"Chief of Staff for Student Experience"

Position Overview

Rider University seeks a strategic, solutions-oriented Chief of Staff (COS) to serve as a trusted advisor to the President and lead high-impact, University-wide initiatives that enhance student success, expand enrollments and drive operational excellence. Reporting directly to the President, the COS will play a key leadership role in advancing the Rider PROMISE, with a special focus on the student experience, as well as activities that drive attraction and retention. The COS will be joining Rider University at a pivotal time, partnering with Rider University's new President, John R. Loyack.

This role oversees and coordinates efforts across critical areas including Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, External Communications and Marketing, and Athletics. The COS is responsible for guiding cross-functional initiatives, optimizing workflows, managing key relationships, and ensuring the President's priorities are executed with precision and purpose.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead strategic planning efforts and policy development across Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, External Affairs, and Athletics.
• Lead innovation and creativity in the key functional areas.
• Build and sustain partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including academic leaders, policymakers, and mission-aligned organizations.
• Lead key initiatives to grow enrollment and improve the student experience.
• Lead the reenvisioning and expansion of Athletics.
• Coordinate cross-departmental initiatives and provide actionable recommendations that enhance institutional effectiveness and student outcomes.
• Advise and support department heads to drive operational excellence and accountability.
• Oversee strategic projects from concept to completion, ensuring alignment with university goals and timelines.
• Foster deep collaboration with Academic Affairs to promote a holistic model of student development-integrating academics with personal, social, and emotional support systems.
• Create and monitor performance metrics to measure progress, identify gaps, and optimize impact.
• Conduct research and analysis to inform decision-making on policy, enrollment trends, and student success strategies.
• Represent the President in high-level meetings, document action items, and manage follow-through on deliverables.
• Design and implement systems, tools, and workflows to enhance institutional coordination and resource management.
• Manage day-to-day information flow to and from the Office of the President, ensuring timely communication and execution of priorities.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Master's degree in Public Policy, Business Administration, Higher Education Leadership, or a related field with a minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education, policy, or operations.
• Demonstrated success in Enrollment Management and student retention, with a clear commitment to improving the student experience.
• Experience leading successful Athletic programs.
• Experience developing and executing institutional marketing strategies.
• Proven ability to streamline operations, enhance cross-functional collaboration, and lead organizational change.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across teams.
• Demonstrated success supervising staff and managing varied portfolios of responsibility.
• Exceptional communication skills-written and verbal-with the ability to distill complex ideas for a variety of audiences.
• Skilled in data analysis, policy evaluation, and insight generation for strategic planning.
• Deep commitment to belonging, inclusion and togetherness, with experience supporting diverse student, faculty and staff populations.
• Demonstrated administration experience in an intercollegiate or professional athletics environment.
• Proficiency with productivity tools, including MS Office Suite, Google Workspace, Zoom, and scheduling software (e.g., Calendly).
• Strong background in strategic planning, implementation, and outcomes tracking.
• The successful candidate for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience in consulting or operations management, particularly in a complex or mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with federal and state education regulations.
• Experience with Project Management software and attainment of Project Management Certification(s) will be helpful in this role.

Rider University is committed to fostering an inclusive, vibrant living and learning community that embraces students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds and enables them to achieve success.

Rider University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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