Associate Director, CMU Online - Office of the Provost

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

CMU Online seeks an Associate Director to support the operation, management, and day-to-day activities of its portfolio of graduate and professional education programs. Working under the direction of the Senior Director, the Associate Director helps lead activities across marketing, recruiting and enrollment, and program management to support effective operations, successful program launches, and continued growth. The role supports strategic priorities, monitors organizational performance, coordinates cross-functional initiatives, and helps align systems, processes, and resources with the unit’s objectives. It is an operational partner to the Senior Director, helping manage organizational complexity, maintain continuity, and ensure priorities and initiatives are executed effectively. The Associate Director supports strategic and operational planning; coordinates day-to-day work across marketing, recruiting, enrollment, and program management; monitors enrollment and other performance indicators; and identifies operational challenges and improvement opportunities. The role also coordinates with functional directors, academic departments, university administrative offices, and online learning design and technology teams. Responsibilities include supporting program development and launches, documenting and improving workflows and procedures, coordinating special projects, preparing materials for university leadership and stakeholders, and representing the Senior Director in meetings when delegated. The successful candidate will bring strong organizational, operational, analytical, communication, project management, and problem-solving skills; sound judgment and discretion; and the ability to build productive relationships and work collaboratively in a complex university environment. A bachelor’s degree is required, and an advanced degree in management, higher education administration, business administration, or a related field is preferred. At least five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, program operations, project management, or a related field is required. Experience in online, continuing, or professional education is preferred. A combination of education and relevant experience demonstrating comparable knowledge may be considered. A successful pre-employment background check is required. Applicants must already be legally authorized to work for CMU in the United States; CMU will not sponsor an employment visa for this opportunity.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; a comparable combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, program operations, project management, or a related field.
Experience coordinating complex operations, cross-functional initiatives, and organizational projects.
Strong organizational and operational management skills, including the ability to coordinate multiple initiatives, priorities, and stakeholders.
Ability to translate strategic direction into actionable plans and effective execution.
Strong analytical skills and financial acumen, with the ability to interpret performance data to inform decisions.
Excellent judgment, including the ability to address routine operational matters independently and recognize when issues require escalation.
Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to identifying challenges and recommending solutions.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Ability to build productive working relationships across academic and administrative units.
Strong project management skills, attention to detail, and ability to complete deliverables on time.
Ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a complex university environment.
Demonstrated discretion, professionalism, and ability to handle sensitive organizational information.
Successful pre-employment background check.
Must be currently legally authorized to work for CMU in the United States; CMU will not sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this opportunity.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in management, higher education administration, business administration, or a related field.
Experience in online education, continuing education, or professional education.

Responsibilities

Support the Senior Director in implementing CMU Online’s strategic priorities, operational plans, and growth initiatives.
Coordinate day-to-day operations across marketing, recruiting, enrollment, and program management.
Monitor enrollment and other key performance indicators and prepare reports and analyses for planning and decision-making.
Identify operational challenges, process gaps, and improvement opportunities; develop recommendations and implement approved changes.
Track major initiatives, deadlines, and deliverables, following up and escalating issues to the Senior Director as appropriate.
Coordinate with CMU Online functional directors to support collaboration and resolve operational issues.
Support new program development and launches by coordinating timelines, operational requirements, resources, and implementation activities.
Assist with evaluating potential program opportunities, portfolio adjustments, and business growth initiatives.
Coordinate with academic departments and university administrative offices to support program operations and implementation.
Support collaboration with online learning design and technology teams to align academic delivery and business operations.
Support the development, documentation, and implementation of policies, procedures, workflows, and systems.
Maintain visibility into organizational activities, identify dependencies and risks, and ensure timely follow-up.
Coordinate special projects and cross-functional initiatives assigned by the Senior Director.
Prepare presentations, reports, proposals, and other materials for university leadership and stakeholders.
Represent the Senior Director in meetings and operational discussions as delegated, communicate decisions, coordinate follow-up, and escalate matters requiring senior leadership attention.
Help maintain operational continuity through documentation, cross-functional knowledge, and familiarity with key activities and processes.