Hiring: Associate Dean, Director First Year Student Success Company: School of the Art Institute of Chicago Location: Chicago, IL Job Posted Time: 2026-09-15 10:24:40 Employment Type: Full-time Target Skills & Keywords : Accessibility About the job Experience: •10 years of progressively responsible experience in student success, advising, or student affairs within higher education Required Skills: •Leads the vision, strategy, and execution of comprehensive first-year student success initiatives, including advising, coaching, and transition programming •Oversees first-year advising and coaching models, including 1:1 student support, integrated advising approaches, and required pre-registration appointments •Leads the development and execution of strategies to improve first-year retention, persistence, and course enrollment outcomes, including first-year enrollment correction processes •Collaborates with the Director, Associate Dean of Academic and Career Coaching to ensure alignment across the student lifecycle •Supervises the hiring, training, development, and evaluation of staff within the first-year student success and related program areas •Partners with the Dean, Academic Advising and CAPX to ensure alignment between first-year initiatives and institutional advising frameworks, academic policies, and student success systems •Provides leadership for academic support and recovery initiatives, including oversight of academic standing processes, outreach, and targeted interventions for students in need of academic support •Oversees and manages First Generation and Chicago Fellows programs, including program development, implementation, cohort tracking, restricted fund management, reporting, and cross-campus coordination to ensure program success Qualifications: •Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Master’s degree preferred. •Minimum of 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in student success, advising, or student affairs within higher education •Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff and managing programs or departments •Strong knowledge of student development theory, retention strategies, and best practices in first-year student success •Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives and manage complex programs in a higher education environment •Strong leadership and supervisory skills, including staff development and performance management •Demonstrated capacity to analyze and interpret data to drive decision-making and program improvement •Knowledge of academic policies, curriculum requirements, and student information systems •Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills across diverse stakeholders •Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple priorities and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment Compensation: •Competitive benefits and rewards package Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!