Associate Director, Student Experience and Academics

Department

Booth Specialized Master's Program

About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.

Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.

Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.

As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment.

For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary

As part of a collaborative and cross-functional student experience team, Associate Director will serve as both a generalist in student engagement and advising, and an academic advisor for students in Chicago Booth’s Specialized Master Programs (Master in Management and Master in Finance).

The ideal candidate brings an understanding of and a willingness to learn advising principles, academic policy interpretation, and curriculum navigation. They are passionate about supporting students’ academic progress while connecting that progress to broader career and personal goals.

Responsibilities

• Coaches and advises students 1:1 holistically on career, academic, and student life topics.
• Builds strong and sustainable relationships and maintains existing relationships with employers.
• Facilitates onboarding, career programming, academic advising sessions, and milestone tracking.
• Collaborates with faculty, alumni, and central Booth departments to deliver integrated student support.
• Coordinates communication and student engagement initiatives, including events, newsletters, and resource platforms.
• Tracks student progress and provides interventions for students at risk or in need of additional support.
• Contributes to team-wide learning by sharing expertise in your SME area and participating in cross-training to build a resilient, collaborative team.
• Fosters a culture centered on positivity, inclusivity, responsiveness, innovation, and professional growth.
• Partners with Careers SME and help students align academic choices with career ambitions.
• Serves as the primary academic advisor for MiM and MiF students, guiding them through curriculum planning, course registration, and graduation requirements.
• Develops and maintains advising tools, planning guides, and onboarding materials to support academic decision-making.
• Interprets and communicates academic policies to students, ensuring compliance and supporting informed decision-making.
• Monitors academic progress and works with students at risk, making referrals to tutoring, wellness, or academic resources.
• Liaise with faculty, registrar, and faculty directors to ensure clear communication of expectations and policies.
• Coordinates communication from students and faculty to inform future advising structures and academic program enhancements.
• Supports student onboarding through academic orientation, Q&A sessions, and continuous touchpoints throughout the program year.
• Leads facilitation of academic policies including substitution, petitions, accommodations and probations.
• Conducts regular knowledge-sharing sessions to equip peers with advising frameworks, academic policies, and student support scenarios.
• Develops a core advising toolkit that can be used by non-SME team members to triage academic inquiries.
• Manages on-boarding efforts related to coursework and academic planning delivered through various channels and on-line tools. Works mostly independently to facilitate graduation-related functions related to academic and degree requirements.
• Has a deep understanding related to the development of programming for non-academic matters, such as health and wellness and curricular programming. Designs and produces material for the handbook and other academically-related publications.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Master’s degree.

Experience:

• At least five years of experience in academic advising, academic operations, or student support within higher education.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Familiarity with advising systems, student records platforms, and learning management tools, such as Canvas.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong understanding of academic policy, curriculum structures, and graduate-level program design.
• Engage with diverse student populations and support varying academic needs and aspirations.
• Highly organized, empathetic, and solutions-focused with excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.
• Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes.
• Excellent strategic planning, critical thinking, analytical, and persuasion skills.
• Handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty and corporate contacts in a multitude of communication methods, including in-person, email, and phone.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.

Working Conditions

• Occasionally work various hours, sometimes early mornings, late evenings, and weekend days.
• This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (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

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$67,000.00 - $72,000.00

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

Benefits Eligible

Yes

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 University's 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.

 

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