Assistant Registrar (Operations and Strategy) - Office of the Registrar

Rice University Minimal Template External Career Site•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of the Registrar (OTR) at Rice University supports the educational mission of the university by working with the Rice community to maintain the accuracy and integrity of educational records, provide quality service, and support innovative systems that enhance academic support. The Assistant Registrar, Operations and Strategy serves as a primary operational architect within the OTR. Under limited supervision, this position bridges the gap between daily record-keeping and long-term strategic improvement. The incumbent directs critical OTR functions in student records management and academic administration, bringing senior-level judgment and technical expertise to complex curricular, registration, and student system projects. This role acts as a "process engineer" for the office, ensuring that the OTR’s production calendar runs flawlessly while simultaneously analyzing and rebuilding processes to be more efficient, transparent, and student-centered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree
Three or more (3+) years of related experience.
Demonstrated experience in an office or administrative environment, preferably experience in records (and data) management, accounting, or another closely related field.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills; excellent customer service skills.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a high degree of accuracy and an uncompromising attention to detail.
Experience with PC computers, including intermediate- to advanced-level proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of software applications; intermediate understanding of database concepts.
Knowledge of higher education academic curriculum: the relationship between degrees, majors, and where applicable, major concentrations, minors, and certificates.
Experience and understanding of applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including how they are applied within their assigned functional area.
A high level of business acumen, professionalism, and maturity, including the ability to maintain confidence with sensitive student records information.
Excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize work assignments.
Ability to work within a fast-paced office environment with changing priorities, critical deadlines, and the need for multitasking.
Ability to work both autonomously and as a member of a team, with minimal supervision.
Ability to quickly learn and use new systems, processes, procedures, and complex office functions.

Nice To Haves

Advanced Degree
Five or more (5+) years of related experience.
Experience in higher education, particularly experience in a college or university Registrar’s Office.
Experience and history in participating in professional organizations (e.g., TACRAO, SACRAO, AACRAO) and contributions to the registrar profession
Technical skill and experience with specialized software tools commonly used in Registrar’s Offices, such as Ellucian Banner, Degree Works, Leepfrog CourseLeaf products (CAT, CIM, CLSS), etc.
Skill and experience interfacing software tools (SQL Developer, Access, etc.) with Oracle tables and views, formulating queries, form design and reporting, etc.

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning: Collaborate with OTR leadership to define operational priorities and annual goals. Translate high-level strategic directives into actionable project plans with defined milestones and deliverables.
Production Calendar Ownership: Own and manage the comprehensive OTR master production calendar. Proactively coordinate with Information Technology, Financial Aid, Admission, and Bursar to ensure critical dependencies are aligned.
Process Engineering: Lead business process analysis initiatives. Audit existing workflows to identify bottlenecks, reduce manual processing, and mitigate error rates through automation and standardization.
Cyclical Project Leadership: Direct major university-wide cyclical events in which OTR is involved, ensuring timelines, communications, and system readiness are aligned.
Change Management: Serve as the functional lead for implementing new operational policies. Ensure that changes to academic policy are accurately reflected in system setups and operational procedures.
Communication Campaigns: Design and execute timely, transparent communication plans for the university community regarding registration, grading, academic deadlines, and policy changes, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and risk mitigation.
Catalog & Policy Publication: Assist in the production and editing of the General Announcements (University Catalog), ensuring alignment between published policy and operational practice.
Knowledge Base Management: Serve as the primary editor for the internal OTR Wiki and standard operating procedures. Maintain institutional knowledge and ensure staff have access to current, accurate, and actionable documentation.
Customer Experience: Oversee the quality of service delivered through the ticketing system, phone, and office chatbot. Analyze inquiry trends and data to identify recurring pain points and recommend systemic solutions to reduce volume and improve user experience.
Vendor Management: Oversee relationships and workflows with credentialing and transcript vendors (e.g., Parchment Award), ensuring service quality, compliance, and data accuracy.
Special Populations: Contribute to the registration and record maintenance for visiting students, inter-institutional enrollments, and other non-degree populations.
Records Security: Ensure all record-keeping practices strictly adhere to FERPA regulations and university data security policies.
Data Governance: Execute complex data cleanup and integrity audits.
Staff Leadership: Supervise assigned professional staff and student workers. Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular evaluations, and manage daily workflow distribution.
Mentorship: Foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth. Train staff not only on how to perform tasks but on the strategic importance of data integrity and service excellence.
working as a member of a team, the Assistant Registrar, Operations and Strategy administers and assists with other OTR operations as needed, including business process analysis and improvement, training, office communication, course scheduling, student records management, new student orientation, visiting students, transfer credit, transcripts and verifications, grade petitions, data review/data integrity audits, etc.