Interstate Regulatory Administrator

Arizona Department of Administration • Phoenix, AZ

3d • Remote

About The Position

The Interstate Regulatory Administrator is dedicated exclusively to the regulatory oversight of out-of-state institutions providing online distance education to Arizona residents. This position will serve as the primary liaison between Arizona and the higher education regulatory authorities in all other 49 states, with core responsibilities include managing the end-to-end registration process for an anticipated influx of 300 to 500 institutions, conducting rigorous financial and academic audits, and enforcing continuous compliance to ensure that Arizona students are protected by state educational standards and financial safeguards. This position is available for remote work on a full-time basis within Arizona (including virtual office arrangements). The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Requirements

• Knowledge of higher education regulatory landscapes, particularly regarding out-of-state private postsecondary institutions operating in Arizona.
• Knowledge of online distance education models and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA).
• Knowledge of financial protection mechanisms, including federal financial composite scores, surety bonds, cash deposits, and irrevocable letters of credit.
• Knowledge of academic standards for non-accredited institutions, including program catalogs, course descriptions, faculty qualifications, and minimum credit hour standards.
• Knowledge of Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) tracking and assessment requirements.
• Financial analysis skills to evaluate institutional financial statements and gross tuition revenues.
• Skills in conducting deep reviews of institutional applications and academic program compliance.
• Relationship management and liaison skills to coordinate effectively with higher education regulatory authorities across 49 other states.
• Database management skills to maintain a meticulously organized and highly accurate record of registered, pending, and non-compliant schools.
• Written communication and enforcement skills to draft formal warnings or cease-and-desist recommendations.
• Ability to manage an unprecedented, high-volume pipeline of 300 to 500 institutional registrations efficiently.
• Ability to proactively identify non-compliant institutions marketing to Arizona residents without authorization and mandate registration.
• Ability to ensure continuous compliance, including monitoring strict 30-day reporting windows for critical institutional events like adverse accreditation actions or lawsuits.
• Ability to oversee end-to-end administrative processes, from initial application intake and stalled application follow-ups to annual renewals.
• Ability to generate accurate reports for the State Board regarding compliance statuses and institutional metrics.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Public Administration, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, Finance, Pre-Law, or a closely related field, or Master’s degree (MPA, MBA, or M.Ed.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.) with coursework focused on regulatory compliance, administrative law, or higher education policy.
• Experience Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and professional experience in state authorization, higher education regulation, or compliance auditing that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the role.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing the end-to-end registration process for all 300 to 500 anticipated out-of-state institutions. This involves processing initial applications, auditing school progress, and following up on stalled applications.
• Verifying financial protection for Arizona students by analyzing federal financial composite scores, which must be greater than 1.5. This includes determining required surety bonds, cash deposits, or irrevocable letters of credit based on the institution's prior year gross tuition revenue from Arizona residents.
• Conducting deep, rigorous reviews of out-of-state institutions that lack standard accreditation. This responsibility requires evaluating program catalogs, course descriptions, faculty qualifications, and minimum credit hour standards.
• Constantly tracking 30-day reporting windows to ensure institutions report critical events in a timely manner. These critical events include adverse accreditation actions, financial material changes, or state and federal lawsuits.
• Managing the renewal cycle for all registered schools, as out-of-state registrations are valid for only one year. This requires processing renewals annually through a Board-approved application process.
• Serving as the primary liaison between Arizona and the higher education regulatory authorities in all other 49 states. This involves coordinating directly with these regulatory boards to maintain cross-state compliance.
• Proactively identifying out-of-state institutions that are marketing to Arizona residents without authorization and initiating formal contact to mandate registration. This also involves issuing formal warnings or cease-and-desist recommendations for institutions that fail to comply with Arizona law.
• Tracking newly enrolled Arizona resident students at registered out-of-state institutions. This function includes collecting annual assessments of up to $10 per student for the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF).
• Maintaining a meticulously organized and highly accurate database of registered, pending, and non-compliant schools. This system is utilized to generate regulatory and compliance reports directly for the State Board.

Benefits

• Sick Leave
• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Life Insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance
• Paid Parental Leave program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level