Executive Director, Student Success & Retention

Paycom - ATS; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Short‑term and Long‑term Disability

Flexible Spending Accounts and Health

Employee Assistance Program

403B Retirement Savings Plan

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Philander Smith University seeks an Executive Director of Student Success to lead a coordinated university‑wide approach to retention, persistence, and degree completion. You will drive early intervention, tutoring, and case management across Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Student Affairs.

The role reports to the Chief Transformation Officer and emphasizes data‑driven decision making, accountability, and a student‑centered experience from matriculation to graduation.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, educational leadership, counseling, or a related field.
• Minimum seven years of higher education experience, including responsibility for student success, retention, or related programs.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategies to improve student retention and persistence.
• Experience using student data, early-alert strategies, case management, and targeted interventions.
• Significant supervisory and program leadership experience.
• Strong project-management, communication, organizational, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the University’s comprehensive retention, persistence, and completion strategy with measurable goals and accountability structures.
• Develop strategies to improve semester-to-semester persistence and graduation rates.
• Establish an early-alert and intervention framework for at‑risk students.
• Use data to identify trends, evaluate interventions, and recommend strategies to leadership.
• Oversee tutoring, academic-support services, and standards for provider training and assessment.
• Coordinate cross‑functional student-success meetings and secure timely interventions.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Organization

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, educational leadership, counseling, academic affairs

Doctorate preferred

Job description

Philander Smith University seeks an Executive Director of Student Success to lead a coordinated university‑wide approach to retention, persistence, and degree completion. You will drive early intervention, tutoring, and case management across Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Student Affairs.

The role reports to the Chief Transformation Officer and emphasizes data‑driven decision making, accountability, and a student‑centered experience from matriculation to graduation.