Academic Advising Manager, Undergraduate

Bethel University is a leader in Christ-centered higher education with approximately 4,700 students from 50 states and 32 countries enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education programs. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Bethel offers bachelor's and advanced degrees in nearly 100 fields. Educationally excellent classroom-based and online programs equip graduates to make exceptional contributions in life-long service to God and the world.

About the Role

As the Manager of Academic Advising, you’ll have the opportunity to lead a team of dedicated advisors while helping shape an advising experience that is proactive, collaborative, and focused on student success. This role is ideal for an experienced higher education professional who enjoys developing people, improving systems, and bringing others together around a shared purpose. You’ll coach and equip a team of Advising Specialists, helping them grow their confidence and expertise as they support students through important academic decisions and transitions. You’ll also have a meaningful voice in how advising evolves—using data, retention research, and creative problem-solving to strengthen practices, simplify processes, and better serve students.

Collaboration is at the heart of this position. You’ll build trusted partnerships with Program Directors, Department Chairs, faculty, and colleagues across the university, helping navigate complex academic questions and find solutions that work across departments. You’ll bring curiosity, sound judgment, and a steady presence to conversations where perspectives may differ, keeping the focus on what matters most: creating pathways for students to thrive.

While this is a leadership role, you’ll remain connected to students through a caseload of your own and by serving as a resource for more complex student situations. You’ll have the opportunity to influence both the day-to-day experience of students and the larger systems that support their persistence and completion. At Bethel, we believe education is about more than earning a degree—it’s about preparing students to live lives of leadership, purpose, and impact. If you’re energized by developing people, strengthening partnerships, and building an advising program where both students and staff can flourish, we’d love to hear from you. This is an in-person role in Arden Hills, MN.

Responsibilities

• Strategy, Assessment and Development (35%)
  • Strategic Planning: Contribute to the broader advising unit’s strategic plan and lead all work specific to the unit population.
  • Metrics & Assessment: Track unit goals and oversee the compilation of data regarding student-advisor interactions, advisor performance, and student persistence.
  • Retention Research: Implement best practices and align unit policies with current research on student retention, completion, and change management.
  • Resource Management: Grow and maintain advising resources specific to student needs while contributing to the department’s general resource library.
• Team Leadership and Development (30%)
  • Supervision & Growth: Supervise, hire, train, and mentor a team of Advising Specialists; and conduct performance evaluations.
  • Culture & Development: Build a cohesive unit culture and lead the planning and execution of professional development initiatives for staff.
  • Continuous Improvement: Stay current on innovative advising strategies and higher education developments to apply directly to student interactions.
• Unified Institutional Engagement and Communication (20%)
  • Program Liaison: Act as a primary resource for Program Directors and Department Chairs, supporting them and Advising Specialists with complex academic policy questions.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Registrar, Academic Affairs, Career Development, Admissions, and Faculty on special projects and student services.
  • Recruitment: Direct the unit's involvement in university-wide recruitment efforts and represent the advising department in ad hoc committee meetings.
  • Communication Oversight: Manage all communication streams tailored specifically to the unit population.
• Direct Student Support (Caseload) (15%)
  • Advising Excellence: Maintain a caseload performing all duties of an Advising Specialist, including degree planning and proactive outreach.
  • Escalation Support: Serve as the second-tier point of contact for complex learner concerns and interdepartmental alignment challenges.

Requirements

• Education: Master’s degree required.
• Experience: 5+ years in academic advising or higher education administration, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or lead capacity.

Skills

• Proven leadership and people-development skills, with the ability to coach, mentor, develop, and hold advising staff accountable while fostering a positive and collaborative team culture.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, navigate differing perspectives, and communicate effectively with students, faculty, administrators, and staff across the University.
• Strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to use data, assessment, and research to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, and improve advising practices and student outcomes.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to navigate complex situations, interpret policies, exercise sound judgment, and develop effective solutions.
• Ability to lead through change and ambiguity, with the initiative and adaptability to move work forward when circumstances, priorities, or processes are evolving.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to balance strategic initiatives, team leadership, institutional partnerships, and a student caseload while maintaining quality and follow-through.
• Commitment to student-centered service and continuous improvement, with a proactive approach to identifying needs, strengthening processes, and creating an excellent advising experience.
• Knowledge of academic advising and student success practices, including retention, persistence, degree planning, and the needs of undergraduate, early college, and online learners.

Additional Responsibilities

Bethel’s mission is to educate and equip students to lead lives of impact through transformative academics in a Christ-centered community. Bethel’s employee community plays a central role in developing our students as whole and holy persons. To carry out this mission, Bethel uses the foundation of our guiding documents, the Affirmation of Faith, Community Covenant, and Key Policies. Bethel expects all employees to actively participate in creating our Christ-centered community by agreeing with and abiding by our core beliefs in the Affirmation of Faith and supporting all other beliefs as Biblical, responsible, and thoughtful approaches while avoiding dissension and divisiveness. Employees teach and mentor students and help one another uphold our Community Covenant commitments. As a result of these expectations, all University employees act as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ by actively partnering with the University to carry out its mission and foster Bethel’s Christ-centered covenant community.

The essential functions, tasks and responsibilities of this position may change from time to time. Bethel University reserves the right to add or omit duties and responsibilities at the discretion of the University or its leadership. Additional tasks or duties required of the position will be communicated to the incumbent with specificity to ensure the employee may perform their role with complete understanding.

Pay

The starting annual salary range is $55,000 to $61,000.

Schedule

This is a 40 hour per week, 12 months per year position. Typically, days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, with the expectation to work specific schedules and hours as identified and communicated by management. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Benefits

Bethel is committed to offering meaningful benefits to our employees including health insurance, retirement plans, and a generous time off package. Learn more about these offerings here.