MJLSP Academic Advising Manager

Ongoing/renewable full-time (100% FTE) position eligible for partial remote work with an approved flexible work agreement.

About the role

The Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program (MJLSP) seeks an Academic Advising Manager to provide leadership and oversight for advising services, support academic advising staff, and maintain a direct advising caseload. The role leads advising-related programs and initiatives—including academic coaching, leadership development, retreats, workshops, and community-building events—and partners with campus stakeholders to connect scholars to resources and opportunities that support their academic and personal success. This position reports directly to the Director of MJLSP.

About the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program

The Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program (MJLSP) serves over 500 high-achieving undergraduate students with a philosophy of “Excellence in Scholarship, Leadership and Service.” Since its creation in the early 1980s, MJLSP has established itself as the premier scholarship program on campus, offering individualized advising, a supportive peer network, leadership development, mentorship, alumni connections, and a full-tuition financial award.

About the Student Engagement and Scholarship Portfolio

The Student Engagement and Scholarship Portfolio (SESP) houses four student scholarship programs (PEOPLE Program, Posse Program, Mercile J. Lee, and First Wave/OMAI) with an infrastructure dedicated to supporting college attainment. Through intentional programming, personalized advising, and scholarship support, SESP prioritizes student success, focusing on academic excellence, leadership, community building, and service.

Responsibilities

• Proactively engage students as needed.
• Maintain expertise with advised curriculum and assist in developing and recommending exceptions for policy and curriculum.
• Receive, process, and respond to academic inquiries according to established policies and procedures.
• Support students in their leadership, academic, personal, social, and career development through the planning and execution of co-curricular activities.
• Participate in the campus-wide advising community, providing input to leadership regarding advising, recruitment, and co/curricular programs.
• Supervise unit staff and/or plan, organize, allocate resources, assess performance, and lead operational activities within the advising or academic services portfolio.
• Maintain confidentiality and accurate student records in compliance with institutional and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) policies.
• Develop and implement academic advising events such as workshops, panel discussions, and guest speakers.
• Serve as a main point of contact for students, providing information about educational options and academic requirements; assist with identifying and assessing interests, skills, and values to match appropriate fields of study or career options, and refer students to institutional resources.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred; focus in higher education, administration, student personnel, counseling, psychology, sociology, social work, or relevant areas).
• Minimum of 2 years of full-time professional experience serving student populations.
• Familiarity with supporting students' pathways and/or success in K-12 and/or college (including teaching, access, tutoring, coaching, advising, retention initiatives, or college readiness services).
• Demonstrated experience in planning and execution of curricular and co-curricular programming serving undergraduate students.
• General knowledge of academic disciplines, programs, and resources.
• Demonstrated ability to promote an understanding and respect of cultural and human values and abilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, customer service, communication (oral and written), and organizational skills.
• General knowledge of and skills with Microsoft Office Software and other computer tools.
• Ability to manage a workload in a fast-paced, high-traffic area and multitask effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional work experience in advising, student affairs, student services, counseling, or related field.
• Supervisory, management, or mentorship experience.
• Experience working with academic support programs and services supporting academically talented students.
• Ability to exercise initiative and creativity to enhance programming for undergraduate students.
• Knowledge and understanding of preparation for graduate and professional school opportunities.
• General knowledge of quantitative and qualitative measures for program evaluation.

Pay

The minimum salary for the position is $60,000. Actual pay is determined at hire based on experience and qualifications.

Benefits

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous paid time off.
• Competitively priced health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Tax-advantaged savings accounts.
• Participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.

For a summary of benefits, visit https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf.