Position Summary

The Assistant Director is a member of the Admission Information Systems team at Rice University, a highly-selective research institution in the heart of Houston, Texas. Reporting to the Director of Admission Information Systems, the Assistant Director works as part of a team responsible for the design, maintenance, and support of the Undergraduate Admission CRM, Technolutions Slate, and plays a key role with respect to systems, technology, and data management for the Office of Admission.

The primary role is to provide technical expertise and support in the development, management, and usage of systems, databases, electronic communications, reports, and data used by Admission in order to recruit, admit and enroll students. The Assistant Director will partner with and provide technical and data-related services, support, and training to Admission teams related to records management and data retention, reading online applications, communications and social media tools, form building, event management, and volunteer management.

The possibility of a remote or hybrid work environment may be considered depending on location.

Essential Functions

• Analyzes and documents user needs, existing and new policies, processes, procedures, and operational methods to consider possible improvements to new and existing systems
• Utilizes elicitation techniques to understand business processes and translate them into system requirements and/or development of systems solutions
• Defines and documents business requirements and test cases for system developments
• May include the writing of all or a portion of functional specifications
• Coordinates with business and technology teams, ascertaining system requirements, such as program functions, output requirements, input data acquisition, and system techniques and controls
• Problem solves in areas such as system design, input/output requirements, and procedural flow between departments and/or business systems
• Performs configuration of enterprise application software
• Performs testing of new systems, upgrades, and patching of existing systems; may include developing test plans
• Conducts and documents results of testing
• May develop instructional materials, training, and job aids
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions / Information

• Responsible for data management, reporting, and technology processes for the Office of Admission, with emphasis on developing and utilizing system imports, creating and updating queries and reports, and auditing data to ensure data integrity across all systems.
• Support divisional hardware needs, leveraging IT support where possible
• Demonstrate an understanding of the configuration, routine processes, and data associated with the Admissions CRM and ancillary systems
• Import, validate, standardize, and extrapolate data for analysis, communications, reporting purposes
• Works with the Admission Information Systems team to develop CRM to support the strategic objectives of the Office of Admission and the Enrollment Division
• Collaborates with the Systems team and Admission staff to best leverage CRM to support and enhance Admission goals and functions
• Shares responsibility for the operational maintenance and data integrity of the admissions databases
• Creates and maintains queries, rules, reports, and other CRM functionality, sometimes utilizing SQL.
• Fulfill ad hoc data requests by admissions staff
• Develops procedures to automate manually performed procedures
• Write and maintain internal documentation for CRM front-end use and functional development

Skills Required

• Knowledge of computer system capabilities, business processes, and workflow
• Understanding of the software development life cycle.
• Experience with enterprise applications and understanding of database-driven application
• Experience with SQL scripting
• Skill in conducting interviews
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to bridge functional and technical resources by communicating effectively with individuals of varying systems expertise and business needs
• Listening, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to maintain good customer relations with clients and external vendors and partners

Preferences

• Knowledge of Rice University and/or experience in a higher education environment is desired
• Experience with a CRM, preferably Slate by Technolutions
• Two to three years of technology experience and support preferably in a higher education environment
• Experience executing data quality validations, cleansing data, and utilizing reporting systems
• Experience with student information systems, document management, admissions, and/or enrollment operations
• Proven data-driven decision-making regarding staff management, reporting, and analytics
• Demonstrated cultural fluency with all constituencies including students, families, college admission professionals, and staff from a range of diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Knowledge of reporting/query tools and the ability to generate reports
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, as a part of a team, or to lead projects as directed
• Demonstrated ability to work in a changing environment with accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to problem-solve where no precedent exists
• Ability to move items (up to 30 lbs.) occasionally
• Ability to be mobile across campus to attend meetings

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Current Rice University COVID policies, which include vaccination, face mask, testing, gatherings, occupancy limits, and travel policies can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Three years of directly related experience in data management and/or information systems/CRM development

Substitutions

• May substitute additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis in lieu of the education requirement.
• May substitute additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis in lieu of the experience requirement.