Director of Operations

JOB DESCRIPTION The Director of Operations is a strategic leader and operational architect responsible for driving the technology, process design, and analytics that power all MBA recruiting and admissions priorities at Rice Business. Reporting directly to the Assistant Dean for Recruiting and Admissions, the Director leads the Slate CRM ecosystem, oversees systems operations, and manages a dedicated team of CRM and operational professionals. Position Summary The Director of Operations is a strategic leader and operational architect responsible for driving the technology, process design, and analytics that power all MBA recruiting and admissions priorities at Rice Business. Reporting directly to the Assistant Dean for Recruiting and Admissions, the Director leads the Slate CRM ecosystem, oversees systems operations, and manages a dedicated team of CRM and operational professionals. Ideal Candidate Statement The ideal candidate is an operationally astute, highly focused leader who excels at translating complex strategy into seamless execution. This person thrives at the intersection of technology, process design, and team leadership, bringing a pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach to every challenge. The ideal candidate is characterized by exceptional attention to detail and rigorous project management capabilities, taking pride in designing systems that run with accuracy and integrity. The candidate is an innovator and problem-solver equally comfortable crafting creative, forward-thinking solutions for the Slate CRM environment. The director is driven to achieve continuous improvement, proactively works to identify and resolve operational bottlenecks, leverages technology to streamline processes, and seeks to eliminate friction between internal stakeholders and prospective students. This person brings a collaborative perspective to cross-functional partnerships across Rice Business. The ideal candidate elevates the technical capabilities of their direct reports, sets high standards for data integrity and operational excellence. Workplace Requirements Rice Business primarily delivers residential classes and activities taking place almost daily between 7 am and 10 pm. We value a highly collaborative and community-based culture, with expectations to provide in-person support and services to all members of our community. Remote work options are limited. Most employment activities are required to be performed in-person and on-campus. This in-person approach is central to the successful achievement of our research and academic missions. This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in-person at McNair Hall on a 5-day in-office schedule with an 8:30am – 5:00 pm workday. Remote work opportunities will be assessed and approved on an as-needed basis following the successful conclusion of the probationary period. This position does include a high volume of professional events occurring both nights and weekends, along with extensive travel both domestically and internationally. Business professional attire is often required, with the flexibility to shift to business casual on non-event, external-facing interactions. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change. Annual Hiring Range $97,000 minimum, with hiring salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. Minimum Requirements Bachelor’s Degree No substitutions permitted Four or more (4+) years of CRM and or Data Management/Analysis In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis. Skills: Excellent planning and organization skills Ability to multitask and manage deadlines Excellent communication skills Ability to architect complex solutions with interactive mapping solutions Demonstrated experience with the design and implementation of interfaces for database-driven applications and software such as CRM systems. Essential Functions Oversees the strategic management, continuous enhancement, and daily operation of the Rice Business Slate CRM instance supporting all residential MBA modalities. Directly manages a high-performing team of CRM and operations professionals. Fostering a team culture of continuous improvement, technical excellence, and user-centric service Serves as the primary senior leadership liaison between the Rice Business critical stakeholders and seeks to align CRM workflows with broader institutional goals and user needs. Oversees the design and delivery of real-time dashboards, funnel reports, and predictive yield analysis to inform executive decision-making and track progress toward enrollment targets. Prioritizes and leads the process optimization for prospective students by auditing and refining the application review procedures, decision release mechanisms, and event promotion to maximize efficiency for staff and deliver an exceptional user experience for prospective students. Serves as the Rice Business Slate Captain and commits to remaining informed of industry trends and norms to continue to leverage the full scope of the Rice Business CRM system Slate. Directs and manages the complete operational framework of the annual recruitment and admissions lifecycle. Translate strategic enrollment targets into executable timelines, system milestones, and technical configurations to ensure seamless execution from initial prospect intake through application submission, yield, and matriculation. Leads the annual updates, testing, and relaunch of all MBA program application forms within Slate CRM. Establish rigorous quality assurance protocols to ensure form accuracy, field logic, recommendation management, fee processing, and seamless back-end data mapping across all MBA programs. Oversees the operational deployment, scheduling, and segmentation of automated drip campaigns and marketing touchpoints across the funnel. Partner closely with RAO leadership and Marketing to configure dynamic logic, personalized messaging triggers, deliverability tracking, and campaign performance analytics within the CRM. Serves as the functional innovator for emerging technologies by researching, piloting, and integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions into enrollment management practices. Leverage predictive models, natural language processing, and advanced machine learning to automate routine operational tasks, enhance lead scoring, elevate applicant engagement, and scale team capacity. Applies structured project management methodologies to plan, execute, and deliver operational initiatives on time and within scope. Map complex business workflows, document standard operating procedures (SOPs), and lead ongoing process re-engineering to eliminate organizational bottlenecks and drive measurable efficiency across the unit. Performs all other duties as assigned Additional Functions Supervises a small operations team to support the operational needs of the recruiting and admissions office along with additional needs within the Rice Business community Rice University HR | Benefits: Rice Mission and Values Rice Mission and Values | Rice University Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at View email address on click.appcast.io for support. If you have any additional questions, please email us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University. #J-18808-Ljbffr