Advising Technology & Experience Manager - Student Success Administration - UTK

The Senior Coordinator of Advising Technology & Experience provides specialized expertise and coordination related to the academic advising experience, student-facing technology solutions, project coordination, and a deep understanding of advising practices. This position evaluates complex advising processes, technology needs, stakeholder feedback, and data to identify barriers affecting students and advisors. This position also develops and recommends resources that promote effective use of advising systems and improvement of the advising experience through solutions consistent with university policies, practices, and strategic priorities. Using professional knowledge of academic advising, student success practices, and advising technologies, the position determines appropriate methods for completing assigned initiatives and adapts approaches when needs, priorities, or system requirements compete. 

This position independently coordinates advising technology initiatives and continuous improvement projects, collaborates across colleges and university departments to evaluate needs, resolves issues, and implements data-informed solutions. Serving as a partner to the Director, this position maximizes the advising experience and technical skills (without enterprise-wide responsibility or a student caseload).

Academic Technology Solutions (40%)

• Evaluates complex advising technology and process needs and recommends solutions in collaboration with colleges and university departments to address needs spanning functional areas.

• Applies specialized knowledge of academic advising practices and student needs when evaluating system functionality, business processes, and technology solutions.

• Coordinates the design, testing, validation, and ongoing refinement of advising system enhancements and new functionality, determining appropriate methods and identifying issues requiring cross-functional resolution.

• Maintains specialized working knowledge of advising-related systems, including CRM/SRM and student information systems, academic planning and degree audit tools, scheduling systems, and reporting resources and uses to troubleshoot complex issues , solutions, or referrals.

• Identifies, evaluates, and recommends solutions for technology-related pain points, usability concerns, adoption issues, and process gaps affecting students and advisors.

• Develops and maintains user-facing documentation, guides, and resources that promote effective system use, student self-service, and consistent advising practices.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement (25%) 

• Analyzes advising data, reports, stakeholder feedback, and information from multiple sources to evaluate complex challenges, identify trends and barriers, and collaborates with campus partners to determine opportunities to improve advising services and the student experience. 
• Evaluates student and advisor needs and determines appropriate methods for assessing service, process, technology, and engagement concerns.
• Develops reports, visualizations, summaries, and presentations that translate complex information into actionable recommendations and modifies recommendations as appropriate due to competing operational needs, policies, or practices. 

• Recommends and coordinates process improvements based on assessment findings and monitors outcomes to determine whether solutions are achieving intended results.

Strategic Initiatives & Project Coordination (20%)

• Coordinates complex projects and strategic initiatives aligned with campus-wide advising priorities and division goals, establishing work plans, timelines, deliverables, and methods for accomplishing assigned objectives.
• Assists with the implementation and ongoing refinement of the advising strategic plan and evaluates progress against established goals and outcomes.
• Collaborates with colleges and university departments to identify and resolve challenges affecting project implementation, consulting with the Director on novel, sensitive, or potentially far-reaching matters. 
• Prepares analyses, materials, summaries, and recommendations for leadership and campus partners to support decision-making related to advising initiatives.
• Participates in relevant professional development to remain current on advising practices, student success strategies, technology, assessment, and emerging practices.

Student-Facing Services & Experience Enhancement (15%) 

• Provides general guidance related to advising services, processes, systems, resources, and evaluating student inquiries with appropriate solutions and referrals.
• Applies professional knowledge of academic advising and the student lifecycle to evaluate technology solutions, communications, initiatives, processes, and other projects for their impact on different student populations.
• Develops strategies and identifies barriers affecting students’ ability to navigate advising services and academic systems and recommends solutions that improve access, clarity, engagement, student self-authorship, and student success. 
• Proves work direction to a student intern, including establishing assignments and priorities, monitoring work and providing coaching and feedback related to projects supporting the advising experience.

Other Duties as Assigned

Required Qualifications

• Education: 

  • Bachelor’s Degree

• Experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year institution 

  • 3 years of experience working in a higher education setting (e.g. campus or organization) providing academic or client support services, managing programs or projects, and proficiency using enterprise platforms (e.g. Banner, Degree Works, DARS, Navigate, Salesforce, Slate, Asana) or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

  • Experience working in academic advising, student success, student affairs, higher education, or a related field. 

  • Technical proficiency using advising and student information systems, data dashboards, spreadsheets, and project implementation.

  • Ability to leverage technology and analyze data to evaluate experiences, identify opportunities, and communicate meaningful insights.

  • Strong project coordination and process improvement skills, including assessing the advising community and student experiences. 

  • Excellent oral communication and writing skills to present, facilitate, and translate complex or technical information.

  • Interpersonal skills to support relationship building and representation with vendors and campus partners in the absence of the Director.

  • Ability to think strategically and assess opportunities and concerns to enhance the student and advisor experience.

  • Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism while supporting leadership priorities and handling sensitive or complex matters.

  • Student-centered professional with knowledge of the student lifecycle.

  • Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, manage deadlines, and maintain progress across competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:

  • Master’s Degree

• Experience:

  • Master’s degree in higher education, student development, or a related field.

  • 2+ years of progressive professional work experience in higher education, advising, project management, utilizing assessment and data to evaluate program effectiveness, and/or a related field.

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of academic advising and student success practices within a higher education environment to effectively support advisor and student needs.

  • Experience implementing or recommending technology solutions for campus-wide initiatives using common systems (e.g. Salesforce, Navigate, Slate, etc.) CRM platforms, or student information systems.

  • Proficiency using Qualtrics and experience in assessment, reporting, dashboard, and data visualization.

  • Familiarity with user experience, change management, design thinking, coordinating projects, and/or process improvement.

  • Technical expertise using Microsoft 365 (Excel, SharePoint, and PowerPoint) and creating knowledge articles

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits 

• UT market range: MR10
• Anticipated hiring range: $71,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions 

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted.

• Resume

• Cover Letter