Assistant Director, Student Program Staffing Operations

Department

Crown HR and Faculty Affairs

About the Department

As one of the first schools of social work in the United States, the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice has shaped the field for more than 100 years. As part of the University of Chicago, the Crown Family School shares the University's core values and distinctive intellectual culture. Crown Family School faculty, staff, and students focus on identifying solutions to complex social problems through research, training, and direct community engagement. Guided by an interdisciplinary tradition, Crown Family School scholars conduct innovative research to address interconnected social challenges such as educational inequality, health disparities, crime and violence, poverty, and child and family welfare—working at multiple scales, from individual to policy-level interventions. More than 10,000 Crown Family School graduates in the US and globally hold leadership positions in academia, at nonprofits, in business, and at governmental agencies. The Crown Family School is the home of three academic centers. These include the Susan and Richard Kiphart Center for Global Health and Social Development, the Kersten Institute for Urban Education, and the Center for Climate, Health, and Society (CHAS). More information may be found at https://crownschool.uchicago.edu/.

Since 1976, the Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) has connected University of Chicago students with local schools, public service offices, and community organizations. Each year, University students serve as teaching assistants, tutors, mentors, technology coordinators, administrative interns, and general support staff, positively impacting the learning experiences of 2,500 to 5,000 children.

Over time, NSP has also become a key connector between University resources and local schools, collaborating with campus programs, coaching student organizations, and consulting with faculty to strengthen educational partnerships. The program embodies the University’s civic mission by fostering sustained, mutually beneficial relationships with schools and families, expanding the University’s capacity for meaningful engagement in PreK–12 education while providing rich, hands-on learning experiences for its students. More information may be found at https://nsp.uchicago.edu/.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director, Student Program Staffing Operations is a matrix position, directly supervised by the Crown HR Director, with a dotted line to the Director of the Neighborhood School Partnerships. The position manages hiring, employment changes, time tracking, and payroll reconciliation for 200+ student employees that serve as tutors and teaching assistants to local schools, community centers, and government offices, as well as hiring and employment changes for seasonal and temporary employees who are in internship and training programs for the College and Career Readiness team. The Assistant Director oversees a part-time van driver and several student workers. This role requires superior understanding of Workday for the creation of positions and onboarding of employees, management of bi-weekly payroll, and employee database creation and maintenance in Airtable.

Responsibilities

• Management of bi-weekly payroll of 200+ paid employees which includes ensuring Time Sheet and Workday compliance for the Neighborhood Schools Program.
• Hiring and employment changes for high school students hired as temporary and seasonal employees into career and college readiness programs.
• Creates Workday positions and hires 200-300 employees into various programs and sub-programs within NSP and CCR, including Maroon Tutor Match and Homework Help Centers. Involves Onboarding employees into Workday and ensuring University and government compliance.
• Onboard NSP volunteers and tracks volunteer hours.
• Engages in a high volume of correspondence and engagement with students, superiors, co-workers, HR specialists, Financial Manager, Workday Support team, Payroll Support team, etc.
• Payroll reconciliation of nearly 200 paid student and temp employees throughout the Academic Year and for summer programming which involves filing Bi-Weekly Adjustment Forms in Service Now, adjusting hours in Workday, and corresponding with students and/or various University departments to ensure accuracy of payroll.
• Submits student reimbursements (e.g. awards, stipends) in Service Now.
• Maintains student employment, time tracking and payroll modules in the Airtable database, to ensure accurate employee record tracking, payroll reconciliation, and compliance with University and government regulations; identifies opportunities to streamline hiring and payroll processes across systems.
• Advises students in all stages of hiring process, payment process, as well all stages of Workday Hiring and general program matters.
• Content Development and presentation delivery of orientation sessions for incoming student employees across all program.(3-4 sessions per week during peak recruitment periods).
• Manages employee files in Workday to reflect changes in employee status and stay in compliance with Workday regulations and file upkeep schedule.
• Leverages Excel worksheets to merge Workday, biweekly payroll and Airtable information to perform audits and reconciliations.
• Provides back up support for submitting payments through Oracle as needed for workshop speakers and other NSP payment needs.
• Provides data regarding student employment and positions for budget planning, forecasting, and financials to support fundraising and budgeting work of Director of Neighborhood Schools Program and finance team.
• Participates in one-on-one and team meetings for Crown HR and NSP team, in addition to Crown/Kersten Institute all employee convenings.
• Participates in seasonal weekly meetings with the College and Career Readiness team during their peak time (Spring Quarter).
• Manages 1-2 student workers who perform operational and administrative tasks.
• Manages part-time staff van driver and 5-7 student drivers, including a student transportation coordinator; provide back up support of scheduling for van drivers/student coordinators and email inbox management for student rider scheduling.
• Oversee staff who ensure vehicle maintenance, including oil changes, repairs, fuel tracking and adherence to safety standards.
• Performs some routine and complex assignments for the unit usually in the areas of finance, event planning or support services. Initiate the hiring process of students and staff for a unit, which includes the processing of payroll.
• Responsible for training office staff on office procedures and compliance protocols. Coordinates special projects.
• 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:

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Preferred Qualifications
 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
   

Experience:

• Experience working with HR operations, specifically hiring and payroll management.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficient with Workday and Airtable.
• Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).

Preferred Competencies

• Focus on continuous process improvement and operational efficiency.
• Considerable skill in working both independently and as part of a team.
• Multi-task, plan and prioritize to simultaneously meet multiple program and organizational goals.
• Meet deadlines; maintain confidentiality, and problem solve.
• Experience working with college students.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• High volume of emailing.
• Working understanding human resource principles, payroll, policies, and procedures.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and be able to work independently.
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment.
• Excellent verbal and written community skills; organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills.

Working Conditions

• Hybrid work schedule, on-site at the Hyde Park campus in Chicago.
• Ability to multitask.
• Must be able to complete regular job responsibilities in spite of regular student employee interruptions (via email, phone and in person) and unplanned work requests.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Three References (upon request)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

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

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$65,000.00 - $81,000.00

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 773-702-5800 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: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.