Academic Operations Manager

Compensation Range:

Annual Salary: $56,890.00 - $76,800.00

Position Summary

The Academic Operations Manager serves as a resource for the Dean in support of the operational administration of the Nursing Department. This position manages and coordinates the operations functions within the Nursing department  and assigned University operations and processes across School/Colleges. The primary responsibility of this role is to manage a variety of projects within the Nursing Department, 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 Nursing Department 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  at the programmatic and department level.
• Plans, directs, and prioritizes activities of the School/Department (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/Department.
• In collaboration with the Associate Dean of Faculty, monitors Faculty Annual Plans (FAPs) and Full Time Faculty workloads to ensure compliance with University, School, and Department policies and processes.
• Serves as point of contact for incoming student requests (for example, Student Services).
• Collaborates with University, School, and Nursing Department leadership and staff to facilitate and improve processes and services provided to the University by the School/Department.
• Represents the School/Department on committees, initiatives, and processes as assigned by the Dean and supervisor.
• Works closely with SchoolDepartment Faculty and Directors to ensure the completion and implementation of projects that impact the School/Department.
• 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/Department 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 Department/School councils. 
• Manages internal and external staff, faculty, and/or student inquiries received by the Department/School by referring to appropriate team members as needed.
• Serves as liaison with other National University departments when their projects impact the School/Department.
• Monitors student retention and, in collaboration with the Assistant or 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.
• Tracks and manages contract requests and coordinates submittals, ensuring adherence to established timelines.
• Schedules meetings and rooms for administrators, faculty, students, alumni, advisory board members and other communities of interest in preparation for accreditation site visits
• Manages the accounts payable process, verifying accuracy and compliance with accounts payable, coordinating with finance and accounting teams, as well as the Manager of Dean Support, to ensure timely payment processing to vendors and suppliers in accordance with internal and external policies and deadlines.
• Working with Academic Program Directors, takes responsibility for planning, organizing, and completing course staffing schedules, aligning them with departmental needs and requirements, and ensures adequate and qualified staffing for courses.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Supervises Nursing Department staff.
• Hires, trains, develops, and supervises Nursing Department staff.
• Screens applications, interviews candidates, and recommends individuals for hiring.
• Trains and assigns work to new and continuing employees.
• Delegates tasks and provides effective direction to team members to produce substantial business results.
• Independently conducts frequent performance feedback weekly, quarterly and annually, to include annual performance evaluations.
• Makes recommendations for salary increases, merit increases and reclassifications.
• In conjunction with HR, determines corrective action as needed for direct reports.

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, USA

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

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.

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 4,500 faculty and staff and serves over 45,000 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. 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 student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

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 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.