Assistant Director

8:00 am - 5:00 pm; Monday - Friday with occasional evening and weekend hours required, as necessary.

Position may be deemed as 'mandatory' during crisis communication events as identified by the Chancellor.

The primary purpose of the Niner Central Training Assistant Director is to plan, schedule, design, prioritize, and conduct initial and refresher training based on hiring schedules, student life cycle, and changing partner office processes in a modern contact center environment. The position will create and maintain all training materials (online and classroom training delivery) and document practices and methods for utilizing 18 different applications, including Salesforce Customer Relationship Management ( CRM) software. Additionally, during peak delivery/high volume periods, this position will provide front-line counseling, superior customer service and support, and holistic problem resolution in the areas of registration, financial aid, student accounts, and general student inquiries. This position will provide information and service relative to policies, processes, and procedures to prospective and current students, parents, and other visitors, and perform other duties as assigned. The Niner Central Administrative Support Specialists and Student Services Specialists escalate issues of first and second level support to the Assistant Directors. The position is expected to troubleshoot student issues and resolve complex issues that may cross over several departments. This position is expected to go beyond simply answering the question a student may ask, and instead holistically review their record and issues, and resolve or provide guidance on multiple issues. This position provides essential feedback and recommendations regarding ongoing process management and operations improvement. As an Assistant Director, this position will lead team members in the ongoing process of analyzing and assessing student services workflow and tiers. The position also provides facilitation and coordination in the identification of new and expanding services to continuously improve processes, communication, and coordination among Niner Central, Financial Aid, Bursar, Registrar's Office, and many other functional areas. The Assistant Director also coordinates the design and delivery of training for new, temporary, and part-time employees as well as ongoing cross-training for existing Niner Central employees.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Employee performs a range of student services and related administrative work within the UNC Charlotte Niner Central Student Services. This position is characterized by tasks that follow prescribed laws and guidelines, as well as focusing on student academic, social, and emotional development. Work includes managing, administering, directing, promoting, and leading activities in the areas of financial aid, registration, student accounts, campus life, and other administrative units dedicated to student service. Employee is responsible for managing data using a variety of computer applications, making independent decisions within federal, state, and university policy, interpreting, communicating, and adhering to policies and procedures, developing and establishing adequate internal controls to support legislation, evaluating patterns and recommending alternatives, student development, developing and maintaining effective working relationships with and among students, parents, faculty, and staff, and other external entities and providing excellent customer service. This work may also include research, planning, development, and implementation of student programming in response to student and university needs. Work will often require extensive contact with counterparts and colleagues at other Universities, as well as the campus community, to explain programming options, processes, policies, and procedures. Employee is required to exercise confidentiality in accordance with policy and applicable state, federal, and local laws such as FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), PCI (Payment Card Industry), and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Employee will also be expected to contribute to administrative decisions regarding labor, budget management, facilities, and inventory management, program expenses within current funding levels, as well as projecting future expenses for program continuation, development, and implementation.

Managing Work Processes:
Collaborates effectively in a team environment to design, enact, and continuously improve upon interconnected work standards, processes, and procedures. Engage in in-house training and also take the initiative to find answers to questions that are presented by students. Demonstrated understanding of how a resolution to student issues may cross over several departments and processes, and the troubleshooting required to solve those issues. Works with team members to regularly review key performance and service indicators, identify gaps, and implement ongoing measures to address gaps to ensure standards and expectations are consistently met or exceeded to serve the student to the highest ability. Creates and facilitates cross-training opportunities to improve/enhance work processes and willingly shares knowledge and resolutions with other team members as a learning tool. Demonstrates understanding of how student services are an open system - that poor service delivery and errors may cause negative financial impact and ultimately impact the retention and graduation of students. Recognizes how individual decisions impact other people, program areas, and service delivery goals. Uses independent judgment regarding service tiers and escalation protocols for referring requests to tier 3 support. Composes and organizes ideas logically and succinctly in a variety of formats such as emails, letters, memos, reports, and presentations. Appropriately changes/adjusts style to meet the needs of the student services program and audience (students, parents, co-workers, and other third-parties) to create understanding for the intended audience. Routinely proofreads targeted written communications and sensitive materials and provides timely and constructive edits. Demonstrates a commitment to excellence by accepting constructive feedback for improvement in verbal and written communications. Manages multiple modes of cross-functional communication, including email, phone, chat, virtual meetings, and face-to-face with students, parents, and stakeholders.

Client/Customer Service:
Demonstrates an understanding that Niner Central will provide the highest quality service on campus and offer holistic problem resolution. Serves as a champion for Niner Central by providing outstanding customer service to students, parents, and other stakeholders. Effectively develops and maintains working relationships across multiple teams and functional areas to initiate, facilitate, and complete work or resolve issues in assigned student service program areas. Independently interprets and effectively communicates policy, process, and procedures within cross-functional student service program areas when responding to requests/inquiries and non-standard issues. Delivers superior service in a professional manner that is friendly, comprehensive, accurate, clear, and timely. Consistently provides answers and solutions that go beyond what the student asked to solve issues and provide guidance in a holistic manner that will promote retention and graduation. Routinely provide guidance and helpful hints to students about issues, processes, or deadlines that may affect their progress. Ensures that the student feels like they are cared for by the university and that campus staff are invested in their success. Employs de-escalation techniques and conflict management strategies when appropriate. Appropriately prioritizes the role and interests of the client. Maintains effective working relationships across campus to appropriately refer tier 3 requests.

Decision Making:
Independently initiate or implement effective new approaches to resolve non-standard problems and issues across a variety of functional areas and student services. Researches and maintains familiarity with trends, best practices, policies, processes, and procedures relative to student services to guide team members toward the best course of action, correctly answer questions, and facilitate appropriate action necessary to resolve issues from a holistic viewpoint. Coordinate and facilitate opportunities for team members to examine workflows and communication processes with the goal of identifying and recommending improvements in policies, processes, procedures, forms, reports, systems, etc., which will provide more effective and efficient service to our students, families, and stakeholders and remove obstacles to graduation. Take appropriate action to guide team members for actions consistent with documented protocols and university goals.

Operations Coordination:
Direct, evaluate, and implement a broad scope of work operation improvements designed to maximize efficiency and service outcomes for Niner Central Student Services. Lead team in the ongoing process of analyzing and assessing student services workflow and tiers. Provides facilitation and coordination in the identification of new and expanding services to continuously improve processes, communication, and coordination among Niner Central, Financial Aid, Bursar, Registrar's Office, and many other functional areas. Coordinates the design and delivery of training for new, temporary, and part-time employees as well as ongoing cross-training for existing Niner Central employees. Demonstrate the ability to manage multiple competing priorities effectively. During peak service times, prioritize the service and processing needs of multiple stakeholders and clients.

Program Management:
Collaborates with team leaders and managers to identify and understand student services issues, client needs, and possible obstacles to graduation to effectively address and resolve issues based on objective and subjective data from a variety of sources. Able to collect and interpret data from Salesforce CRM (customer relationship management) system to provide directional input on program services, suggest modifications and changes to procedures, processes, and services to better meet the needs of the client. Collaborate with team members to set and achieve appropriate goals for greater efficiency and service. Reviews student services information for accuracy and completion, including specialized group forms, requests, reports, or authorizations, as well as aid applicants with various types of grants, loans, and federal work-study, using the Imaging system, loan certifications, student account activity via Banner and TouchNet, and other system applications. Effectively and concisely document requests and supporting information in CRM.