Executive Director, Student Services

The University is located in Denver, Colorado, a city known for its dynamic blend of business, innovation and world-class recreation. Denver is consistently ranked by Forbes and Kiplinger’s Magazine as one of the top cities for young professionals and recent college graduates. The University of Denver is a private institution founded in 1864. It serves a population of more than 5,200 undergraduate and 6,200 graduate students as a research-intensive institution. The beautiful campus is located approximately seven miles from downtown with easy access to public transportation.

With a long tradition of excellence and innovation, the Daniels College of Business prepares students to succeed in a dynamic, changing world. We are a high-achieving community of students, staff and faculty that inspires one another to think in new ways, perform at higher levels, and transform organizations and communities. Daniels is ranked among the top business schools and is the only business school in Colorado to receive rankings and recognition from BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, U.S. News & World Report and Forbes. The Daniels College of Business (DCB) offers a variety of baccalaureate, graduate, PhD and certificate programs which are detailed at https://daniels.du.edu/ 

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Student Success at the Daniels College of Business is a visionary and strategic leader with exceptional leadership expertise and a proven track record of driving results. This role is pivotal in translating the College’s ambitious vision into actions that enhance student success.

Charged with institutionalizing and operationalizing the College’s vision for a transformative Center for Student Success, the Executive Director provides leadership over the groups enhancing the student experience, overseeing critical support functions for approximately 2000 undergraduate and 700 graduate students. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Student Success, this position ensures the seamless integration of innovative, student-centered initiatives that elevate academic and professional outcomes.

The Executive Director plays a crucial role in shaping the future of business education at Daniels. This leader must possess a deep understanding of the complexities and opportunities inherent in managing student affairs for a premier business school, driving forward an educational model rooted in ethical leadership, academic rigor, and global impact. Through collaborative leadership and operational excellence, the Executive Director will strengthen the College’s ability to advance business theory and practice while fostering a dynamic, inclusive, and high-performing environment.

The Executive Director has senior-level direct reports who are responsible for Employer Relations, Career Services, Graduate Student Services, Academic Advising and Experiential Learning. In conjunction with the Associate Dean, the Executive Director will establish goals for the College and lead each team to support and achieve those goals.

Essential Functions

Principal responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Setting Strategy and Executing for Results

• Represent the Dean’s vision internally and externally, ensuring alignment with the College’s strategic goals.
• Translate ambitious objectives into actionable, market-oriented plans for growth and performance.
• Identify areas for efficiency, improvement, and collaboration across operational units.
• Set clear, challenging goals and drive organizational performance while navigating complexity and uncertainty.
• Oversee the Student Success Center (SSC), including goal setting, budgeting, and performance management.
• Foster teamwork, communication, and career development opportunities within SSC staff.
• Identify critical needs and coordinate additional resources to support SSC activities.
• Report to the Associate Dean for Student Success.

Leading Teams

• Strengthen and promote a high-performance, collaborative and innovative culture for the College in conjunction with goals and strategies set forth in the Daniels strategic plan.
• Coordinate across various operational teams to achieve synergies and foster innovation.
• Translate over-arching goals into specific goals and objectives for each team.
• Oversee collective data strategy, best practices and protocols for operating units.
• Lead with a high degree of integrity and forethought.
• Recruit, motivate, develop and retain strong, professional teams of key staff.
• Set priorities decisively, delegate appropriately, ensure accountability and allocate resources efficiently to achieve results.
• Engage teams with enthusiasm and excitement about the College.