Director, Registrar Operations at National University in Remote

Position Summary:

The Director of Registrar Operations provides strategic leadership and operational direction for core functions within the Registrar’s Office. This role is accountable for maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and security of student records, ensuring compliance with academic and institutional policies, and overseeing the effective execution of key services, including registration and scheduling, degree auditing, transfer articulations, transcript evaluations, and graduation.

The Director leads initiatives to elevate service quality, streamline processes, and support the university’s mission and strategic objectives. Exercising a high degree of independent judgment, the Director is expected to conduct in-depth analysis, evaluate operational effectiveness, and provide data-informed recommendations to guide improvements and ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations

Essential Functions:

• Provides day to day leadership, guidance, and direction to Associate Directors overseeing student records, evaluations and articulation, scheduling, and graduation
• Oversees the hiring and recruiting process within the Registrar’s Office and supports Associate Directors, in the onboarding and training process
• Support and provide professional development, coaching, and performance management of Associate Directors and their teams
• Oversees, tracks, and assists with all performance management and disciplinary action procedures
• Oversees the daily operations of all departments within the Registrar’s Office including records and processing, evaluations and articulations, scheduling, graduation, and student requests and appeals
• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant execution of core registrar functions, including academic records management, course scheduling, transcript and enrollment processing, degree evaluation, and conferral.
• Foster cross-departmental collaboration and serve as a liaison with academic and administrative stakeholders to support institutional initiatives.
• Provides support to Academic Leadership and faculty to streamline processes, collaborate on key initiatives, and problem solve new challenges or changes
• Collaborate with the University Registrar to develop and implement strategic initiatives that enhance operational effectiveness and student-centered services
• Generates and analyzes weekly and monthly reports to monitor departmental performance, leveraging key metrics to identify trends and provide insights to leadership
• Establish and monitor performance metrics, service level standards, and continuous improvement efforts across all operational areas
• Utilizes data and trend analysis to inform strategic decision-making, evaluate departmental performance, and identify opportunities for growth, efficiency, and enhanced student service delivery
• Attend meetings/training as needed to further job skills and knowledge
• Assist with the daily processes of the Registrar’s Office as needed, including CRM software to monitor the department's email inbox as assigned and communicating with students and other departments within the university
• Verify requests for dates of attendance and degrees awarded; authenticates claims and documents; identifies suspected fraudulent documents and reports to the University Registrar.
• Make determination regarding eligibility of petition utilizing University catalog, CAS Manual and Business Process Guide (BPG). Acts as liaison with CAS members, faculty, department chairs, and deans to obtain timely resolution of CAS petitions as needed
• Perform liaison functions between Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Services, Academics, Finance, and Regional Operations Directors to assure timely resolution to CAS and LOA requests. Responsible for reporting on and improving system processes while working collaboratively with respective Functional Analysts in the enhancement of student services
• Lead process improvement projects and systems optimization efforts, particularly within student informatio systems and related platforms
• Participate in testing of functionality for university-wide system upgrades
• Interpret and apply academic policies, FERPA regulations, and accreditation standards, ensuring compliance and consistency across all registrar operations
• Research and analyzes current industry standards and best practices related to enrollment, scheduling, grade, and attendance reporting. Evaluates methods to increase output and accuracy. Creates, oversees, and implements plans for approved changes
• Manage the development of admission and registration processes, procedures and practices including recommendations to the academic councils for changes required
• Monitor DOE Title IV polices, changes, and requirements and analyze university policy on LOA with the viewpoint of assuring compliance. Responsible for noting persistent problem areas or patterns of problems in relation to institutional academic policies that occurs within a region, learning center, or by individual staff members, and provide possible solution(s), so issues can be resolved
• Identify, develop, implement, and assess technological solutions to processes and procedures surrounding the university policy exceptions and LOA policies. Analyze submitted student requests for patterns in policy application to provide recommendations for policy modifications
• Develop expertise in both Registrar Office and Financial Aid Office areas of SOAR to facilitate knowledge and understanding of Title IV regulations, R2T4 calculations, and the policies and practices on withdrawal as implemented at the university. Responsible for ensuring accurate enrollment reporting to National Student Clearinghouse for students on LOA or students approved via CAS for class drop/withdrawal status
• Collaborate with University wide divisions (Student Services, Academics, Finance) related to policy implementation and adherence in relation to exceptions to policy and appeal decisions
• Provides detailed expert guidance and assistance to students, staff, faculty, and administration regarding LOA and CAS decisions. Analyzes and assesses student academic and non-collegiate records to ensure eligibility and application of student course waivers, course substitutions and transfer credit utilizing teach-out plans, approved crosswalks, and current CAS exceptions
• Participate in ongoing department projects, or other special projects, as needed
• Reasonable and consistent attendance to fulfill the requirements of the position
• Other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Direct leadership and oversight up to 3 Associate Directors with up to 3 team leads and up to 35 front line staff team members
• Hire train, and develop leaders and staff members
• Implement and lead individualized development plans for all team members
• Direct oversight for all performance management actions inclusive of direct coaching, performance management and action delivery, and separation of staff members
• Support leaders within the department on preparation, review, and delivery of all required performance evaluations

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years related experience in higher education
• Minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience required
• Minimum of three (3) years of leadership experience in a Registrar’s office preferred.
• Experience in higher education required.
• Experience working in a technology-driven enterprise preferred.
• All skills, abilities, and education will be considered for minimum qualifications.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Serves as a role model by anticipating and planning for change
• Effectively communicates a clear vision to the team to foster alignment and direction
• Demonstrates strong leadership by influencing others to achieve results, using creativity and strategic thinking
• Ability to understand, diagnose and plan for business issues, processes, structure, outcomes, and profitability. Understands the implications of decisions and actions. Deep understanding of overall big picture of the business; able to take an idea from concept to reality
• Actively seeks opportunities to influence, build effective relationships and gain alignment with peers, functional partners and/or external partners to accomplish business objectives. Ability to maintain job related, social and organizational and ethical norms
• Accepts personal accountability, proactively seeks resolution for personal limitations head-on; and supports honesty and respect towards others, the company and oneself. Collaborate with others to ensure the best results for the team and company. Ability to reach out and ask for help or seek expertise of others when needed
• Excellent working knowledge of Title IV guidelines as applicable with the ability to successful fact-based decisions and use sound judgment
• Advanced use of computers and Microsoft Office Suite Applications such as Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, and software application used in student evaluation record including imaging processes, Optical Character Recognition and Electronic Document Management software such as OnBase
• Ability to work independently and efficiently under pressure of deadlines
• Ability to work in close proximity to others in a congenial and supportive environment. Excellent oral and interpersonal communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with senior administration, staff and faculty.
• Possess mature judgment with ability to be tactful and diplomatic in difficult student and staff/faculty encounters
• Proficient in Microsoft Suites
• Experience with Salesforce, PeopleSoft, and Anthology