Executive Director, Kelley Direct Programs (Student Services Leader)

The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University is a comprehensive provider of top-tier business education with a full portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive programs on campuses in Bloomington and Indianapolis, and online worldwide. The Kelley School has been creating career momentum for 100 years, going from 70 students in 1920 to an enrollment of more than 15,000 students today. Our innovative curriculum is built on personal development, teamwork, and experiential learning with an emphasis on global and social responsibility. Our success is reflected in our reputation among academic peers, our career placement statistics, and the accomplishments of more than 133,000 living alumni around the globe.

Job Summary

This position supports Kelley Direct Programs at the Kelley School of Business. Kelley Direct (KD) is the home of top-ranked online graduate business degrees including the Kelley Direct Online MBA, 4 MBA/MS dual degrees, and new programs in development. More information on Kelley Direct can be found here.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all facets of the Kelley Direct Programs office, including admissions, financial aid, student experience, academic advising, internal communications, operations, international experiences, Kelley Direct Professional Advancement (KDPA) (career services and employer engagement) and alumni engagement.
• Partners with the KD Faculty Chair to define and implement program strategy, policy, and initiatives that support student success and institutional priorities.
• Collaborates with faculty leadership to co-develop and execute key curricular elements, ensuring alignment with market trends and programmatic goals.
• Oversees end-to-end student lifecycle operations, from admissions through orientation, registration, advising, and program completion, ensuring a seamless and impactful student experience.
• Leads cross-functional teams across program operations, academic advising, communications, and student experience, fostering a student-centered culture and continuously enhancing the quality of services and support.
• Develops and directs initiatives to increase student satisfaction and program attractiveness, with a strategic focus on underrepresented groups including women, veterans, and underrepresented minorities.
• Oversees compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies and protocols, ensuring accountability and adherence across all program functions.
• Utilizes data analytics to monitor and evaluate key performance indicators, including student retention, satisfaction, and rankings; translates insights into actionable strategies and reports for deans.
• Directs the implementation and maintenance of systems to track student interactions, communications, and advising, supporting data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Oversees the Kelley Direct strategic leadership team, working closely with program and institutional leaders to drive innovation, elevate academic excellence, and maintain the program's top-tier status.
• Provides vision and oversight for signature in-residence experiences and global immersion courses, ensuring high-impact learning aligned with student needs and program goals.
• Leads professional development planning for self and staff to foster a culture of growth, innovation, and excellence across all functional areas.
• Acts as a primary liaison with Kelley and IU units, as well as external stakeholders, to ensure cohesive operations and a unified student experience.
• Collaborates with the deans on strategic resource allocation to optimize program impact and scalability.
• Provides highest level of operational leadership and coordination of assigned staff members to define student services methodologies and standards; provides direction and guidance on high priority student services projects/initiatives.
• Establishes short-term business plans and long-term operational objectives, including managing project timelines/deliverables and developing resource plans for multi-project/multi-phase student services initiatives.
• Conducts a variety of personnel actions to include, but not limited to hiring, promotion, performance management, and dismissal.
• Manages high level assignments and allocation of student services resources, including negotiating and coordinating initiatives that involve staff in other departments/areas/teams; may coordinate large-scale student services projects with wide audiences in support of academic, wellness, inclusion, and safety initiatives.
• Makes budgetary recommendations/proposals based on resource needs and ensures cost containment.
• Researches and stays up-to-date on new industry student services standards, technologies, policies, and procedures; responsible for the implementation of new protocols/procedures to address business needs.
• Works collaboratively with other student services leaders across departments in recommending standards, best practices, and related policies/procedures.
• Prepares management reports and summaries for senior administration, executive, steering and advisory committees; acts as advisor to executive committees; serves on various university committees, communities of practice, and task forces related to student services.

General Responsibilities

• Contributes on senior leadership teams to formulate strategic planning and the highest-level operational objectives for student services areas.
• Establishes long-term business plans and long-term strategic objectives.
• Directs leadership staff who provide supervision to student services teams.
• Responsible for escalated operational issues, including human resources and/or people management situations.
• Drives innovation and excellence within the area of student services; reviews and creates policies and procedures.
• Determines overall budget for student services teams; reviews and approves financial proposals from direct reporting leaders; has significant fiscal responsibilities that require frequent interaction with executive leaders.
• Provides expertise and identifies grant and/or funding opportunities; develops business relationships across the university and externally.
• Stays up-to-date on new student services standards, technologies, policies, and procedures and works collaboratively with other student services leaders across departments and/or campuses in determining standards, best practices, and related policies/procedures; ensures the adoption and implementation by direct reporting leaders.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in law, public health, public affairs, counseling, social work, or related field

Preferred

• Master's degree in higher education student affairs or related field

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 5 years in student programs, higher education student affairs, or related field
• 3 years of management experience in relevant field

Preferred

• 5 years of management experience in relevant field
• Experience with data and reporting

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient communication skills
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills
• Effectively coaches and delivers constructive feedback
• Instills commitment to organizational goals
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills
• Effective conflict management skills
• Builds and manages effective teams
• Effective leadership skills
• Ability to represent the company with external constituents
• Ability to drive multiple projects to successful completion
• Demonstrates ability to maintain confidential information
• Demonstrates customer service skills
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Commitment to working with people from diverse backgrounds and commitment to cultural competency
• Ability to build strong partnerships with students and other university departments

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Ability to travel domestically and internationally 1-2 times per year for 5 to 10-day increments.

Work Location

This position is eligible to work a hybrid schedule (mix between remote and in-person work), subject to change in the future based on university policy and business needs.

Work Hours

Some evening availability (1-2 evenings a month)

Occasional weekend availability (4-6 times a year)

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure .

Job Classification

Career Level: Strategic

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Student Services

Job Family: Student Services Generalist

Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information .

Campus Safety and Security

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online . You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at iups@iu.edu or by visiting IUPD.

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