• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $83,000 - $89,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Associate Director of Admission Evaluation, the Associate Director supports the evaluation and decision-making process across all current and future degree programs of Columbia Business School, including full-time MBA, Executive MBA (EMBA), specialized masters, and others. The incumbent plays a key role in the day-to-day management of the application review process and collaborates with colleagues to ensure consistent, fair, and efficient evaluation practices. The Associate Director contributes to achieving enrollment goals by helping to attract and admit a high-caliber, diverse student body that reflects the School’s values and academic standards. 

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School (CBS) has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools that advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs. Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world, from the very center of business.

Our ever-evolving curriculum, featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning, prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, innovation, twenty-first-century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS’s educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

Application Review & Evaluation

• Reads and evaluates applications for all MBA, EMBA, specialized masters, and joint-degree and/or partnership programs.

• Conducts applicant interviews and provides recommendations for admission decisions.

• Reviews application files to verify completeness and confirms eligibility based on program requirements. 

• Evaluates qualifications for standardized test waiver request, if applicable, in consultation with Assistant Dean of Admissions; communicates decision to applicant.

• Assesses waitlisted applications and helps manages the waitlist process.

Admissions Committee & Cycle Support

• Assists in the execution of Admissions Committee meetings by coordinating schedules, contributing to decision timelines, and preparing decision communications under the guidance of the Senior Associate Director of Admission Evaluation, and in consultation with the Assistant Dean of Admissions.

• Tracks key cycle metrics including yield and melt; supports the preparation of related reports.

Training & Process Support

• Provides input on evaluation process improvements, including essay and interview updates, and supports the implementation of changes.

• Tracks and documents procedural updates, creating reference guides and process documentation to support ongoing team learning and operational continuity.

• Leads evaluation-related training sessions with readers and interviewers.

Operational Coordination & Team Collaboration 

• Coordinates and schedules applicant interviews, responds to applicant and interviewer inquiries, assigns and manages application reviews. In partnership with the Admissions leadership team, assists with scheduling the full-time Admissions Officers for interviews. 

• Supports management of auxiliary readers and provides guidance to seasonal admissions staff as needed.

• Manages relationships with other external parties who support the evaluation process, including faculty, alumni, and current students.

Communication & Outreach 

• Communicates with applicants throughout the admissions process regarding missing and/or updates to application materials, and other application-related topics.

• Assists in refining application communications to ensure that applicants have information needed to complete their application and ensures a smooth experience for applicants.

• Participates in occasional travel (domestic and international) to support recruitment and outreach efforts aligned with the School’s admissions goals.

Other Duties

• Performs other relevant responsibilities as assigned to support the admissions team’s goals and evaluative needs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and or equivalent
• Minimum of 3 years' related experience. 

• Excellent presentation, interpersonal, written and oral communication and computer skills required (proficiency with MS Office Suite). Ability to travel (domestic and international) and work evenings and weekends required. Candidate must possess strong skills in diplomacy, tact, and discretion. A demonstrated ability to work independently in a dynamic environment with changing priorities and multiple responsibilities is an asset.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or MBA strongly preferred. Knowledge of MBA Admissions strongly preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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