Director of Student and Academic Services

This position has been deemed critical by the School of Engineering Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring freeze.

Note - Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. All candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S.

Work Arrangement: This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with a minimum of 3 days/week working at the Stanford main campus, subject to operational needs.

Budgeted Salary: The budgeted base salary range for this position is $113,009 to $133,568 per annum.

The School of Engineering

Stanford Engineering has been at the forefront of innovation for over a century, creating pivotal technologies that have transformed the worlds of information technology, communications, health care, energy, business and beyond. Our faculty and students are creative risk-takers who pursue excellence across a breadth of disciplines. Our alumni include some of the world's most successful leaders in technology and business. Our staff are critical to enabling Stanford Engineering to accomplish its mission: seeking solutions to some of the world's most urgent challenges and educating leaders who will make the world a better place through the power of engineering principles, techniques and systems.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

With its roots in metallurgy, materials science and engineering is a venerable scientific discipline, expanding in recent decades to encompass polymers, ceramics, semiconductors and biomaterials. Virtually all sophisticated products — computers, batteries, biomedical devices — require materials manufactured to precise specifications. Increasingly, these specifications are determined at the molecular level. The evolution of advanced products can be hobbled by the limitations of the available materials. Our mission is to break through these limitations to provide the materials needed for unimpeded progress in a wide range of technologies. We are advancing the creation of new materials, from determining optimal base constituents to devising manufacturing processes. More information on the department can be found here.

Position Summary

The Director of Student and Academic Services provides strategic leadership and operational management of all student-facing programs and academic services for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Operating with significant autonomy, you will identify and resolve complex student issues, interpret and implement Stanford and departmental policies, and manage the Student Services Office, including direct supervision of an Assistant Director and Administrative Associate. Collaborating closely with faculty, staff, and campus partners, you will ensure that our students thrive from admission through graduation.

The ideal candidate will be proactive in managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, resourceful in finding creative solutions to complex issues, and confident in both advocating for students and upholding university policies.

We seek an exceptional Director of Student and Academic Services with the motivation, skills, and experience to make a positive impact and maintain the department's high level of excellence. We welcome you to join our engaged, collaborative team of staff members who strive to be the best!

In this role you will:

• Academic Advising and Degree Progress: You will provide comprehensive academic advising and degree progress oversight for all students, including undergraduate, master's, coterminal, and doctoral students, with a primary focus on the Ph.D. program. This includes conducting degree audits, reviewing exception requests, and managing all degree milestones. You will lead and monitor the resolution of academic progress issues by partnering with department leaders and the School of Engineering Dean's office, and provide individualized academic counseling and support to students navigating academic challenges. You will also manage specialized student and trainee categories such as the Honors Cooperative Program and appointment of postdoctoral scholars. 
   
• Graduate Program Administration: You will oversee the complete lifecycle of our graduate student programs, beginning with leading the admissions process and organizing admitted students' visit days. You will manage full-day orientation sessions to onboard new cohorts each year. Financial responsibilities include graduate student aid budgeting, processing assistantship appointments in collaboration with the Engineering Research Administration team, and coordinating fellowship awards. You will track and report aid entries by quarterly deadlines and ensure compliance with university policies for graduate student employment. Each spring, you will plan and execute the department's commencement ceremony, including managing catering and event services orders, coordinating audiovisual staff, and facilitating participation of students and their families.
   
• Student Support and Campus Partnerships: You will serve as the primary resource and liaison connecting students to central university services including financial aid, registration, international student services, career counseling, and community standards. In this capacity, you will develop and implement initiatives to enhance student success, retention, and sense of belonging. You will also plan and execute department programming alongside student organizations throughout the year.
   
• Curriculum Planning and Academic Operations: You will partner with the Department Chair for curriculum planning, oversight of teaching loads, and TA allocations. You will offer input on course offerings based on enrollment trends, analysis of course demand patterns, and provide data-driven recommendations for curriculum adjustments. Your role also includes oversight of course scheduling and maintaining departmental curriculum in university systems and publications.
   
• Leadership: You will provide operational leadership to continuously improve processes and workflows related to degree progress, financial aid, curriculum, and departmental programs, and serve on department and university committees as needed. This position reports to the Director of Finance and Operations.

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience with Stanford systems (Axess, GFS, PeopleSoft, CourseDog, MAP) or similar university platforms.
• Advanced computer skills, including experience with Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience coordinating events, conferences, or seminars, with attention to detail and logistics.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to partner effectively with faculty, staff, and students.
• Strong communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Discretion in handling confidential personnel and academic matters.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequently sit, perform desk-based computer tasks.
• Occasionally stand, walk, twist, use fine manipulation, grasp, use a telephone, write by hand, sort and file paperwork, lift, carry, push, and pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds.

Core Duties:

• Manage an area or program in student services, analyze effectiveness, and make final decisions on program eligibility.
• Engage in critical analysis and evaluation of student and program concerns to resolve substantial issues which may span multiple areas, using advanced technical and professional knowledge.
• Develop and implement programming (virtual, in-person), make strategic recommendations for future programs.
• Interpret and implement university policy related to academic policies; oversee the implementation of policies and practices for a student population or school. 
• Analyze and develop report requirements, portals, and student facing communications.
• Evaluate and determine recommendations on technology resources, negotiate with resources options and vendors.
• Manage outreach programs, relationships with external community and university liaisons.
• Provide direct advice to students on a broad range of complex issues including, but not limited to, academic progress, academic program policies, career plans, accessibility, community standards, etc., in order to assist them in making appropriate choices and decisions.
• Apprise students of research, fellowship and scholarship opportunities, make recommendations and may award grants.
• May contribute to preparing and submitting training grants. 
• May assist in development efforts to support donor relations, stewardship annual reporting.
• Provide consulting advice to internal and external organizations; act as subject matter expert in a specialized field.                   
• Oversee key processes, including contribution and direction on policy and program content.
• Manage financial processes and development of budgets.
• May lead teams and projects that impact a significant unit of the university.
• May direct the work of other staff; contribute to development of staff training programs.

Minimum Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and five years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Advanced communication skills to clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences, client groups, and all levels of management.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills to review and analyze complex information.
• Advanced computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Advanced customer service skills.
• Relevant computer systems/technology experience.
• Understanding of financial transactions.
• Ability to ensure and apply compliance with legal, financial, and university policies and external regulations.