Senior Manager of Retention

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints•Salt Lake, UT

About The Position

The primary responsibilities of this role include: Leading the execution of retention efforts that support student persistence and progression Managing retention operations, including outreach, interventions, and mentoring processes Overseeing retention staff and ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery of support Monitoring retention performance (data) and driving improvements in persistence and completion Collaborating across teams to align and strengthen retention efforts organization-wide This role serves as the operational leader for retention—translating strategy into coordinated action and ensuring that retention efforts across the student experience are effective, aligned, and outcomes-driven. Principal Duties and Expected Outcomes (50%) Retention Function Leadership and Execution Own the execution of retention efforts across the student lifecycle, from engagement through completion, with a focus on improving student progression and persistence Oversee the design, coordination, and execution of retention processes, including student outreach, interventions, and support workflows Ensure retention efforts are proactive, timely, and aligned to student needs across all populations Maintain clear visibility into student progression and risk, ensuring appropriate interventions are consistently deployed Drive accountability for retention performance across the team, ensuring efforts translate into measurable improvements in persistence and completion (30%) Mentoring Program Oversight and Integration Provide oversight of the mentoring function as a key component of the retention strategy Partner closely with the Mentoring Manager to ensure mentoring is aligned with retention priorities and student needs Ensure mentoring efforts are effectively integrated into broader retention processes and interventions Monitor mentoring program performance, including mentor engagement, student experience, and contribution to retention outcomes Identify opportunities to strengthen the impact of mentoring as a lever for student persistence and completion (20%) Retention Performance, Insights, and Cross-Functional Coordination Monitor retention, persistence, and progression outcomes to assess effectiveness of retention efforts Analyze trends in student engagement and attrition to identify gaps and opportunities Translate insights into improvements in retention processes, workflows, and interventions Partner with the Director to inform priorities and refine approaches based on performance data Partner with internal stakeholders (e.g., digital operations, services, curriculum, instruction global engagement & operations) to align retention efforts across the organization Maintain visibility into retention-related initiatives outside of direct reporting lines and identify opportunities for alignment Influence cross-functional efforts that impact student persistence and completion, ensuring a cohesive student experience Elevate risks, gaps, and opportunities to the Director to inform broader strategy and decision-making

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required, Advanced degree preferred
Possess 5+ years of experience in higher education, student success, retention, or related field
Demonstrated expertise in leading teams and managing operational performance
Experience working across functions to drive outcomes in a complex organization
Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and adapt processes and team execution in real time based on performance data, student behavior, and evolving organizational priorities
Strong leadership and operational management skills
Ability to drive performance through people, processes and systems
Strong data literacy and ability to identify data needs and translate insights into action
Experience collaborating with IT to build and operate systems that drive execution
Excellent communication, collaboration, and follow-through skills across teams
Ability to influence without direct authority across functions
Demonstrated organizational and prioritization skills
Proactively identifies needs, takes ownership, and drives work forward without continual prompting
Consistently completes work with accuracy and reliability, ensuring commitments are met
Brings forward thoughtful, actionable solutions to problems
Effectively uses tools and adapts to new systems
Adjusts to swiftly changing priorities and institutional needs
Communicates in a clear and timely manner, participates actively, and is responsive to communication in a hybrid work environment

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree

Responsibilities

Own the execution of retention efforts across the student lifecycle, from engagement through completion, with a focus on improving student progression and persistence
Oversee the design, coordination, and execution of retention processes, including student outreach, interventions, and support workflows
Ensure retention efforts are proactive, timely, and aligned to student needs across all populations
Maintain clear visibility into student progression and risk, ensuring appropriate interventions are consistently deployed
Drive accountability for retention performance across the team, ensuring efforts translate into measurable improvements in persistence and completion
Provide oversight of the mentoring function as a key component of the retention strategy
Partner closely with the Mentoring Manager to ensure mentoring is aligned with retention priorities and student needs
Ensure mentoring efforts are effectively integrated into broader retention processes and interventions
Monitor mentoring program performance, including mentor engagement, student experience, and contribution to retention outcomes
Identify opportunities to strengthen the impact of mentoring as a lever for student persistence and completion
Monitor retention, persistence, and progression outcomes to assess effectiveness of retention efforts
Analyze trends in student engagement and attrition to identify gaps and opportunities
Translate insights into improvements in retention processes, workflows, and interventions
Partner with the Director to inform priorities and refine approaches based on performance data
Partner with internal stakeholders (e.g., digital operations, services, curriculum, instruction global engagement & operations) to align retention efforts across the organization
Maintain visibility into retention-related initiatives outside of direct reporting lines and identify opportunities for alignment
Influence cross-functional efforts that impact student persistence and completion, ensuring a cohesive student experience
Elevate risks, gaps, and opportunities to the Director to inform broader strategy and decision-making