Assistant Director, Student Success

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid time Off

Tuition waivers

Job summary

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks an Assistant Director of Student Success to lead the Business Pathways Academy (BPA) program, designing and delivering cohort-based student success initiatives that promote achievement, engagement, and retention.

This full-time Civil Service role involves collaboration across Student Success, OUP and Gies Business, providing advising, program management, and performance reporting to drive outcomes and institutional impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Three years (36 months) in education, training and/or work experience in higher education academic student retention services.
• Experience designing and implementing cohort-based or transition programs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead BPA program and oversee day-to-day operations to ensure engagement, performance and retention.
• Coordinate with leadership to align BPA outcomes with college-wide learner experience goals.
• Monitor academic progress and provide proactive advising and degree planning for BPA students.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Undergraduate Programs

• Lead and manage the Business Pathways Academy (BPA) program, ensuring strong outcomes in student engagement, academic performance, and retention
• Oversee delivery of integrated programming across academic, co-curricular, and community-based experiences
• Contribute to student success and retention initiatives within the broader Student Success portfolio
• Partner with leadership to align BPA outcomes with college-wide learner experience goals
• Contribute to the development and execution of cohort-based student success strategy
• Design, implement, and continuously improve BPA programming.
• Coordinate and align BPA student participation in supplemental learning systems.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of BPA programming and initiatives
• Track and analyze data
• Develop reports to evaluate program outcomes and impact
• Maintain program materials, communications, and systems
• Establish clear expectations and accountability structures for program delivery
• Provide professional and student staff training5
• Organizational Role & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Serve as a program-level leader within Student Success, contributing to unit planning and coordination
• Support integration of BPA within the broader student success, OUP and Gies Business ecosystem
• Collaborate with Coordinator of Academic Success to lead key program personnel.
• Contribute to unit-level reporting and assessment efforts, including dashboards and impact reports
• Academic Planning & Advising
• Monitor academic progress of BPA students toward graduation using the appropriate systems
• Provide proactive individualized advising and degree planning to BPA students, especially those entering with at-risk degree progression
• Coordinate with Program Coordinator to organize facilitated study groups and skill-based workshops
• Administration, Assessment & Reporting
• Other duties as assigned

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Student Success is a program leadership role within the Student Success unit, responsible for the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of cohort-based student success programming that supports academic achievement, engagement, and retention.

Duties & Responsibilities

• BPA Program Leadership & Impact
• Lead and manage the Business Pathways Academy (BPA) program, ensuring strong outcomes in student engagement, academic performance, and retention
• Oversee delivery of integrated programming across academic, co-curricular, and community-based experiences
• Contribute to student success and retention initiatives within the broader Student Success portfolio
• Partner with leadership to align BPA outcomes with college-wide learner experience goals
• Contribute to the development and execution of cohort-based student success strategy
• Design, implement, and continuously improve BPA programming.
• Coordinate and align BPA student participation in supplemental learning systems.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of BPA programming and initiatives
• Track and analyze data
• Develop reports to evaluate program outcomes and impact
• Maintain program materials, communications, and systems
• Establish clear expectations and accountability structures for program delivery
• Provide professional and student staff training5
• Organizational Role & Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Serve as a program-level leader within Student Success, contributing to unit planning and coordination
• Support integration of BPA within the broader student success, OUP and Gies Business ecosystem
• Collaborate with Coordinator of Academic Success to lead key program personnel.
• Contribute to unit-level reporting and assessment efforts, including dashboards and impact reports
• Academic Planning & Advising
• Monitor academic progress of BPA students toward graduation using the appropriate systems
• Provide proactive individualized advising and degree planning to BPA students, especially those entering with at-risk degree progression
• Coordinate with Program Coordinator to organize facilitated study groups and skill-based workshops
• Administration, Assessment & Reporting
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Specialty Factors

Bachelor’s degree.

A total of three (3) years (36 months) in education, training and/or work experience in higher education academic student retention services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Higher Education or a field related to the position
• Experience designing and implementing cohort-based or transition programs
• Experience working with students in academic transition and/or on low academic warning and/or students of concern

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Ability to lead programs and supervise student staff
• Strong collaboration, communication, and organizational skills

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 5002 - Program Coordinator position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search close date. The budgeted salary range for this position is $60,000-$70,000 annually. Final compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, and internal equity considerations.

This position is not eligible for any type of sponsorship for work authorization.

For more information about Gies Business, visit https://inside.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/work-at-gies.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on October 12, 2026.

Please contact [e-mail]. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits.

• Health
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• a Retirement Plan
• Paid time Off
• Tuition waivers for employees and dependents

The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence — where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal , or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or [e-mail].