Assistant Director of Operations

Assistant Director of Operations

The Assistant Director of Operations plays a pivotal role in overseeing the daily management of Student Account Operations within the Office of the Bursar. This position is responsible for ensuring the efficient, accurate, and compliant processing of billing and accounting services for students, Laboratory School-affiliated families, and third-party partners. The Assistant Director proactively manages military billing, third-party contracts, remission processes, and direct payroll deductions. By driving process improvement and technological innovation, the Assistant Director directly supports the university's mission of academic excellence and student success. The role regularly handles sensitive and confidential information, requiring strict adherence to university privacy and data security policies, as well as compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations pertaining to billing and refunds. Job Location: Hybrid with 2 – 4 days a month travel to the Hyde Park Campus for meetings, trainings, and in-person job related activities.

Responsibilities

• Execute all University, Laboratory School, and Third-Party billing ($1.5B annually) in accordance with the annual billing calendar.
• Configure and maintain external sponsor contract records in the University's student information system to facilitate third-party billing.
• Manage all military billing and military certifications/authorizations, ensuring compliance with relevant federal and institutional regulations.
• Oversee direct deduction and tuition remission processing for university students and Laboratory School-affiliated families; serve as primary liaison to Payroll and HR departments from both the University and the Hospital.
• Support campus departments in posting non-tuition charges to student accounts by onboarding departments, ensuring policy compliance, and providing technical expertise.
• Assist the payment processing team and Associate Director in daily operations, providing backup support as needed.
• Identify obstacles and resolve them with minimal supervision, tracking progress and documenting outcomes.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external clients, bridging gaps between technical and functional stakeholders.
• Review processes for efficiency improvements and implement system enhancements; maintain audit readiness and data integrity.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and prepare periodic compliance reports as needed.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of students and institutional records.
• Uses moderate/solid understanding and experience to administer the delivery of services to program participants and/or beneficiaries.
• Sets and communicates program priorities and performance standards and assesses operations using these criteria. Plans and conducts quality assurance reviews and recommends changes as appropriate.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Master's degree in a related field (Business, Computer Science, etc.)

• Deep knowledge of student account systems, billing processes, refunding compliance and processing, accounting principles, and regulatory compliance in a higher education context.
• Participation in process or compliance audits strongly preferred.

Technical Knowledge or Skills:

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams).
• Advanced Excel expertise, including pivot tables, complex formula development, reconciliation, data visualization, and analysis.
• Experience with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and Oracle Cloud Finance.
• Ability to quickly learn new platforms and systems.
• Experience managing customer account billing in a higher-ed environment, including policy development, business process documentation, and optimization.
• Familiarity with data analysis and reporting tools (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI).
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to bridge functional and technical resources.

Preferred Competencies

• Comprehensive understanding of quality assurance principles and data metric usage.
• Advanced reconciliation, audit, and data integrity management.
• Strong listening, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Commitment to data security and confidentiality.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously and meet all deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Ability to self-manage, adapt quickly, and develop solutions in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
• Proven ability to rapidly integrate into new roles and environments, demonstrating immediate effectiveness in carrying out assigned tasks with minimal training.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family: Administration & Management

Role Impact: Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 37.5

Pay Rate Type: Salary

​FLSA Status: Exempt

​Pay Range: $75,000.00 - $80,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible: Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call View phone number on click.appcast.io or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.