Director, Student Services Operations

The Director of Student Services Operations provides leadership and oversight for the college's frontline student service operations across multiple campuses, including Student Services Centers, Welcome Desks, Express Services, and Contact Centers. This role is responsible for managing daily operations, supervising staff, and ensuring consistent, high-quality, student-centered service delivery across all service points.

The position focuses on implementing service strategies, optimizing workflows, and resolving operational challenges to support an efficient and seamless student experience from initial inquiry through enrollment and ongoing engagement. The director collaborates with internal departments to align service delivery with institutional priorities and to remove barriers impacting student access and success.

This position has supervisory responsibilities and reports to the Dean of Learning Resources and Student Services.

This position requires full-time, in-person leadership across multiple campuses within the college's tri-county district, including routine travel between locations. The essential functions of this role must be performed on-site, and the position is not eligible for remote or hybrid work arrangements.

Key Institutional Contributions

• Consistent, high-quality student service delivery is maintained across all campuses, ensuring equitable access to student support services regardless of location or entry point.

• Student onboarding, inquiry resolution, and service navigation processes are efficient and responsive, resulting in improved student satisfaction and reduced barriers to enrollment and persistence.

• Frontline service operations are effectively staffed, supervised, and coordinated, ensuring appropriate coverage, accountability, and performance across all student-facing service points.

• Operational workflows, procedures, and service standards are consistently implemented, resulting in reliable service delivery and compliance with institutional policies, including FERPA.

• Cross-functional coordination between student services, academic departments, and administrative units is strengthened, improving issue resolution, communication flow, and student referral processes.

• Data-informed monitoring of service performance supports continuous improvement in operational efficiency, service quality, and student experience outcomes.

Administrative & Operational Execution (40%)

• Oversee and coordinate frontline student service operations across multiple campuses, including service centers, welcome desks, contact centers, and ID services to ensure consistent and efficient service delivery

• Develop and maintain operational procedures, service protocols, and training materials to ensure consistency, compliance, and alignment with institutional policies and FERPA requirements

• Support triage functions, recruitment and retention initiatives, and major college-wide events by coordinating planning, staffing, and operational logistics

• Manage staffing operations by overseeing schedules, ensuring coverage across service locations, and supervising daily workflow execution

Client/Customer Service & Communication (20%)

• Foster a welcoming, inclusive, and student-centered service environment for students, families, visitors, and staff across all service locations

• Serve as a liaison across academic departments, faculty, and administrative units to coordinate service delivery, resolve issues, and support student access

• Support communication and coordination of student services activities, including outreach, service updates, and cross-functional initiatives

• Represent the division in cross-functional meetings and institutional communication efforts related to student services operations

Critical Thinking & Decision-Making (15%)

• Analyze service metrics, customer feedback, and operational data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement

• Apply judgment to resolve service delivery issues, operational challenges, and student concerns in a timely and effective manner

• Recommend and implement process improvements to enhance service efficiency, consistency, and student satisfaction

• Support evaluation and optimization of service technologies, systems, and operational practices

Project & Workflow Management (10%)

• Coordinate service delivery workflows, staffing coverage, and operational schedules to ensure effective support across multiple campuses and service points

• Support implementation of operational initiatives, including service improvements, system updates, and process enhancements

• Monitor timelines, service demands, and operational priorities to ensure continuity and efficiency of frontline services

Strategic & Business Thinking (10%)

• Monitor service performance trends, operational data, and student experience outcomes to inform decision-making and continuous improvement efforts

• Contribute to divisional planning by aligning frontline service delivery with institutional priorities and student success goals

• Evaluate staffing models, service delivery approaches, and resource utilization to improve operational effectiveness across campuses

Additional Responsibilities (5%)

• Supervise, train, and evaluate frontline student services staff; support employee development and performance management processes

• Manage operational budgets, purchasing, and resource allocation to support service delivery and team effectiveness

• Support special projects, process improvements, and institutional initiatives as assigned

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of departmental and institutional operations

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree

• Minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, student services, or customer service operations, including demonstrated experience supervising staff in a frontline or service-oriented environment.

• Experience managing day-to-day operational issues in a student-facing or service delivery setting, with the ability to resolve problems and coordinate across functional areas.

• Strong organizational, planning, analytical, and communication skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced operational environment.

• Knowledge of student support services, student success practices, and institutional resources used to support student access and retention.

• Experience using student service technologies, CRM systems, or student information systems to support service delivery, data tracking, and reporting.

• Demonstrated professionalism, sound judgment, and ability to maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.

DIVISION/LOCATION: Student Affairs/Racine
COMP GRADE: L
FLSA DESIGNATION: Exempt
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available.
• Engage in district-wide travel to support students and foster collaboration with Gateway faculty and staff.
• Employment is contingent upon an acceptable background
• Flexibility is needed to accommodate day, evening and weekend student & business needs

Gateway will not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, student, or applicant for admission based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, political affiliation, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, disability, age, membership in any reserve component of the armed forces, union affiliation, arrest and conviction record, or any other protected category under applicable local, state or federal law.