Director, NISS Client Service Delivery

Director, NISS Client Service Delivery

Sponsor Funded Executive

Georgia State University

National Institute for Student Success (NISS)

The National Institute for Student Success at Georgia State University (NISS) is dedicated to helping colleges and universities identify and resolve institutionally-created barriers to equity and college completion. Through diagnostic services and practitioner-led coaching, collectively known as NISS high-touch services, the Institute enables campus leaders to implement proven student-success systems and data-driven interventions and to enact systemic change to institutional processes and structures. The Director, NISS Client Service Delivery, serves as a critical link between strategic leadership and operational execution, translating high-level objectives into actionable plans that advance the NISS mission. This role oversees the delivery of complex, high-visibility projects within a higher education context, ensuring results meet executive-level quality standards. Emphasizing people management over content oversight, the Director manages and mentors mid-to senior-level staff, balancing workload allocation with professional growth opportunities. The position requires strong project management skills to coordinate multiple simultaneous initiatives, ensuring each is delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with institutional priorities. The Director also fosters strong relationships with senior stakeholders to promote collaboration, secure alignment on priorities, and drive successful outcomes. The Director also manages the internal infrastructure, staffing, and day-to-day service delivery options behind the unit's core offerings. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, this position oversees the full Diagnostic and Playbook and Implementation services, ensuring all institutional engagements and deliverables are aligned with unit standards and executed with clarity, consistency, and executive-level quality. The Director supervises two (2) Assistant Directors and is responsible for Coach assignments, timeline management, and quality control. The role also partners with senior leaders and the Incubator team to track institutional progress, surface insights, and support ongoing improvement. This is a highly collaborative and operationally focused position that strengthens internal systems, supports staff performance, and ensures scalable, high-impact delivery of student success solutions.

WHAT MAKES the NISS A GREAT PLACE?

* Generous benefits, including health, dental, vision, tuition assistance, retirement, etc.

* A knowledge-sharing organization that works collaboratively with diverse partners.

* Professional development opportunity and mentorship

* A rapidly growing center within an academic setting

HERE IS WHAT YOU WILL DO

* Lead Implementation Strategy Support by directing the development and continuous refinement of implementation plans, coaching tools, and support structures that empower institutions to execute recommended reforms. Collaborate closely with Assistant Directors and the Senior Director of Educational Technology to ensure solutions are relevant, scalable, and tailored to diverse client needs.

* Provide Strategic Oversight of the Diagnostic and Playbook services by delivering both strategic and operational leadership across all institutional engagements. Supervise Assistant Directors and hold ultimate responsibility for ensuring executive-quality deliverables. Ensure consistent use of tools, standards, and timelines, while proactively troubleshooting complex challenges, supporting quality assurance, and translating diagnostic insights into actionable, high-impact recommendations.

* Collaborate with senior leaders across NISS and the Incubator team to track and capture the impact of Diagnostic and Implementation services.

* Team Management: Supervise two Assistant Directors and provide leadership to the Coaching team, ensuring staff are well-supported, appropriately staffed, and positioned to deliver high-quality, timely work; Manage and mentor mid- to senior-level staff, guiding performance, workload allocation, and professional development; Collaborate with Assistant Directors and the Senior Director of Educational Technology to ensure solutions are relevant, scalable, and tailored to client needs; Translate strategic direction into actionable plans by aligning team priorities and resources with the NISS mission.

* Project Management: Oversee execution of complex, high-visibility projects, ensuring deliverables meet executive-level standards and align with organizational goals; Monitor coach assignments across institutional engagements, tracking timelines, deliverable progress, and team capacity; Maintain a centralized view of all client projects to ensure balanced workloads and timely execution across the portfolio; Ensure client database accuracy and integrity to support effective project tracking and reporting.

* Support the Executive Director by providing insight into service effectiveness and contributing to continuous improvement efforts.

* Funder Engagement and Reporting

* Support meetings with funders and represent program priorities.

* Build and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders to facilitate collaboration, gather feedback, and ensure alignment on priorities.

• Assist in writing grant proposals and progress reports.
• Assist with designing systems for monitoring institutional progress, surfacing trends, and collecting metrics that demonstrate outcomes.

Minimum Hiring Qualifications:

• Master's Degree required (PhD preferred) with seven (7) years of related experience or a combination of education and related experience.

Preferred Hiring Qualifications:

• A PhD is preferred.
• Experience supervising staff and/or leading teams, with demonstrated leadership, mentorships, and performance management capabilities; Proven project management and project coordination skills, including planning, executing, and monitoring of deliverables across teams or departments; Proven ability to lead teams through organizational transitions while coaching clients and colleagues in effective change management strategies to foster adaptability, motivation, and successful outcomes, particularly within higher education contexts; Demonstrated consulting experience with the ability to assess client needs, develop tailored solutions, and provide strategic guidance; Demonstrated success in academic and professional settings, with a strong ability to manage multiple projects and priorities; Experience working in or with higher education institutions, with an understanding of academic environments, structures, and stakeholders; Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for varied audiences; Ability to present complex data or analyses in a clear, compelling, and accessible manner; Excellent facilitation and presentation skills, with experience leading meetings, workshops, or trainings; Proven ability to work efficiently, effectively, and proactively in fast-paced, deadline-driven, and virtual environments; Demonstrated success working in cross-function teams with a collaborative mindset