Assistant Director for Operations-International Student Services

University of Wisconsin System - Madison, WI

Full-time - Mid Level

Madison, WI

Educational Services

About the position

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's International Student Services (ISS) is seeking a dynamic and versatile leader to oversee operations for the shared International Services suite. This suite combines support provided by ISS and International Faculty & Staff Services (IFSS), which includes the International Community Center (ICC), Lactation and Family Wellness suite, Multifaith Prayer and Meditation Room, and the front desk and lobby area. The successful candidate will lead the International Services operations on behalf of the student and faculty and staff communities, ensuring that the needs of over 7,000 F/J nonimmigrant students and over 1,000 alumni on post-completion employment authorization are met effectively. In this role, the individual will supervise and cultivate a team of 8-10 student peer advisors who are committed to inclusive advising practices and engagement opportunities for international students, scholars, faculty, staff, and their accompanying dependents. The peer advising team provides frontline interactive services to all visitors to the International Services suite and administrative and advising support to ISS and IFSS staff. The position also involves being a member of the International Leadership Team (ILT), contributing to ISS's strategic priorities and elevating operational needs and concerns. The ILT serves an advisor-on-call rotation and provides guidance in complicated immigration advising cases. Additionally, this role convenes monthly International Services Leadership Team (ISLT) meetings with assistant, associate, and directors of ISS and IFSS. The individual will be responsible for managing programmatic activities, initiating, developing, and implementing operational services that support defined projects and program goals. This includes planning, executing, and evaluating existing strategies and objectives for the program, identifying workflow needs, and contributing to the development of strategic and operational solutions. The role requires a strong focus on inclusive engagement and communication, with an emphasis on equity in access for international students. The successful candidate will also manage the International Services space operations and virtual services for a department of 30 and a stakeholder population of approximately 15,000, ensuring optimum efficiency and compliance with appropriate policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Manages a program and/or programmatic activities.
• Plans, implements, executes, and evaluates existing strategies and objectives for a program and makes recommendations to unit leadership for program or function enhancement.
• Identifies workflow needs, contributes to the development of strategic and operational solutions, allocates resources, and implements new or revised unit operational policies and procedures.
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees.
• Schedules logistics and secures resources for program activities across multiple work units to ensure optimum efficiency and compliance with appropriate policies, procedures, and specifications.
• Leads the development and preparation of periodic reports and financial statements, and records progress, status, or other special reports for leadership or external agencies.
• Assists in the development and monitoring of the unit or program budget and approves unit expenditures.

Requirements

• Experience in managing programmatic activities and operations.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to supervise and cultivate a team.
• Excellent communication skills, particularly in inclusive engagement and advising practices.
• Ability to develop and implement operational policies and procedures.
• Experience with budget management and financial reporting.
• Familiarity with immigration processes and advising for international students.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Terra Dotta ISSS batch software.
• Knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in an educational context.
• Experience in higher education administration.