Assistant Director of Admissions, Operations

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

11d • $62,000 - $67,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Admissions, Operations is a key member of the admissions team and plays a critical role in meeting the School’s enrollment goals. This position leads application processing, document and data management, and operational systems supporting the full admissions lifecycle, while also sharing recruitment and advising responsibilities with the Assistant Director team. Primary work categories include: application processing (40%), data and systems management (30%), recruitment and advising (20%), and cross-team collaboration and committee engagement (10%).

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

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience working in a higher education research institution.
• Experience with PeopleSoft or similar course management systems.
• Demonstrated flexibility and ability to multitask on frequent and constantly changing demands.
• Ability to effectively communicate with faculty, graduate students, and various. administrative offices at all levels of the university.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Analytical skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to resolve problems.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge, awareness, and diversity, equity, and inclusion skills.
• Knowledge of database management software.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the full application processing workflow, including file completion, verification, and preparation for Faculty Admissions Committee review.
• Leads the assignment and routing of complete applications to the Faculty Admissions Committee.
• Contacts applicants regarding missing or incomplete materials.
• Verifies CSWE accreditation for Advanced Standing applicants and evaluates international academic credentials for equivalency and completeness.
• Coordinates with the Office of International Affairs and the Dean of Students Office on the successful processing of international admitted students.
• Oversees and maintains the CRM (Technolutions Slate), coordinating with the Director of Admissions and UChicago Grad Slate team on annual updates, testing, and system improvements.
• Maintains accurate student records and documentation, including final transcript receipt and external education data entry for Slate-to-AIS exports.
• Assists with the rollover of records to the Field Education database and alerts Field Education staff of attrition or deferrals prior to the start of the term.
• Analyzes funnel performance and operational trends to recommend process improvements that enhance applicant experience, reduce processing time, and strengthen data accuracy.
• Leads the annual application and decision-cycle workflow redesign process, identifying pain points, recommending system enhancements, and coordinating updates with internal stakeholders and the UChicago Grad Slate team.
• Partners with the Director of Admissions and Assistant Dean on the development of admissions operations strategy, contributing recommendations that shape policies, procedures, and annual enrollment goals.
• Assists the Director of Admissions with data security, FERPA compliance, and document retention.
• Supervises one student ambassador, including onboarding, workflow delegation, quality assurance of outreach activities, and ongoing coaching to ensure consistent representation of Crown’s brand and admissions priorities.
• Collaborates with the admissions team to build, update, and maintain policy, practice, and procedure documentation.
• Represents Crown Family School at UChicago Grad Slate meetings and partners with University offices on shared processes and data governance.
• Recruits for Crown Family School master’s programs in collaboration with the other Assistant Directors, including presentations, travel, relationship management with assigned prospect pools, and participation in recruitment and yield-focused events.
• Serves as the first line of response for the general admissions inbox, triaging inquiries and directing complex cases to appropriate team members.
• Manages ongoing communication with prospective and admitted students through email, phone calls, and individual advising appointments.
• Leads the onboarding process for newly admitted students, including managing the onboarding checklist, monitoring yield-risk and summer-melt indicators, coordinating outreach with the admissions team, and advising assigned admitted students.
• Supports the School’s communication strategy, marketing initiatives, and updates to admissions-related website content.
• Actively contributes to Admissions and Student Life meetings, retreats, events, orientation, and commencement.
• Recruits and/or evaluates applicants for admission by interviewing, reading applications, and summarizing evaluations.
• Travels and recruits in an assigned geography, assisting with planning and delivering public presentations, special events, and other recruitment activities.
• Maintains relationships with all individuals involved in the recruitment process, routinely counseling students and parents regarding the admission process.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• 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 .

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees