Associate Director of Graduate Academic Advising

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Graduate Academic Advising is responsible for the management and oversight of designated graduate business programs and student services. Reporting to the Dean’s Office, this individual develops and implements strategies and initiatives to provide graduate student support that encompasses the life cycle of the student journey. The position plays a significant role in the development and implementation of innovative learning and student support models to provide an integrated academic and co-curricular experience for LeBow’s graduate students.

Essential Functions 

• Academic Advising, Student Experience, and Student Services Lead the transformation of graduate advising into a proactive, technology-enabled model that supports student success, retention, and career advancement.
• Maintain and actively manage an assigned graduate advising population, providing personalized academic, career, and success-oriented guidance.
• Design and execute scalable advising processes that balance self-service tools, success coaching, and strategic academic and career advising.
• Implement data-informed advising strategies using analytics, dashboards, workflows, and student success metrics to drive decision-making and early intervention.
• Leverage AI and digital tools to enhance advising operations, reporting, communication, student engagement, and proactive outreach.
• Improve the graduate student experience through streamlined processes, service-oriented design, and personalized engagement strategies.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen relationships and support student success outcomes.
• Maintain consistent, transparent communication with college leadership through updates, reporting, and strategic insights.
• Plan, develop, and deliver in-person and on-campus learning experiences, coordinate the annual galley process, and ensure offered courses are aligned with program learning objectives.
• Support new student orientation and onboarding programs to facilitate transition, engagement, and early success.
• Manage the operational advising calendar, including key academic deadlines, student milestones, events, and recurring projects.
• Oversee and facilitate the quarterly academic standing review process, ensuring compliance with Graduate College policies.
• Conduct quarterly compliance checks of advising records to ensure adherence to university policies.
• Support continuous improvement through assessment, reporting, and analysis of advising outcomes, retention, and progression data.
• Design and administer student feedback surveys and focus groups to evaluate advising effectiveness and implement targeted improvements
• Recruitment Collaborate with Graduate Enrollment to support recruitment, yield, and conversion efforts from admission through enrollment Represent graduate programs at internal and external recruitment events and outreach initiatives Support onboarding and early engagement strategies that improve student yield, transition, and retention. 
• Management / Administration Represent Graduate Student Services as the APC representative, overseeing program proposals, academic standards, and curriculum priorities while reporting to leadership.
• Participate in college committees, task forces, and strategic initiatives that advance advising, student services, and institutional priorities.
• Collaborate across enrollment, academic affairs, career services, IT, and student support units to align advising strategy and institutional goals.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen relationships and support student success outcomes.
• Engage in professional development, conferences, and regional events to incorporate best practices and emerging trends Develop, maintain, and lead onboarding and ongoing training programs for advising staff to ensure consistent service delivery.
• Mentor advising team members and support their professional growth, performance, and adoption of innovative practices. 

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree or the equivalent combination of education and work experience. (Please review the Equivalency Chart for additional information.)
• Minimum of 6 years relevant experience (i.e., higher education, academic advising)
• Thorough knowledge of graduate student engagement, academic policies and procedures, and familiarity with current issues and trends in higher education
• Outstanding written and communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations, particularly international students
• Strong student/stakeholder focus with excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with a wide variety of people at different levels of the College and University along with external stakeholders
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills; experience managing large scale projects and events
• Skilled at providing developmental advising and mentoring others to commit to the same practice.
• Ability to onboard and train new GSS staff and work to develop current staff to ensure continuous improvement.
• Possess strong presentation skills and the ability to contribute to long term strategy and supporting and mentoring daily operations successfully.
• Technical proficiency- including full Microsoft Office suite and experience working with educational systems like Banner, Degree Works, Hyperion, etc. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree preferred in a student development discipline

Location

• Hybrid/Flexible Work Arrangement

Additional Information
This position is classified as Exempt, grade L. Compensation for this grade ranges $62,630.00 - $93,950.00 per year. Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.

Applicants are encouraged to explore the Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on Drexel’s compensation framework. For information about benefits, please review Drexel’s Benefits Brochure.

Special Instructions to the Applicant
Please make sure you upload your CV/resume and cover letter when submitting your application.

A review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.

 

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