboards and routine reporting for the graduate student lifecycle (e.g., inquiries, applications, admits, enrollment, retention, progression, and completions); translate insights into action plans with program directors and the Dean’s Office.
Use data to identify bottlenecks and student-risk points; implement process improvements and service standards to improve outcomes and student experience.
Support AACSB and university reporting needs by maintaining accurate documentation, operational evidence, and timely data submission for graduate programs, including evidence collection for accreditation.
Partner with CoBA assessment leadership to execute Assurance of Learning (AoL) processes for graduate programs, including coordination of data collection, documentation of actions, and continuous improvement follow-through.
Supervise and develop assigned staff and student employees, establishing a service-oriented office culture with clear expectations, cross-training, and dependable coverage for peak periods.
Lead intake and resolution of graduate program administrative issues; coordinate across departments to ensure timely problem-solving and consistent communication.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
Master's degree in business, higher education administration, or a closely related field.
3+ years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration or related work supporting student services; graduate programs experience preferred.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workflows and deadlines with accuracy, confidentiality, and strong customer service in a detail intensive environment.
Experience using student information systems/reporting tools (e.g., Banner, Argos, Slate or similar; spreadsheets and dashboards).
Familiarity with LMS platforms (e.g., D2L) and academic policies/compliance expectations.
Demonstrated supervisory/leadership ability and strong written/verbal communication skills.
Commitment to student-centered excellence and continuous improvement.
Preferred Qualifications:
Doctoral degree in business, higher education administration, or a related field.
5+ years of graduate program operations experience in a business/professional school environment.
Experience supporting online/hybrid program operations and/or working with an OPM partner.
Demonstrated process improvement (SOPs, service standards, workflow redesign) and data-informed decision making to improve student outcomes (e.g., pipeline, retention, progression, completion).
Experience with graduate assistantship administration and policy interpretation/compliance processes.
Experience supporting accreditation processes and coordinating AoL/assessment-related data/documentation.