Columbia University
Director of Academic Administration
🇺🇸 Manhattanville, NY
🕑 Full-Time
💰 $115K - $125K
💻 Administrator
🗓️ November 7th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
Columbia Business School is hiring a Director of Academic Administration. The Director provides administrative, financial, and operational leadership for the Management Division, overseeing academic scheduling, faculty recruitment, and supporting faculty, students, and staff. The role involves strategic partnership with the Divisional Chair and management of division-wide activities to enhance the academic experience.
Highlights
- Lead administrative, financial, and operational functions for the Management Division.
- Oversee teaching schedules for MBA, EMBA, MS, and Ph.D. courses.
- Collaborate with faculty and subdivision chairs on adjunct recruitment and faculty affairs.
- Manage divisional budgeting alongside Financial Planning and Dean’s Office.
- Supervise and train divisional administrative staff and coordinate division events.
- Utilize cloud-based course management and expense reimbursement software.
- Minimum qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and 5-7 years in academic administration or related management roles.
- Preferred qualifications include an advanced degree and experience in higher education administration within research-driven environments.
- Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills required.
- Salary range: $115,000 - $125,000 annually.
Director of Academic Administration Full Description
- Job Type: Officer of Administration
- Regular/Temporary: Regular
- Hours Per Week: 35
- Salary Range: $115,000 - $125,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Divisional Chair, the Director supports the Chair by providing comprehensive administrative, financial, and operational leadership for the Management Division. The Director partners closely with the Chair to ensure smooth and strategic functioning of the division, supporting faculty, students, staff, and researchers. The Director has full oversight of the teaching schedule for all MBA, EMBA, MS, and Ph.D. courses, collaborates with subdivision chairs on adjunct recruitment and hiring, and works to enhance the overall academic experience for students. This role requires sound judgment, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution.
About Columbia Business School:
For over a century, Columbia Business School (CBS) has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools that advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs. Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world, from the very center of business.
Our ever-evolving curriculum, featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning, prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, innovation, twenty-first-century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS’s educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.
Responsibilities
Strategic and Operational Leadership
- Partners with and serves in support of the Faculty Chair of Management to ensure strong operational and strategic management of the division.
- Manages important moments (strategically and logistically) for all division members, including faculty, students, staff, and researchers, from welcoming and orienting to celebrating successes and managing transitions.
- Fosters a healthy, supportive, and productive environment for faculty, staff, and students.
- Works on a variety of projects assigned by the Chair related to divisional management.
Financial Management and Budgeting
- Works with the Financial Planning Office to maintain, reconcile, and troubleshoot the divisional budget and related budgets.
- Works with the Dean’s Office (Vice Dean for Administration and Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs) to ensure that all financial policies and processes are applied appropriately in the division.
- Provides overall financial management oversight in partnership with the Chair.
Academic Scheduling and Curriculum Planning
- Plans and coordinates the divisional teaching schedule for all MBA, EMBA, MS, and PhD courses.
- Develops multi-year teaching and staffing plans for core and staple elective courses informed by curriculum data, student demand data, and faculty leave/sabbatical plans.
- Ensures all course descriptions and materials are accurate and up to date.
- Collects and analyzes data on enrollment and teaching trends to inform divisional planning and marketing.
Faculty Affairs
- Partners with the Dean's Office to manage full-time faculty searches in alignment with School and University policies and processes.
- Works with the Chair to support full-time faculty throughout their career path, including tenure and promotion processes, partnering with the Dean's Office as appropriate.
- Works closely with the Chair to implement recruitment strategies for adjunct faculty.
- Assess divisional needs and build/maintain relationships with a core base of adjunct faculty.
Division Administration and People Management
- Oversees divisional administrative staff and manages their workflow in support of faculty.
- Manages and trains administrative staff on policy updates and processes, relating to contracts, expenses, purchasing, and other administrative functions.
- Partners with the Dean's Office and Human Resources to ensure all personnel-related policies and processes are applied in the division.
- Fosters thoughtful career development and professional growth opportunities for divisional staff.
Communications, Marketing, and Events Management
- Oversees administration of events, including academic conferences, seminar series, brown bags, and PhD activities.
- Partners with Marketing & Communications to promote faculty research, news, and media appearances.
- Ensures clear and consistent communications and well-planned events for the division.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required. 5-7 years of experience required in academic administration, faculty affairs, or related management roles.
- Strong communication skills with diverse constituent groups, including excellent written and interpersonal abilities.
- Demonstrated capacity to exercise tact, discretion, and diplomacy in sensitive or complex situations. Proven ability to anticipate challenges, develop creative solutions, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Proven ability to anticipate challenges, develop creative solutions and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Effectively manages shifting priorities and unexpected demands while maintaining focus and professionalism
- Commitment to fostering a healthy, supportive, and effective environment for faculty, staff, and students.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree strongly preferred.
- Deep understanding of higher education administration, faculty affairs, and academic operations.
- Experience working within a research-driven academic environment is strongly preferred.
- Deep understanding of curriculum development and course planning.
- Experience with cloud-based course management systems and expense reimbursement software.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
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