First Enrollment Academic Advisor - Bilingual

First Enrollment Academic Advisor - Bilingual

Empire State University seeks a dedicated, student-centered First Enrollment Academic Advisor to support new undergraduate students - many of whom are transfer students - through the orientation and onboarding process. This position provides individualized first enrollment academic advising and applies specialized knowledge of transfer credit evaluation, degree pathways, university policies, and student success resources to ensure a strong start for new students. By incorporating students' goals, readiness, and competing priorities into course recommendations, the advisor plays a key role in ensuring new students begin their studies with clarity and confidence. Successful candidates will be part of a collaborative advising team focused on student success and engagement.

The first enrollment advisor collaborates closely with faculty, deans, and academic leadership to stay current on academic program requirements and emerging degree pathways. The first enrollment academic advisor maintains expertise in academic policies, prior learning assessment, financial aid processes, and data-informed advising practices. As part of a larger collaborative advising team, the first enrollment advisor contributes to continuous improvement efforts by sharing observations, trends and insights from work with newly accepted students.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Provide individualized first-enrollment advising for new undergraduate students.
• Conduct unofficial transcript reviews for prospective and newly admitted students.
• Interpret transfer credit and explain impacts on degree pathway options.
• Help students clarify intended degrees and concentrations when needed.
• Incorporate students' goals, readiness, and priorities when recommending first-term courses.
• Support students through the first-enrollment process, including system navigation and next steps.
• Build understanding of prior learning assessment processes and identify potential credit opportunities.
• Maintain mastery of university academic policies, program requirements, and advising guidelines.
• Collaborate with deans, department chairs, and faculty on degree pathways and course sequencing for new programs.
• Provide advisement and course recommendations for non-matriculated students as needed.
• Develop foundational knowledge of financial aid considerations related to time to degree.
• Apply data-informed advising strategies to guide student decisions.
• Use advising best practices and contribute to continuous improvement of advising services.
• Participate in meetings for department and division updates, professional development, governance, and university initiatives.

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications:

• Master's Degree from a regionally accredited US university or comparable non-US university.
• Bilingual and biliterate in Spanish and English.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in a higher educational setting with a role specific to academic advisement or student development.
• Prior knowledge of and experience working with bilingual and emergent bilingual learners, particularly in online settings.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with computer databases and web-based communications platforms such as ERP, CRM, or other data management and tracking systems.
• Experience working effectively with faculty, staff, and students from diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Desire and skills to engage with undergraduate learners in online settings, including both synchronous and asynchronous communication modes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of adult learning, learning technologies and/or online pedagogies.
• Experience working in an online environment.
• Demonstrated involvement in best-practice and/or innovative advising initiatives.

Special Information:

• Occasional travel may be required to fulfill department, division, and university-wide commitments.
• May require occasional evening and/or weekend obligations in accordance with student and university needs.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.

Additional Information:

Rank/Salary: Academic Advisor, SL3/ $57,500-$60,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.