Director of Academic Operations - San Francisco Bay University

About San Francisco Bay University: San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), an independent, nonprofit, WASC-accredited university situated in the heart of Silicon Valley in Fremont, California, seeks an innovative and experienced Director of Academic Operations to provide leadership and oversight of the Registrar’s Office and PDSO. SFBU has a long history of attracting and serving international students in California, with Fall 2024 enrollment boasting students from over 40 different countries. SFBU is currently experiencing a period of growth as many of our enterprise systems (Admissions, Student Success, SIS) are migrating to Salesforce. We seek an experienced, student-focused leader to help manage the SIS migration, document processes, implement real-time improvements, and provide excellent service to students on campus and remotely. 

At SFBU, students come first. We prioritize students’ needs by fostering personal engagement among students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to providing affordable quality education with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. 

SFBU is a challenger brand that aims to disrupt higher education by removing common barriers to help students succeed. SFBU’s mission is to provide diverse learners with inclusive, innovative, and inspirational education for lifelong personal and career success. Our vision is to establish a benchmark for engaged and transformative higher education, serving as a model both nationally and internationally, all in pursuit of the common good.

Position Overview: Reporting directly to the Associate Provost, the Director of Academic Operations provides strategic leadership and oversees key academic administrative functions, including supervising the Registrar and Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) to ensure efficient and compliant management of student records and SEVIS-related processes. This role also operationalizes SFBU’s systems migration to Salesforce SIS, optimizing academic operations for scalability, and enhanced data management. The Director of Academic Operations will serve as a key liaison between departments, ensuring alignment between academic processes, student services, and compliance standards. This is a full-time, exempt position, located in Fremont, CA, with a flexible/ hybrid schedule available.

Responsibilities: 

• Develop scheduling strategies that align with the SFBU's strategic priorities and deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.

• Directly supervise the Registrar, and PDSO, providing leadership and operational guidance in student records management, academic scheduling, SEVIS compliance, and graduation processes.

• Monitor and ensure compliance with institutional policies, FERPA regulations, and accreditation standards.

• Support the project management and successful migration of academic operations systems to Salesforce, working closely with IT and external consultants.

• Implement quality assurance methodologies, ensure compliance, and optimize workflows for academic processes within Salesforce, ensuring that the system enhances efficiency and meets operational needs.

• Analyze and improve course combinations, schedule rollouts, updates, and quality control, in collaboration with department chairs.

• Analyze and streamline academic administrative processes, including course scheduling, registration, grading, catalog management, and student information system workflows, to maximize efficient processes and timelines. .

• Implement best practices and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for academic operations functions to enhance student services and improve the student experience.

• Work with academic leadership to support curricular innovation and changes, ensuring administrative processes can support new programmatic needs.

• Oversee the preparation and submission of compliance reports, including SEVIS updates, accreditation documentation, and state/federal educational requirements.

• Partner with institutional research, compliance, and enrollment management teams to generate regular reports, analyzing trends in enrollment, retention, and other key metrics.

• Serve as a liaison between academic affairs, student affairs, IT, and other key departments to ensure cohesive communication and coordination.

• Foster collaboration between academic operations, faculty, and administrative staff to support academic excellence.

• Represent the department in internal and external meetings and committees as required.

• Stay current with trends in academic operations, educational technology, and system migrations to keep SFBU at the forefront of operational excellence.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 5-8 years of experience in academic administration, with  relevant experience leading teams, working in a registrar’s office, within a higher education organization.

• Track record of successful implementation of innovative practices, systems migration, processes, and programs including their evaluation and assessment of CRM/data management systems.

• Strong knowledge of FERPA, SEVIS, and higher education compliance standards to continually assess and improve practices and procedures through an equity lens.

• Ability to make data-informed decisions to enhance procedures and practices, build and maintain relationships with leadership, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders, and balance the needs of students and the institution.

• Experience in team building, talent development, and performance management.Excellent leadership, project management, and organizational skills.

• Ability to collaborate across departments and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in student affairs, higher education, counseling, or equivalent field.

• Experience with student information and reporting systems and tools, including SIS implementation and/or optimization within a higher education setting.

• Experience with university catalog management.

• Familiarity with WASC accreditation processes, particularly in higher education institutions.

• Familiarity with data governance frameworks and database design principles.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in a dynamic academic environment.

Salary:

The starting salary with some experience is $115,000-$145,000 / year. This appointment is a 9-month term appointment, renewable.

This position description is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time, with or without notice.

Application Materials:

Interested candidates must submit the following application materials:

● A cover letter detailing your qualifications for this position and alignment with our mission and core values (https://www.sfbu.edu/strategic-plan).

● Curriculum vitae.

● Contact information for three professional references.

● Applications will be reviewed immediately and continue until the position is filled.

San Francisco Bay University is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We encourage candidates who will contribute to our mission of fostering a diverse and inclusive educational environment to apply.

SFBU is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer: SFBU is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. SFBU does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.