Assistant Director of Academic Advising

About the Role

The Assistant Director supports the mission of the Office of Academic Advising by helping students explore academic opportunities, identify goals, and implement plans to reach those goals. This academic advising position focuses on meaningful, developmental advising rather than routine, transactional check-ins. The role involves in-depth conversations with students about academic planning, post-baccalaureate pathways, and connecting students with campus resources. The Assistant Director advises students across all disciplines, including health professions, law school, graduate school, undecided students, transfer students, and those seeking area majors, overloads, or readmissions.

The Assistant Director engages the advising community—faculty advisors, collaborative offices, peer academic advisors, and undergraduate students—through training, seminars, programs, events, and related initiatives. They contribute to the Peer Academic Advising Program and Academic Fellows and Mentors Societies, with responsibilities in health professions advising and potential leadership in other advising programming. The role also involves researching and implementing best practices, policies, procedures, and advising assessment, as well as assisting the director in office administration, strategic planning, budget responsibilities, and committee representation.

Responsibilities

• Provides training, information sessions, and engagement opportunities for faculty advisors, collaborative offices, peer academic advisors, and community members.
• Assists with assigned advising committees through letter writing, data collection, and assessment.
• Advises undergraduate students across a wide variety of interests and needs, including health professions, law school, graduate school, undecided students, and transfer students.
• Assists with the preparation and delivery of Orientation Week programming.
• Prepares and delivers presentations for administrators, faculty advisors, collaborative offices, and students during Orientation Week and throughout the academic year.
• Researches and reports on current and emerging best practices for general and specialized areas of academic advising.
• Assists with creating and distributing academic advising resources, including information from peer institutions, national associations, Rice academic departments, and collaborative offices.
• Advises students through individual appointments and centralized and residential college information sessions.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (experience may not be substituted for the education requirement).
• 2+ years of experience in student services and/or academic affairs.

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills; strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative with a proactive attitude.
• Capacity to interact and collaborate with staff and faculty leaders, gain their trust and confidence, and provide training to Rice’s advising community.
• Diplomacy, patience, and tact to successfully address interactions with administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members.
• Ability to handle routine interruptions effectively.

Preferences

• Experience in academic advising, mentoring, tutoring, and/or instructional experience at a university.
• Experience with early-alert intervention and program assessment.
• Experience utilizing educational technology platforms such as Navigate, Banner, Degree Works, Canvas, and Slate.
• Experience with Rice University faculty, staff, students, and collaborative offices, or an understanding of a residential liberal arts college.

Schedule

This is a hybrid role combining in-office and remote work during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Work arrangements may be subject to change per Rice policy.

Pay

Hiring range: $58,000 - $62,000 annually, contingent upon qualifications and experience. This is an exempt (salaried) position under FLSA and is not eligible for overtime.