Assistant Director, Student Life Operations

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $80,000 - $90,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director, Student Life, the Assistant Director, Student Life Operations supports strategic leadership, operational oversight, and administrative management for student engagement initiatives within the Office of Student Life. This role is responsible for the planning, execution, assessment, and continuous improvement of a comprehensive portfolio of educational, cultural, recreational, and community-building programs that enhance the student experience.

The Assistant Director serves as the operational lead for student programming logistics, financial administration for student-related programming and initiatives, communications, contract management, and registration systems, while overseeing day-to-day office functions that support student engagement efforts. This position requires a highly collaborative professional who can manage complex projects, steward departmental resources, and serve as a central point of coordination across university partners, vendors, and student stakeholders.

Some evening and weekend work is required in support of major programs and signature campus events.

Responsibilities

Strategic Student Programming Leadership

• Lead the development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive calendar of student programs, including educational workshops, leadership development initiatives, cultural programming, wellness events, community engagement opportunities, orientation, commencement-related activities, and signature campus experiences.

• Oversee all aspects of program planning from concept development through execution, including logistics, staffing, vendor coordination, communications, registration, and post-event evaluation.

• Identify emerging student needs, analyze engagement trends, and develop innovative programming strategies that increase student participation, belonging, and campus engagement.

• Serve as a key advisor and operational partner to student leaders, clubs, and organizations in planning and implementing student-centered initiatives.

Budget & Financial Management

• Manage departmental programming budgets and maintain oversight of program expenditures to ensure fiscal record-keeping.

• Oversee purchasing, invoice processing, reimbursements, and financial tracking for student programming initiatives and organizational activities.

• Serve as the primary administrator for departmental corporate card reconciliation, ensuring timely reconciliation, accurate expense reporting, compliance with university financial policies, and appropriate documentation of expenditures.

• Monitor student organization funding allocations and provide guidance on responsible budget management.

Contracts & Vendor Relations

• Serve as the primary point of contact for contracts, agreements, and vendor partnerships related to student programming and events.

• Coordinate contract initiation, review, submission, and execution in partnership with procurement, legal, finance, and university stakeholders.

• Manage relationships with external vendors, performers, facilitators, caterers, venues, and service providers to ensure successful program delivery.

Assessment, Data & Program Evaluation

• Develop and implement assessment strategies to evaluate program effectiveness, student learning outcomes, participation trends, and overall impact.

• Collect, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data related to student engagement initiatives.

• Create dashboards, reports, and executive summaries that communicate program outcomes and recommendations for improvement.

• Utilize assessment findings to inform strategic planning, resource allocation, and continuous program enhancement.

Communications, Marketing & Registration Managemen

• Oversee the creation, management, and distribution of departmental newsletters, including content development, campus partner coordination, publication scheduling, and performance analytics to evaluate reach and engagement.

• Manage the Office of Student Life’s digital communications presence, including website content, email campaigns, newsletters, digital signage, and promotional materials to ensure consistent messaging and brand alignment.

• Direct the strategy, content planning, and management of department social media channels, including campaign development, content calendars, audience engagement, analytics tracking, and platform growth strategies that enhance student outreach and visibility.

• Oversee student-facing marketing campaigns for major programs, signature events, leadership initiatives, orientation, and commencement-related programming.

• Lead all event registration and participant management systems, including platform setup, enrollment tracking, attendance management, communication workflows, reporting, and process optimization.

• Manage SPS Engage, the primary event and communications platform for Student Affairs-led student programming. 

Operations & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day operational functions that support Student Life programming, ensuring efficient workflows, strong customer service, and seamless program execution.

• Collaborate regularly with campus partners, including Admissions, Pre-College, Finance, Public Safety, International Students & Scholars, Wellness, Alumni Relations, and Communications, to coordinate major initiatives.

• Supervise office systems, calendars, operational processes, and administrative workflows to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.

• Provide leadership support for major division-wide initiatives, special projects, and institutional events.

• Supervise assigned staff on an as-needed basis.

Performs additional duties and/or projects as assigned or requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3-5 years related experience

• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent related experience required

• A resume and cover letter with salary requirements must be submitted for this position

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Business Administration, Communications, or related field.

• Experience leading large-scale student programming initiatives in a college or university setting.

• Knowledge of student engagement best practices, assessment methodologies, and student development theory.

• Experience managing vendor contracts and university procurement processes.

• Familiarity with CRM/event registration systems, financial reporting systems, and student engagement platforms.

Other Requirements

• Minimum 3–5 years of progressive professional experience in student affairs, program management, higher education administration, event operations, or related field.

• Demonstrated experience in budget management, financial reconciliation, contract administration, and event/program operations.

• Strong project management skills with ability to oversee multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.

• Excellent written communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.