Assistant Director, Instructional Services

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Master’s in Applied Data Science program (MS-ADS) is a professional graduate program within the Physical Sciences Division (PSD) and the Data Science Institute (DSI) at The University of Chicago. The purpose of the MS-ADS program is to train and educate students in Data Science and AI for careers in industry. Designed for professionals with backgrounds in technical fields, the program offers rigorous classes, expert instructors, leading-edge technology, and an unparalleled network of industry professionals for full- and part-time learners across a variety of in-person and online degree pathways. The program benefits from a mix of full-time clinical faculty, part-time adjunct faculty, part-time lecturers, and other instructional support staff. While program faculty often collaborate with the university’s full-time research and/or tenure-track faculty, MS-ADS’s faculty are unique in that they are industry experts who have a scope and depth of experience in full-time data science positions outside of academia. This role reports to the Director of Academic Affairs & Operations and manages key administrative tasks critical to running the MS-ADS program, focusing on leading and supporting the year-round recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of teaching assistants, graders, and other instructional support staff. The Assistant Director also collaborates with admissions and student affairs teams to align course offerings with student demand and works with academic affairs and HR staff on HR policy and compliance. A portion of time may be dedicated to new program development. The position is primarily based in the NBC Tower location in downtown Chicago, IL, and is eligible for a partially remote work schedule.

Requirements

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in academic affairs and/or HR.
Experience working with faculty in a research-intensive university environment.
Experience hiring international personnel and/or interfacing with an office of international affairs in a post-secondary institution.
Small-scale meeting or event planning/execution.
Project management experience.
Experience with learning platforms and technologies (e.g., Canvas, Zoom, Whiteboard).
Proficiency in office software for data management and reporting purposes such as Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, etc.
Outstanding interpersonal skills including the ability to resolve problems with a high degree of discretion, diplomacy, and tact.
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate to a diverse audience including students, faculty, donors, and staff.
Ability to coordinate with many partner offices simultaneously to innovatively problem solve on behalf of students and staff.
Superior organizational skills and constant attention to detail.
Ability to work independently, with guidance in only the most complex situations.
Commitment to excellent customer service, including tact, discretion, and proper judgment as necessary.
Expertise to collect and maintain a vast array of records to improve organizational knowledge and data points.
Ability to influence others without formal authority by building positive working relationships.
Basic knowledge of generative AI tools such as chatGPT.

Responsibilities

Demonstrates a thorough understanding of University policies, procedures, and best practices to support instructional staff hiring processes.
Acts as a key representative of the program for instructional staff recruitment and screening, ensuring timely completion and compliance with University and Divisional policies.
Manages planning, execution, and assessment of the recruitment, assignment, and onboarding of teaching assistants, graders, and any other instructional support staff (including HR-related processes for payment) on a year-round basis.
Coordinates, documents, and facilitates recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and orientation processes for instructional staff, including communication of HR onboarding steps and monitoring progress.
Collaborates with faculty on the recruitment, screening, and selection of instructional staff.
Drafts instructional staff applications, offer letters, pay memos and maintains human resources data and records.
Troubleshoots instructional staff technology access issues, academic issues with students, payroll concerns and solves straightforward problems using standard procedures.
Maintains accurate documentation and tracks appointment and visa expiration dates and annual hours worked to ensure continuous compliance.
Works with the PSD HR regarding visa processes and work authorization for instructional staff.
Develops resources to support new and returning instructional staff professional development and serves as a general resource for program information.
Supports process improvement and ad hoc reporting.
Communicates quarterly timelines and deadlines for instructional staff course preparation, scheduling, grading, and other key academic activities.
Provides support for course Canvas sites and Zoom access to facilitate instructional delivery.
Identifies operational goals and assists with resource allocation to meet priorities.
Supports hiring for academic faculty and other temporary staff as needed.
Assists with and coordinates faculty meetings and events and performs other related duties as required.
Supports annual foundational assessments, assisting faculty and students with communications, troubleshooting, and process guidance.
Uses moderate/solid understanding and experience to administer the delivery of services to program participants and/or beneficiaries.
Sets and communicates program priorities and performance standards and assesses operations using these criteria.
Plans and conducts quality assurance reviews and recommends changes as appropriate.
Has moderate/high levels of interactions with faculty, researchers and staff for committee work or information.
Performs other related work as needed.