Associate Director, Academic Partnerships

Department: Kellogg EMBA Evanston
Salary/Grade: EXS/9

Job Summary:

The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University is a premier institution for management education. Founded in 1908 and based just outside of Chicago, Kellogg is home to a renowned, research-based faculty and the best and brightest MBA students from around the world.

The Kellogg Executive MBA (EMBA) program is a world leader in executive business education, designed for working professionals from all over the world who earn their MBA on weekends over a period of two years. Our distinctive, rigorous general management curriculum is delivered across campuses in Evanston, IL, Miami, FL, and 5 global partner schools in Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, and Israel (Kellogg Global Network). Students come to Kellogg to develop new frameworks for solving tough business problems while broadening their global network and creating lifelong connections.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Academic Operations and Compliance, EMBA, the Associate Director of Academic Partnerships is responsible for leading and managing the Kellogg EMBA program across the Kellogg Global Network. As a strategic thought partner with EMBA leadership, this role oversees, the operational execution, and partnership development essential for delivering a high-quality educational experience to students worldwide.

Please note: Occasional weekends and evenings as requested and with some possible travel, as required.

Specific Responsibilities:

Academic Planning & Operations

• Lead the planning and execution of EMBA global electives and alumni auditing for domestic and international partner campuses.
• Conducts ongoing evaluations of elective portfolio to identify areas of improvement.
• Designs, implements, and adjusts the elective portfolio for program optimization considering factors such as global campus schedules, course/faculty performance, faculty expertise, industry trends, and resource constraints.
• Manages global elective seat allocation system and ensures a fair and timely course registration process across domestic and international partner programs.
• Provides oversight and mentorship to program managers leading electives, ensuring a seamless and effective student experience, adherence to academic standards, timely fulfillment of faculty needs, and management of contracts and budgets.
• Oversees international health, safety and security initiatives for EMBA staff and students, providing comprehensive training and acting as liaison between the EMBA program and the Office of Global Safety and Security (OISS).
• Partners with the Managing Director, and various Kellogg department chairs to assign Kellogg faculty to overseas class assignments.
• Support the pool of faculty teaching across global partner school programs.
• Oversees alumni auditing and EMBA alumni benefits.
• Provide insights and learnings to leadership regarding alumni participation in key areas (admissions, career, etc.) in support of future planning and engagement goals.
• Partner with Kellogg Registrar and other NU stakeholders to provide oversight of academic compliance for the EMBA program and global network partnerships

Academic Success

• Manage registration systems, communication channels, timelines, staff training, and student communications to ensure academic compliance and student progression across all domestic cohorts and the global partner school network.
• Maintain partnership with key NU and Kellogg Academic stakeholders (e.g., Deputy Dean and Senior Associate Dean of Teaching, Senior Director of Curriculum).
• Oversees certificate compliance with relevant regulations and accreditation standards.
• Builds and implements annual timeline and communication plan to support student academic planning.
• Partners with Kellogg Information Systems (KIS) and Kellogg Registrar to evaluate and improve current processes and procedures.
• Develops, implements and oversees the academic advising program, aligning with program goals and institutional requirements.

Partnership Management

• Builds and maintains relationships with international partners to ensure the successful implementation of the Kellogg EMBA program across the Kellogg Global Network. This individual acts as the key liaison between Kellogg and partner institutions.
• Partners with the Managing Director to identify and evaluate current and potential global opportunities and partnerships with other institutions to maintain Kellogg's position as a leading business school on a global scale.
• Serve as lead relationship manager for the global partner programs, sharing relevant and timely information with overseas Program Directors and Deans.
• Oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of quarterly Program Director meetings, as well as additional meetings as needed.
• Represents Kellogg to Global Network students, leading networking and informational sessions.
• Develops and implements initiatives to foster a sense of community and collaboration across the Kellogg Global Network students, staff, and faculty.
• Establishes best practices for global learning experiences to provide a consistent and high-quality learning environment for students, including maintenance of standardized Teacher Course Evaluation (TCE) instrument across all campuses.
• Partners with Directors both in the Evanston and Miami campuses, and the Global Network Directors to ensure appropriate Kellogg presence and communication before and during academic programs around the world.

Financial Management

• Manages financial arrangements with the Global Network Partners.
• Partners with the Kellogg finance team on international EMBA program budgeting, tuition setting, expense reconciliations, and partner invoicing.
• Establish and enforce faculty and staff travel and expense (T&E) policies for overseas assignments to comply with institutional guidelines.
• Oversee tuition billing and collection of relevant partner tuition.

Supervision

• Oversees a team of academic advising contractors to ensure effective implementation of advising policies are aligned with Kellogg expectations; such as setting agendas and collaborating on action items.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience
• 5 years' experience working in a higher education academic setting, including navigating challenges related to program management and delivery
• Experience managing people and programs within an academic setting
• Experience working in high intensity settings, where change management, systems and best practice building, and effective stakeholder management was valued and used on a regular basis

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Advanced knowledge of the EMBA industry and the Global Network partnership
• Ability to lead and oversee systemic change in organizational best practices
• Knowledge of or ability to gain expertise in federal, state, university, and school compliance policies to align program to those policies
• Capability in converging disparate systems into single point or high leverage platforms utilized by the university and the school
• Ability to work with employees at all levels of an organization, including senior-level stakeholders such as NU Registrar, NU Student Accounts, Kellogg Registrar, Kellogg Academic Scheduling, etc.
• Ability to build and sustain a continuous improvement process

Preferred Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a MBA or master's degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience
• 8+ years of progressive Higher Ed experience
• Experience in Executive Education (EMBA) industry

Target hiring range for this position will be between $83,000 - $88,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.

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