Director of Student Services

Director of Student Services                                                                Salary Range: $80,000-90,000 DOE      
 
Since 2016, Pawsperity has been helping uplift families from generational poverty through job training in the art of dog grooming. Pawsperity serves some of the community’s most vulnerable members, including individuals often coming from backgrounds of domestic violence, addiction, incarceration, and homelessness
Position Summary
The Director of Student Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of the full student lifecycle from recruitment and enrollment through graduation and post-completion outcomes in compliance with applicable accreditation, state authorization, and regulatory requirements. This role is accountable for achieving institutional recruitment, retention, and graduation targets and for managing the Student Services budget. The Director ensures that all student services functions are systematically aligned to support student achievement, institutional effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Recruitment and Enrollment

• Lead student recruitment and admissions strategies that meet institutional enrollment targets while ensuring ethical, transparent, and compliant recruitment practices.
• Collaborate with Admissions and Marketing to ensure outreach materials and processes are accurate, accessible, and consistent.
• Monitor recruitment data to ensure alignment with institutional capacity, student preparedness, and program outcomes.

• Design, implement, and evaluate structured student support services to promote persistence and retention.
• Establish and oversee early-alert, case management, and intervention systems for at-risk students.
• Ensure retention strategies are data-informed, documented, and regularly reviewed for effectiveness.

• Lead initiatives to meet or exceed institutional graduation and completion benchmarks.
• Ensure students receive timely case management, progress monitoring, and completion support.
• Monitor time-to-completion and withdrawal data to identify trends and implement corrective actions.

• Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of student performance and outcomes data across the student lifecycle.
• Use outcomes data to inform continuous improvement efforts, policy adjustments, and resource allocation.

• Oversee post-graduation support activities.
• Monitor employment and post-completion outcomes to support institutional reporting and continuous improvement.

• Recruitment Targets: Achieve enrollment goals through compliant, ethical recruitment strategies and coordinated outreach efforts.
• Retention Targets: Implement structured, documented initiatives designed to improve student persistence and engagement.
• Graduation Targets: Lead institution-wide efforts to meet established completion benchmarks and student achievement metrics.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Regularly review institutional performance indicators related to enrollment, retention, completion, and placement. Ensure decisions are supported by documented data and analysis.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively to ensure alignment between student services, academic delivery, and regulatory obligations.
• Staff Leadership and Development: Supervise, mentor, and evaluate Student Services personnel, ensuring staff are trained on institutional policies, compliance requirements, and best practices.

• Budget Oversight: Develop, manage, and monitor the Student Services budget to ensure responsible use of resources in support of student success and institutional goals.
• Regulatory and Accreditation Compliance: Ensure student services policies, procedures, and practices comply with ACCSC Standards, Missouri DHEWD regulations.
• Documentation and Audit Readiness: Maintain accurate records, reports, and evidence to support accreditation reviews, audits, and state oversight.

• Master’s degree in social work administration

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership and management experience.

• Strong financial management and budget oversight capabilities.
• Advanced data analysis, performance tracking, and outcomes reporting skills.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities.

• Accreditation and Regulatory Accountability
• Student Lifecycle Strategy and Oversight
• Institutional Effectiveness and Data-Informed Leadership
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration and Compliance Alignment

• Employer Health Savings Account Contributions ($2,500)
• Health Insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Dental insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan