Associate Director, Student Experience

Pre-Doctoral in Economics Program (PREP); Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Chicago Booth School of Business seeks an Associate Director, Student Experience to manage day-to-day operations for the Specialized Masters Programs, including events, budgeting, and communications. The role also directly supports students with 1:1 career coaching and employer relations.

Hybrid work is expected, with three days in person per week, and a focus on building relationships with employers, alumni, and students while growing coaching and engagement efforts over time.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• 5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Proficient using student information systems and career platforms.

Responsibilities

• Owns day-to-day operations for SMP events and logistics, including vendor coordination.
• Develops early career job search coaching and employer relations programming.
• Coaches students 1:1 on career, academics, and life topics; supports program delivery.
• Maintains the program calendar and manages team communications and scheduling.

Skills

Program management

Operations

Student support

Career coaching

Employer relations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

12Twenty

Canvas

Campus Groups

Slate

Workday

Job description

Department

Booth Specialized Master’s Program

About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.

Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.

Chicago Booth is proud to claim:

• -an unmatched faculty.
• -degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
• -a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
• -strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.

As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University’s core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment. For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Student Experience owns day-to-day operations for Chicago Booth’s Specialized Masters Programs (Master in Management and Master in Finance), including event logistics, systems administration, budgeting, and the team’s communications infrastructure. This role also provides direct support for the student experience, including 1:1 career coaching, and developing employer relations, growing into deeper coaching and employer engagement responsibilities over time. The Associate Director is also responsible for scheduling and tracking coaching appointments and communications; administering career and research databases; and managing student access to physical and virtual resources.

This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Responsibilities

• Assists and owns part of the day-to-day operations execution and logistics for signature SMP events (orientation, BoothCamp, and other events), including vendor selection, contracting, and on-site logistics.
• Continually develops and maintains knowledge of early career functions and industries that target early career students for recruiting. Analyzes markets and trends as they relate to the early career job search and incorporates tips/advice into coaching students, and in developing career programming.
• Employer outreach and eventually coaches and advises students 1:1 on career, academic, and student life topics, supporting both short-term decision-making and long-term development.
• Partners with senior team members to learn and apply best practices in career coaching, employer outreach and program delivery
• Supports student life programming, including community-building events, wellness initiatives, and other student experience programming.
• Maintains and administers the program’s master calendar day-to-day, ensuring accuracy and enforcing calendar policies across academics, careers, and student life.
• Manages the team’s shared inbox, and schedules and manages student coaching appointments and drop-in visits across the team’s SMEs, escalating and tracking as needed.
• Owns the operational end of the student-facing communications ecosystem and systems, such as newsletters, website updates, Canvas, Campus Groups, and career platforms, including troubleshooting and data integrity.
• Builds and maintains relationships with employers and alumni, providing backend and direct support for employer relations, including coordinating logistics for employer information sessions and recruiting events and managing job postings.
• Completes special projects and performs additional duties for the Specialized Masters Programs as assigned.
• Conducts job search and career management related large lectures, hands‑on workshops, special events, training programs, and one‑on‑one career coaching sessions. Acts as a resource for and directs students to other career resources as needed.
• Analyzes markets and trends as they relate to job searches. Assesses student feedback and evaluations and collaborates with other career services staff members, student organizations, or other staff to determine program offerings and innovations.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5‑7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience:

• Background with program management, operations, or student support.
• Prior experience within higher education.
• Coaching, advising, or mentoring students, and/or experience with employer relations or recruiting coordination.
• Managing budgets, expense reconciliation, and vendor relationships.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficient using 12Twenty, learning management, or student information systems, such as Canvas, Campus Groups, Slate, and Workday.

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to independently own and manage operational processes with minimal oversight.
• Highly organized and detail‑oriented, with strong follow‑through on both routine and complex tasks.
• Strong written communication skills, including newsletters, web content, and stakeholder communications.
• Work effectively in a highly entrepreneurial environment, with little structure, meet strict deadlines and handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously, with frequent interruptions.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically in an interdependent, matrixed team environment specifically with colleagues, students, faculty, and corporate contacts.

Working Conditions

• This position is currently expected to work hybrid schedule, with a minimum of three days per week in person, and more during peak weeks throughout the year.
• Work flexible hours, sometimes early mornings, late evenings, and weekend days; campus presence in Hyde Park and downtown Chicago.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI‑assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

Job Family

Student Affairs & Services

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$75,000.00 - $90,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case‑by‑case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.