Executive Director of the International Students and Scholars Office

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $225,000 – $250,000

Position Summary

The International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) delivers expert guidance grounded in regulatory excellence and a deep commitment to serving Columbia’s international community.  ISSO also provides services to academic units and University staff who admit, appoint, employ, and work with international students, faculty members, and researchers. Housed in the Office of the Provost, the ISSO partners closely with schools and departments across Columbia’s campuses, Human Resources, Office of the General Counsel, Public Affairs, and senior leadership to ensure institutional compliance and strengthen Columbia as a premier destination for education and research.

Reporting to the Office of the Provost, the Executive Director leads the University’s International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO), overseeing immigration advising and institutional regulatory compliance for a large population of international students, faculty, and research scholars. The Executive Director sets ISSO’s strategic direction, ensures adherence to all applicable federal immigration requirements, directs communication about visa-related changes, and advances a holistic, University-wide approach to international student and scholar support and success.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Organizational Oversight

Direct and guide all ISSO functions – across compliance, visa services, programming, IT and data analytics, and communications – fostering alignment, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration. Lead the development of training programs and talent strategies to build institutional capacity. Partner with the Office of the Provost on strategic endeavors related to the international student and scholar community. Provide direct leadership, management, and mentorship of ISSO staff. Sustain and deepen the ISSO’s culture of engagement, ensuring advisers are as accessible and personally attentive as they are technically expert, across all of Columbia’s schools and colleges.

Communications and Operations

Provide oversight of communications and operations. Ensure that all service delivery channels – including the ISSO websites, Zoom, and in-person advising, and the call center – are consistently staffed, accessible, and deliver accurate, responsive, and empathetic support. Implement enhancements to systems, workflows, and service models to strengthen operational effectiveness and efficiency. Oversee ISSO’s institutional messaging and communications strategy. Work in close partnership with the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of the Provost, and other academic and administrative units to ensure that communications, guidance, and service delivery reflect sound legal and institutional policy. Build on a service model that pairs domain expertise with proactive programming, orientation, and digital learning, including webinars, and Canvas courses.

Regulatory Affairs and Institutional Representation

Serve as the University’s senior representative on immigration policy and regulatory compliance. Act as the University’s primary liaison on matters related to Columbia’s international community to US government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Department of Labor (DOL), and US Department of State (DOS), representing the institution in matters related to compliance, audits, and regulatory interpretation. A visible leader on campus, the Executive Director fosters strong relationships with both academic leadership and international students and organizations, ensuring institutional responsiveness to the needs and concerns of Columbia’s international community. In coordination with the Office of Public Affairs, serve as a point of contact for foreign consulates in New York, facilitating coordination on matters affecting Columbia’s international students and scholars. 

Community and Campus Partnerships

Cultivate trusted partnerships with schools and departments, central academic leadership, University Life, Multicultural Affairs, the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement, residential and global community hubs, and registered international student groups. Ensure the ISSO serves the full international community, including students, faculty, researchers, postdocs, visiting scholars, and accompanying spouses, partners, and families.

Data and Reporting

Provide oversight of ISSO’s data systems, ensuring integrity, accuracy, and compliance across all records related to international students and scholars. Establish rigorous data validation, quality assurance, and audit protocols to safeguard sensitive information and maintain readiness for federal audits and institutional review. Oversee the collection, analysis, and presentation of institutional data on Columbia’s international population, ensuring all adhere to legal, regulatory, and institutional standards. Ensure metrics on caseloads and reach of programming are readily available to allow for innovation and adaptation. Build on recent investments in the Compass case management system and Power BI reporting to demonstrate both compliance and the reach and impact of ISSO programming.

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree
• 8-plus years of progressive leadership and supervisory experience in international student and scholar services within higher education
• Expertise in immigration regulations, including F-1, J-1, H-1B, and other student and employment-based visa categories, along with knowledge of SEVIS compliance requirements
• Experience overseeing personnel and administrative operations, management of budgets/finance, technology systems, as well as strength in policy development and implementation
• Communication skills, to allow for straightforward and factual representation of ISSO on-campus and to a wider public
• Demonstrated record of relationship-centered service and of building trust across students, scholars, families, faculty, and administrators
• Must be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident to comply with US Department of Homeland Security and Department of State regulations to potentially function as the campus Responsible Officer (RO) and Principal Designated School Official (PDSO)

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree – Master’s, PhD, EdD, JD, or other advanced degree
• Discretion, diplomacy, and a sense of humor
• Experience leading a multi-campus office and partnering with a wide range of campus units to deliver programming alongside advising

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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