Associate Director, Business Operations

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 84,000 - 119,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc. seeks an Associate Director, Business Operations to lead the performance and strategic direction of the operations portfolio, including the Mail/Copy Center and staff, serving as the Director’s operational proxy across the portfolio.

This role emphasizes an inclusive campus environment, data-informed service delivery, and strong financial stewardship—owning budgets, contracts, and cross-functional coordination across revenue streams to balance student,

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree with a minimum of five years’ experience supervising business or auxiliary operations.
• Experience managing mail/copy center or hospitality/auxiliary operations.
• Financial acumen with KPI tracking, budgets, and variance analysis.
• Strong communication and collaboration with students, staff, faculty, and administrators.
• Experience with ERP software (Workday) or similar systems.

Responsibilities

• Oversee Mail/Copy Center operations and supervise staff (FTEs and seasonal workers).
• Lead budgeting, revenue forecasting, procurement, and financial reporting.
• Coordinate with Finance, HR, and campus partners to ensure policy compliance and service excellence.
• Drive cross-divisional engagement and alignment with enrollment, admissions, and service planning.
• Develop SOPs, safety training, and emergency response readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Operations management

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Contract management

Communication

Project management

Customer service excellence

Hospitality/education sector exp.

Workday ERP

Education

BA/BS degree

Tools

Workday ERP

Job description

Associate Director, Business Operations

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Business Operations isa senior operational leader responsible for the performance andstrategic direction of thebusiness operations portfolio. Thisrole carries direct supervisory ownership of the Mail/Copy Centerand its staff, and serves as the Director’s operational proxyacross the broaderoperationsportfolio. Innovation andoutstanding service are central to this leader’s focus, with anemphasis on building programs that create an inclusive campusenvironment for students, staff, administrators, faculty, andguests while promoting excellence in every experience. TheAssociate Director leads delivery of high-quality, customer-centricoutcomes acrossall business operations andauxiliaryenterprises. This role owns operational budgets with integrity,champions the Division’s values and principles for both contractedand non-contracted staff, and serves as a thought-partner to theDirector and the broader campus community. The Associate Directorleads cross-functional coordination across multiple revenuestreams, balancing student, faculty, and staff experiences withcontract obligations and service delivery excellence.

Key Responsibilities &Accountabilities

Management &Operations:

Leads operations and directly supervises theMail & Copy Center team of three full-time employees andseasonal/temporary workers, with full accountability for teamperformance and service outcomes. Serves as the Director’soperational proxy for Dining, leading vendor relationships, servicedelivery, and customer experience in alignment with the Director’sstrategic direction.

• Providesday-to-day operational leadership for parcel and mail receiving andprocessing, ensuring regulatory compliance (city/state/federal),service excellence, and customer-centric outcomes.
• Develops andmaintains standard operating procedures, leads safety training, andserves as the main point of contact for emergency responsepreparedness.
• Leadscross-functional coordination across the portfolio aligningenrollment and admissions patterns with service planning.
• Appliessound judgment and problem-solving in complex decision-making.

Sentiment Analysis and FeedbackManagement

• Sustains aguest satisfaction rating of 75% or above across all businessoperations units, with measurable year-over-year improvement drivenby data-informed action.
• Collaborateswith cross-functional teams, including service partner leads andcampus stakeholders to ensure timely and thoughtful responses toguest feedback and service inquiries.
• Accountablefor quarterly benchmarks for guest satisfaction scores andpresenting findings with actionable, data-informedrecommendations.

Cross-Divisional Engagement & CampusPartnerships

Leads cross-divisional engagement efforts tostrengthen the division’s role as a collaborative campus partner.Builds and maintains relationships with key university stakeholdersincluding The Dean’s Office, Student Affairs, Planning Real Estateand Facilities, Academic Departments,Residential Life, CampusEvents and Public Safety.

• RepresentBusiness Operations in university-wide planning initiatives,committees, and sustainability efforts.
• Identifyopportunities to integrate Business Operations into broader campusprogramming, events, and student success initiatives.
• Serve as aDivision ambassador at university events, orientations, andcommunity engagement functions.

Administrative:

Leadsadministrative operations across theportfolio, includingpurchasing and procurement of goods and services, data analysis,revenue and expense tracking, and maintenance of standard operatingprocedures.

• Leveragestechnology and data to identify efficiencies and modernize businessunit operations.
• Communicatesoperational status and insights to the Director; partners withFinance, HR, and divisional stakeholders to ensure adherence toUniversity policies and industry best practices.
• Managesproject calendars, deadlines, and deliverables with accountabilityfor outcomes.

Policy &Compliance:

Conducts annual policy review,proposes updates, implements and upholds policies specific to thedivision.

• Proactively reviews operational practices forrelevance, consistency, and alignment with institutionalstandards.
• Ensures compliance through internal audits,reporting functions, and engagement with University partnersincluding Finance and HR.

FinancialStewardship:

Owns budget management for theMail/Copy Center and contributes to annual revenue and expenseforecasting, budget development, and ongoing financial managementacross the broader business operations portfolio in partnershipwith the Director.

• Organizesand analyzes productivity and budgets against OKRs, trackingvariance and surfacing budget variances with actionablerecommendations.
• Exercises fiscal stewardship by leading contractmanagement activities and identifying creative approaches toimproving operational efficiencies and cost controls.

Qualifications

• BA/BSrequired with a minimum of five years’ experience managing businessor auxiliary operations, including direct supervision of a team, inhospitality, higher education, or a comparable industry; or acombination of education and experience that is commensurate.
• Financialacumen with an ability to understand and track key performanceindicators, manage budgets, and support variance analysis.
• Technologically savvy and able to leverage data to modernize andgain efficiencies across business units.
• Strongcommunication skills with demonstrated ability to buildcollaboration with students, staff, faculty, andadministrators.
• Adept atleading a variety of work teams.
• Provenskills in operations, project management, team development, andcontract management.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, andconflict resolution skills with strict attention to detail and acustomer/student-centric orientation.
• Experienceworking with diverse groups in an educational or other non-profitorganization.
• Demonstratedability to work with faculty, students, and staff; self-motivated,goal-oriented, strategic thinker, and able to work bothindependently and as part of a team.
• Experiencein project management is highly desirable.
• Strongcomputer skills in Windows and Mac platforms.
• Experienceusing and supporting Workday or similar ERP software.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Expected HiringRange:

$83,790-$118,608

With the pay range(s) shown above, thestarting salary will depend on several factors, which may includeyour education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, andskills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employeesalready in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and aresubject to change

AdditionalInformation

Northeastern University offersbenefits-eligible employees a competitive and comprehensive packagedesigned to support your health, financial security, and overallwell-being. Employees joining our New York City campus will beginwith benefits equivalent to those of the institution formerly knownas Marymount Manhattan College until benefits transition toNortheastern's full plans effective January 1, 2027. Northeasternwill provide further information in advance of that transition.

Current NYC campus benefits include:

• Medical anddental insurance
• RetirementplanLife anddisability insurance
• Paidvacation, sick time, leave of absence, and other applicable paidtime off
• Tuitionbenefits for employees, dependents, and spouses

About NortheasternUniversity

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a globalresearch university and the recognized leader in experientiallifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real-worldexperience with education, research, and innovation empowers ourstudents, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact.

Our global university system provides ourcommunity and academic, government, and industry partners withunique opportunities to think locally and act globally. Thesystem—including 15campuses across the U.S., U.K., andCanada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide—serves asa platform for scaling ideas, talent, andsolutions.

The university’s residential campuses forundergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London,and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are inthe Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington,Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; New York City, NewYork, Portland, Maine; Seattle, Washington; Silicon Valley,California; Toronto; and Vancouver.

Northeastern’s personalized, experientialundergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through thedoctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learningemphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and humanliteracies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the futureand lives of fulfillment and accomplishment.

Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegieclassification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Ourfaculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not justdisciplines, but also sectors—aligned around solving today’s highlyinterconnected global challenges and focused on transformativeimpact for humankind.