Associate Dean, Degree Programs & Operations

Northwestern University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 325,000 - 375,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management seeks an Associate Dean for Degree Programs & Operations to lead admissions, student experience, advising, career services and international operations across master’s and certificate programs, serving 2300+ students each year.

The role oversees eight direct reports and ~110 staff, guiding strategic program development and enrollment strategies, collaborating with university leadership to keep Kellogg’s programs competitive and innovative.

Qualifications

• Experience in academic leadership and strategic program oversight.
• Experience with admissions, advising, career services and international student operations.
• Proven ability to recruit top students and manage large teams.

Responsibilities

• Recruits the world’s top students while achieving associated quality and revenue goals.
• Builds an ecosystem of recruiter relationships, coaching, and advising models that maximizes student outcomes.
• Develops enrollment strategies across programs considering market demand and applicant behavior.
• Drives innovation within programs to meet long-term market demand.
• Partners with university leaders to ensure Kellogg students access shared resources.
• Creates differentiated strategies across all aspects of student experience and outcomes.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Enrollment management

Stakeholder collaboration

Job description

Department: Degree Operations, Kellogg School of Management

About the Position

Kellogg seeks a strategic, collaborative, high‑performing leader to serve as its Associate Dean for Degree Programs & Operations. As an integral member of Kellogg’s senior leadership team overseeing student admissions, experience, academic advising, career services and international student operations, the Associate Dean provides strategic vision, leadership, and oversight for operations in its core master’s degree and undergraduate certificate programs, touching over 2300 students per year.

The Associate Dean is responsible for both the operational excellence and the strategic programmatic innovation to ensure the continued distinctiveness of Kellogg’s master’s degree programs, including the 1- and 2-year full‑time MBA programs; the dual degree programs with engineering (MMM), law (JD‑MBA), and medicine (MD‑MBA); the joint degree program with engineering (MBAi); the Evening & Weekend MBA program; and the Masters in Management (MiM) program. The Associate Dean also oversees the undergraduate certificate programs, including the Certificate Program in Undergraduate studies (CPU) and the Certificate in the Management of Creative Industries (MCI). Together, these programs generate roughly $180M in annual tuition revenue.

In this role, the Associate Dean partners closely with the Associate Dean of Global EMBA and Executive Education, who oversees operations for Kellogg’s roughly 550 EMBA students and an additional 300 partner school EMBA students. This role also works closely with the faculty member serving as Senior Associate Dean of Curriculum and Teaching, who is responsible for all course content and delivery across Kellogg’s degree programs.

Job Description

• Recruits the world’s top students while achieving associated quality and revenue goals
• Builds an ecosystem of recruiter relationships, coaching, and advising models that maximizes student outcomes
• Develops strategies to optimize enrollment across programs in consideration to market demand, applicant behavior and broader economic conditions. Delivers distinctive and high‑quality co‑curricular student experiences, focusing on community/culture‑building and professional growth
• Drives innovation within the programs to best meet long‑term market demand among the world’s top students/participants
• Partners with University leaders to ensure Kellogg students have access to shared resources
• Creates differentiated strategies across all aspects of the student experience and outcomes for each program to distance Kellogg from the competition

The ideal candidate will guide Kellogg into the future, ensuring the School stays competitive with the top‑tier global MBA Programs, attract the best students, continues to innovate into the future as the needs of the marketplace evolve rapidly.

The Associate Dean manages eight direct reports, with approximately 110 employees in the reporting structure. Key peers include the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, the Associate Dean for Alumni Relations and Development, the Chief Operations Officer, the Associate Dean of Global EMBA and Executive Education and the Senior Associate Deans of Curriculum & Teaching, Faculty & Research and Strategy & Academics.

The expected base pay range for this position is $325,000 - $375,000. This base pay range is for a twelve‑month academic appointment and is subject to negotiation.

Northwestern University has provided a pay range representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position. The compensation and rank offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate including years since terminal degree, training, and field or discipline; departmental budget availability; internal comparators; and external market pay for comparable jobs.

The Search Process

Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, has been retained by Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management to help identify and recruit the Associate Dean for Programs and Operations.

Benefits

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits.

• health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance
• paid medical/sick and parental leave
• tuition benefits for the employee and dependents
• pre‑tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care
• generous retirement savings options
• wellness programs

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status.

View Northwestern’s non‑discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.