Special Advisor, Higher Education Advisory

Special Advisor For Higher Education

The Special Advisor for Higher Education is a part-time role that augments consulting teams by providing senior-level expertise and strategic guidance drawn from extensive experience in the higher education sector. The advisor supports both business development and client engagements by contributing thought leadership, shaping strategic recommendations, and helping ensure deliverables reflect sound policy and operational insight. This role may include participating in client presentations, developing thought content, collaborating with engagement teams, and providing expert review of analyses and recommendations. As a trusted subject matter expert, the Special Advisor helps strengthen the quality, credibility, and impact of the firm's higher education work.

Baker Tilly's Higher Education practice partners with colleges, universities and higher education systems to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment. Our team provides strategic, operational and financial advisory services that help institutions strengthen sustainability, improve student outcomes and modernize operations. By combining deep sector expertise with data-driven insights, we support leaders in making informed decisions that position their institutions for long-term success.

Responsibilities:

• Serve on client projects and assist in management of client relationships.
• Document and analyze processes, internal controls, and workflow in order to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Perform research into best practices, operational polices, and organizational design.
• Interview clients to better understand processes and to recommend improvements.
• Support project managers in day-to-day service delivery.
• Research issues and prepare whitepapers on current industry trends and issues.
• Effectively support and participate in the presentation of conclusions and recommendations using visuals and written content.
• Assist in development of articles, sales proposals and presentations for new business development and client purposes.
• Staying current with firm administrative requirements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required, terminal degree preferred.
• A strong work ethic and willingness to take on a variety of roles and levels of responsibility in a dynamic and entrepreneurial setting.
• Minimum of ten (10) years prior experience in a senior executive role (president, provost, vice president of finance and administration, etc.) in a higher education institution required (public or private colleges and universities, community colleges, technical colleges, or university systems)
• Specific experience with MS Office Suite, specifically Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong writing skills, specifically in regard to summarizing analysis and making recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to demonstrate commitment to continuous learning in order to stay current regarding strategies and regulations, display appropriate ethical knowledge and commitment, and exhibit a sense of urgency and commitment to quality and the timely completion of duties.
• Ability to travel to client sites as needed.

The compensation range for this role is $86,660 to $164,300. Actual compensation is influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to skills, experience, qualifications, and geographic location.