Senior Director

University of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 78,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Life Insurance

Retirement Programs

Paid Tuition

Dependent Scholarships

Annual Leave

Sick Leave

13 Paid Holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Professional Development Opportunities

Job summary

The Senior Director, Undergraduate Student Services at the Arnold School of Public Health in Columbia leads the advising and student support operations, supervising professional staff and coordinating daily services to promote student retention and timely degree completion. This role reports to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs.

Responsibilities include establishing service standards, aligning policies with college priorities, and collaborating with university partners to translate

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job-related field and 5+ years of job-related experience.
• Strong knowledge of undergraduate advising, student services, and retention strategies.
• Ability to supervise and develop professional staff and coordinate advising operations.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for ASPH Undergraduate Student Services.
• Oversee advising operations to ensure accessible, timely, and consistent services for undergraduate students.
• Collaborate with university partners to translate policies into student-facing services and support student success.
• Support student retention, progression, and timely degree completion through data-informed advising improvements.
• Establish performance expectations and professional development priorities for advising staff.

Skills

Leadership

Staff supervision

Student advising

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Job description

Senior Director

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email. We are only accepting applications submitted by October 14, 2026.

The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities

Posting Details

Posting Summary

Job Family | Enrollment Management

Job Function | Student Services

USC Market Title | Student Services Program Director

Link to USC Market Title | https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/132666

Job Level | M3 - Managerial

Business Title (Internal Title) | Senior Director

Campus | Columbia

Work County | Richland

College/Division | Arnold School of Public Health

Department | ASPH Undergraduate Student Services

State Pay Range | G11

USC Market Range | MRJ - $78,441 $98,051 $117,662

Anticipated Hiring Range | Salary commensurate with experience

Part/Full Time | Full Time

Hours per Week | 37.5

Work Schedule | Standard working schedule: 8:30am - 5:00pm Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department.

Basis | 12 months

Job Search Category | Student Services

About USC

About University of South Carolina | From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service - helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Veterans' Preference Statement | The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.

Benefits for FTE Positions The University of South Carolina (USC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about USC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.

Position Description

Advertised Job Summary | The Senior Director, Undergraduate Student Services serves as the front-line supervisory leader for academic advising and student support services within the Arnold School of Public Health (ASPH) Undergraduate Student Services unit. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, the position provides direct supervision and day-to-day leadership for professional advising staff while maintaining a direct connection to undergraduate students and the academic programs they serve.

The Senior Director coordinates daily advising operations, establishes consistent service practices, and provides guidance on complex academic advising, registration, progression, and student success matters. The position serves as a key operational link between the Associate Dean, advising staff, and university partners and translates college priorities, policies, and procedures into effective student-facing services.

The Senior Director supports student retention, persistence, academic progress, and timely degree completion through proactive advising, staff development, data-informed outreach, and continuous improvement of advising processes. The position exercises independent judgment within established University and ASPH policies and escalates significant policy, personnel, or strategic matters to the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs when needed.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience | Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 5 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities | Knowledge of academic advising, student services, student development, undergraduate academic processes, and principles supporting student success and retention. Knowledge of practices for interpreting and applying academic policies, curriculum requirements, degree progression standards, and student service procedures. Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, train, develop, and evaluate professional staff and coordinate the daily work of a student services operation. Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion when addressing complex or sensitive student concerns, policy questions, and operational issues. Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to build effective working relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and university partners. Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, service demands, and competing operational needs in a fast-paced, student-centered environment. Ability to analyze information and student service data, identify trends and problems, and recommend practical improvements to advising processes and services. Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle student and personnel information appropriately in accordance with applicable University requirements.

Job Duties

• Advising Staff Supervision and Leadership Provides leadership and strategic direction for the undergraduate advising team in alignment with priorities established by the Associate Dean. Establishes performance expectations, professional standards, staffing approaches, service expectations, and professional development priorities. Provides coaching, feedback, professional development, and performance guidance. Provides leadership in recruitment, onboarding, performance management, succession planning, and development of advising staff. Addresses routine personnel and operational concerns and elevates significant matters to the Associate Dean. Essential Function: Yes. Percentage of Time: 30%
• Academic Advising and Complex Student Support Provides academic advising and student support related to degree requirements, course planning, registration, academic progression, university and college policies, and completion planning. Serves as an escalation point for advisors handling complex student situations and assists with problem resolution, referrals, and appropriate documentation. Maintains a student-centered approach while applying policies consistently and appropriately. Essential Function: Yes. Percentage of Time: 30%
• Advising Operations and Service Delivery Advises the Associate Dean on advising operations, staffing and resource needs, student-service trends, policy implications, and recommended strategies. Leads implementation of approved strategic initiatives and evaluates their effectiveness. Coordinates daily advising operations to ensure accessible, timely, and consistent services for undergraduate students. Supports advising assignments, appointment capacity, peak advising periods, orientation and registration activities, outreach, and other student service functions. Identifies operational issues, recommends improvements, and helps ensure advisors receive timely information regarding curriculum, academic requirements, policies, procedures, and institutional changes. Essential Function: Yes. Percentage of Time: 20%
• Student Success, Retention, and Academic Progression Creates, plans, and directs the strategic planning for student success initiatives. Leads advising-based student success and academic progression strategies for ASPH undergraduate students. Analyzes student progression, retention, advising, and service data to identify patterns, barriers, and populations requiring targeted intervention. Supports ASPH initiatives designed to strengthen student success, persistence, retention, and timely degree completion. Reviews advising and student information to identify trends, barriers, and opportunities for proactive outreach or intervention. Collaborates with academic programs, faculty, and university partners to connect students with appropriate resources and strengthen coordinated support for student needs. Essential Function: Yes. Percentage of Time: 10%
• Assessment, Training, and Continuous Improvement Develops reports, identifies trends, and presents findings and recommendations to the Associate Dean. Leads implementation of approved changes to advising practices, academic policies, procedures, and systems and evaluates their impact on students and service delivery. Assists