Senior Lead of Admissions Operations

Senior Lead of Admissions Operations

Position Information

Position Title: Senior Lead of Admissions Operations
Department: GSE Office of Graduate Admissions
Posting Link:
Job Type: Full-Time

Posting Detail Information

Position Summary

The Senior Lead of Admissions Operations provides independent leadership for the operational, technical, and compliance functions of the Graduate School of Education ( GSE ) Office of Graduate Admission, reporting to the Director of Enrollment Operations and Student Services. This position serves as the offices primary administrator of Slate, the Customer Relationship Management ( CRM ) system through which thousands of applications are processed each year, and exercises independent judgment in the design, configuration, and ongoing management of the backend operations on which the entire admissions function depends. The Senior Lead independently administers the New York State residency determination process for more than 600 newly admitted students annually, formally supervises front-line operations staff, and leads the annual audit and reconstruction of the offices application and operations data.

The role remains actively student-facing: the Senior Lead answers incoming calls and inquiries, provides preliminary advisement to prospective and admitted students, and offers guidance on program selection - applying a working knowledge of GSEs graduate offerings that distinguishes substantive advisement from routine information referral. Through collaboration with the Assistant Dean, Director, admissions staff, GSE faculty and departments, and the centralized Graduate Enrollment Services unit, the Senior Lead ensures that accurate, efficient, and high-quality service is delivered across all GSE graduate programs.

Key Responsibilities

Slate System Administration & Project Management
Serves as the GSE administrator for Slate, independently designing, building, testing, and maintaining the application forms, queries, reports, communications, decision workflows, and backend configurations that support application processing across all GSE graduate programs.

• Leads multi-step technical projects to expand and improve system functionality - scoping requirements, sequencing work, and implementing changes across the admissions cycle without day-to-day supervision.
• Leads the annual audit, cleanup, and reconstruction of application and operations data, identifying and resolving data-integrity issues that, left unaddressed, would compromise the processing of thousands of application records.
• Diagnoses and resolves system errors and processing failures in a mission-critical environment, exercising independent judgment to determine root cause and corrective action.
• Translates the operational needs of faculty and academic departments into Slate workflow and configuration changes, advising on feasibility and recommending solutions that govern the flow of applications through faculty review and decision-making.

New York State Residency Determination

• Independently administers the NYS residency determination process for more than 600 newly admitted students each year - reviewing documentation, applying SUNY and New York State residency policy, and rendering determinations that carry direct tuition, financial, and compliance consequences for both the student and the University.
• Interprets and applies evolving residency regulations, resolves complex and ambiguous cases, and maintains documentation sufficient to withstand audit.
• Serves as the offices subject-matter expert on residency policy, advising staff, students, and academic departments.

Supervision & Staff Leadership

• Serves as the formal supervisor of a front-line clerical staff member and student employees - setting priorities, assigning and directing work, training, evaluating performance, and providing ongoing mentorship.
• Delegates and oversees the front-line service functions (inquiry management, telephone coverage, mail processing) handled by supervised staff, intervening directly on escalated or non-routine matters.
• Trains admissions and operations staff on operational protocols, system procedures, and process changes.

Collaboration, Service & Communications

• Works with admissions staff, communications staff, and GSE faculty to ensure admissions and admissions-related information is accurate, consistent, and transparent across all communication platforms.
• Works alongside other GSE staff to respond to and manage the offices central email accounts and communication channels, ensuring inquiries are resolved or routed appropriately and that students receive timely, accurate information; personally manages complex and higher-level inquiries.
• Maintains current expertise in admissions policy and CRM functionality; attends and contributes to training sessions and staff meetings.
• Serves as a general member of the admissions team, supporting application review and recruitment initiatives and events, which may occasionally require work outside regular business hours and limited travel.
• Performs other operational and administrative duties as assigned.

The Office of Graduate Admission seeks to meet and/or exceed specified enrollment goals by identifying, recruiting, and yielding the highest quality students whose personal, professional, and academic goals align with the core purpose of the Graduate School of Education-to inform and prepare a profession to positively shape human development, education, and the information environment in local, national, and global contexts.

About the Graduate School of Education
The Graduate School of Education is a community of researchers, learners and professionals focused on big ideas and actions that result in state-of-the-art solutions to the most pressing education problems facing our world today. Our faculty and students form innovative collaborations and are engaged in research resulting in the discovery of new and cutting-edge learning experiences that move education forward. Their efforts are making an extraordinary impact in Buffalo and beyond. Our community embraces the need for change inside and outside our walls, securing our position as bold change-agents in education.

• One of 13 schools at the University at Buffalo (a Research 1 member of the AAU ), the Graduate School of Education is comprised of four departments offering eighty-five graduate programs, twenty-two advanced certificates, four undergraduate minors, one combined degree program featuring fourteen disciplines and seven centers and institutes.
• We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, just and equitable community of faculty, students, staff and administrators where all feel welcomed, included, supported and empowered. Cultivating such an environment is essential to our roles as educators, scholars and leaders within our professions and communities.
• Our award-winning faculty are engaged in groundbreaking research in a wide range of educational issues. Since 1931, over 20,000 students have graduated and moved on to successful careers as university presidents and administrators, principals, superintendents, psychologists, counselors, information specialists, librarians, teachers, faculty and outstanding researchers all around the world.

Learn more:

• Our benefits , where we prioritize your well-being and success to enhance every aspect of your life.
• Being a part of the University at Buffalo community.

University at Buffalo is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and, in keeping with our commitment, welcomes all to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree
• 2 years relevant work experience
• Ability to quickly learn and use University and external technology, including but not limited to Slate and Adobe CMS .
• Outstanding oral, written and presentation skills, team and collaboration skills, and able to work with a variety of stakeholders, including faculty, staff and College leadership.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, justice, and inclusion, with a demonstrated understanding of working with under-represented and historically marginalized populations.
• Strong project management skills, ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and meet strict deadlines.
• Business acumen, ethical behavior, problem-solving with minimal direction, ability to deliver high quality work in a timely manner.
• Proven hands-on, functional proficiency in CRM administration including but not limited to management, programming, coding, querying, and analyzing information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in relevant disciplines like higher education administration, marketing or communications.
• Proven hands-on administrative expertise in Slate or equivalent CRM tool for higher education.

Physical Demands

Salary Range
$57,151 - $63,000

Special Instructions Summary

Is a background check required for this posting?
No

Contact Information

Contact's Name: Ryan Taughrin
Contact's Pronouns:
Contact's Title: Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management
Contact's Email: [email protected]
Contact's Phone: 716-645-2110

Posting Dates

Posted: 06/15/2026
Deadline for Applicants:
Date to be filled: 07/16/2026

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