Associate Director, MSSC

Department: Division of Enrollment Management

Classification: Education Support Spec 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

In collaboration with the George Mason University community, and as part of the Office of the Provost, the Division for Enrollment Management optimizes student recruitment and retention by developing and implementing strategic enrollment plans, overseeing the admissions process, providing financial aid services, and managing the Mason Student Services Center—a centralized student services resource. The Division’s activities support the achievement of institutional enrollment goals by placing the student (and family) at the center of our work, supporting a culture of transparency, and leveraging data to inform decision-making.

The Mason Student Services Center (MSSC) is the first stop and the central resource for information and solutions related to registration, enrollment, financial aid, billing, academic records and other student support services. Members of the Mason Student Services Center team provide assistance to new and continuing students at all points of their academic career, in one convenient location, thus eliminating the need to visit multiple offices on campus.

About the Position:

The Associate Director is responsible for oversight of the day-to-day operations of the forward-facing Mason Student Services Center. The Associate Director ensures that a team of cross trained staff maintain the delivery of high-quality service to visitors in-person. The Associate Director monitors visitor volume, identifies trends and takes proactive measures to shift staff resources and provide stronger support during peak times of the year, including the maintenance of a complex staffing schedule and analyzing data in Salesforce. The Associate Director ensures that staff are following documented policies and procedures and is the first point of contact for partner office management should changes in policy, procedures or other timely information need to be disseminated to Mason Student Services Center staff.

Responsibilities:

Operation Management

• Manages the day-to-day operations of the MSSC in Fairfax and Arlington, focusing primarily on in-person services with a secondary focus on virtual services;
• Works to ensure that all MSSC staff in all channels of service are providing consistent, accurate information to visitors and are meeting customer service standards;
• Professionally addresses, counsels and resolves escalated cases and problems referred by MSSC Generalists and other Partner Offices;
• Serves as the primary point of contact for critical updates, deadlines, or other important information to be disseminated to the MSSC team;
• Hires, trains, mentors, supervises and provides direction to 7 FTE, to include delegating work tasks and addressing performance issues;
• Uses real-time and historical data in Salesforce (CRM) to monitor staff performance, makes informed decisions, improves business processes, visitor experience and provides reports to management;
• Interprets university, state, and federal policies and procedures;
• Exercises professional judgment authority to implement changes and make exceptions to MSSC policies without supervisory approval; and
• Maintains expert-level of knowledge for all areas served by the MSSC. 

Training, Professional Development

• Ensures that staff are up-to-date with internal and partner office policies and procedures;
• Creates and maintains training documentation for new and continuing employees as well as contributing to the maintenance of a knowledgebase;
• Monitors required Mason trainings and ensure staff completion;
• Identifies training issues and creates solutions with new curriculum for refresher training; and
• Coordinates on-going quality assurance activities including case audits. 

Stakeholder/Partner Office Engagement

• Participates on cross-functional committees as appropriate;
• Serves as a managerial level point of contact for complaints or feedback from academic units and other university departments;
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities, community agencies, and the general public; and
• Represents the MSSC at various stakeholder meetings. 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Professional staff supervisory experience;
• Experience working in a customer service setting/operation;
• Experience working in higher education or within an educational or related field;
• Experience working with a diverse set of stakeholders;
• Experience using data to make informed decisions;
• Demonstrated customer service and conflict management skills;
• Demonstrated skill in exceptional written and verbal communication;
• Demonstrated exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to work creatively and collaboratively with internal and external constituents;
• Skilled in technical troubleshooting and the ability to research complex problems;
• Ability to manage change effectively; and
• Ability to perform work with substantial attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• Experience working as part of, or in association with, a one-stop student service center;
• Experience working in student information and Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) systems;
• Experience working with a diverse set of stakeholders;
• Bilingual; and
• Knowledge of general university policies and procedures.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Associate Director, MSSC at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter and Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: September 20, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  October 8, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes