Assistant Director (Communications Generalist) Student Central

Indiana University Bloomington's Office of Enrollment Management (OEM) integrates strategic planning, data-informed decision-making, and collaborative partnerships to create a seamless student experience from first contact through graduation. OEM advances the university's mission by fostering access, belonging, and student success through units including Admissions, Scholarships, the Registrar, Student Financial Assistance, Student Central, and more.

Student Central is Indiana University Bloomington's integrated one-stop student services center, providing comprehensive support to current and prospective students, families, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders. It delivers high-quality service across admissions, financial aid, scholarships, billing and payment services, financial literacy, enrollment, registration, and student records, helping students navigate administrative processes and achieve their educational goals.

About the role

This position provides leadership, operational oversight, and strategic support for Student Central's integrated student service functions. It involves supervising staff, managing daily operations, ensuring compliance with regulations, and advancing initiatives to improve service quality, efficiency, and the overall student experience. The role collaborates closely with campus partners to support student recruitment, enrollment, persistence, retention, and degree completion by reducing administrative barriers.

Responsibilities

• Supervises, coaches, develops, and evaluates professional and support staff, establishing performance expectations and promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Assists with recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and training of staff, fostering a welcoming and student-centered service environment.
• Serves as a resource and escalation point for complex student and family concerns.
• Oversees daily service delivery across in-person, phone, email, secure contact forms, and virtual platforms, monitoring staffing levels, workload distribution, and operational performance.
• Ensures accurate interpretation and application of university policies, procedures, and regulations, identifying operational challenges and implementing solutions to improve efficiency and service quality.
• Develops and maintains procedures that support consistent and effective service delivery, serving as a primary resource to all Student Central staff.
• Maintains expertise in admissions, financial aid, scholarships, billing and payment services, enrollment, registration, student records, and related student services.
• Ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, university policies, and audit requirements, assisting students and families with complex issues requiring advanced problem-solving and policy interpretation.
• Collaborates with campus partners to resolve service issues and improve the student experience, supporting initiatives that promote student success, retention, and access to university resources.
• Analyzes service metrics, student feedback, and operational data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Participates in strategic planning and implementation of departmental and institutional initiatives, leading or contributing to process improvement, workflow redesign, and technology enhancement projects.
• Develops recommendations that support operational effectiveness and student success goals.
• Participates in university committees, workgroups, and special projects as assigned, representing Student Central in campus meetings, presentations, and outreach activities.
• Supports financial literacy, enrollment, and student success initiatives, building and maintaining collaborative relationships with campus partners and external stakeholders.
• Promotes awareness of Student Central services and resources among students and families.
• Independently creates basic communications for print and e-distribution in support of departmental goals, responding to inquiries and explaining policies, procedures, and context.
• Manages relationships with internal and external stakeholders, creating communications coverage for relevant initiatives, events, and programs.
• Prepares communications timelines and shares progress toward deadlines with managers and team members.
• Monitors relevant social media and news sites, researching subject matter to increase knowledge in areas of specialty.
• Utilizes communications software programs to deliver communications in multiple formats to a variety of audiences.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, English, public relations, or a related field.
• 4 years of progressively responsible experience in student services, enrollment management, higher education administration, financial aid, registrar services, customer service operations, or a related field.
• Experience interpreting and applying complex policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Demonstrated leadership, supervisory, or team lead experience.
• Experience in a one-stop student service environment.
• Experience supervising professional staff.
• Knowledge of federal financial aid regulations and student records policies.
• Experience using student information systems and enrollment management technologies.
• Experience leading process improvement or operational effectiveness initiatives.

Skills

• Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority-setting skills.
• High commitment to quality.
• Flexibility to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and customer service skills.
• Strong written and verbal communications abilities.
• Ability to analyze complex situations and make sound decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to use data to assess performance and drive continuous improvement.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and enterprise student information systems.

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Schedule

This position generally requires work during standard university business hours. Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required to support university events, orientations, enrollment activities, or special projects.

Pay

Up to $50,000 based on experience.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance.
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions.
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU.
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance.
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting.
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options.
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses.
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year.
• Generous paid time off plans.
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).

This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule (mix between remote and in-person work), subject to change based on university policy and business needs.