Assistant Director of College Access Systems

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has an immediate opening for an Assistant Director of College Access Systems. The Assistant Director of College Access Systems supports the Managing Director in administering and managing the operational systems that enable effective college access work across Illinois. Working under administrative supervision, this role directs the daily operations of the division's administrative and programmatic functions, including procurement, contracts, budgeting, HR coordination, vendor management, office operations, and implementation logistics for statewide initiatives. The Assistant Director supervises operational staff, ensures compliance with agency policies and procedures, and coordinates with internal and external partners to support statewide implementation. This position is part of the systems-leadership track and focuses on strengthening the infrastructure that supports practitioners and statewide service delivery—not on direct service to students and families. As a member of the division's leadership team, the Assistant Director collaborates closely with the Assistant Director of Training & Professional Practice, the Assistant Director of Community Engagement, the Assistant Director of Outreach (Systemic Outreach), and the Director of Outreach Operations to ensure unified, policy-aligned operational implementation across the division.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Manage procurement, contracts, budgeting, HR coordination, vendor management, office operations, and other administrative systems that support the division's work. Supervise the Budget & Contracts Manager and the Manager of Processes & Operations, ensuring cohesive, compliant, and timely execution of their work. Establish and maintain documentation, workflow design, and process consistency across the division. Serve as the escalation point for operational issues requiring coordination with HR, IT, Accounting, Procurement, Legal, and Communications. Interpret statewide policy decisions and agency direction into operational procedures, workflows, and communication for staff and partners. Prepare operational summaries, reports, and implementation materials for the Managing Director and Chief Service Officer. Support relationship management with school districts, community organizations, higher education institutions, and state agencies by ensuring operational alignment. Collaborate with the Director of Outreach Operations and other Assistant Directors to ensure unified, policy aligned operational implementation across the division. Identify gaps, risks, and opportunities for operational improvements and ensure staff implement solutions. Engage in ongoing professional development to strengthen leadership, project management, and operational management skills. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Acceptable Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree. A total of three (3) years (36 months) in education, training and/or work experience in administrative, operational, or program management roles within education, government, or nonprofit settings. (

Note:

Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year of work experience. Based on position requirements, additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position, may be required. Additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization: Minimum 3 years ' experience coordinating complex administrative processes, including procurement, contracting, budgeting, HR coordination, or similar operational functions. Minimum 3 years ' experience supervising professional staff or leading teams responsible for administrative or programmatic work. Minimum 3 years ' experience managing projects involving multiple stakeholders, timelines, or statewide/regional implementation.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience as an ISACorps member or comparable experience providing direct college access advising, FAFSA support, or postsecondary transition services to students and families. Experience working on postsecondary pathways initiatives that required coordination across multiple agencies, school districts, higher education institutions, or community-based organizations. Demonstrated understanding of statewide or regional implementation structures, including how policy, operations, and field-based work intersect. Experience supporting or leading multi-stakeholder projects where success depended on aligning timelines, expectations, and deliverables across different organizations. Experience developing or maintaining internal operational systems (documentation, workflows, procurement processes, onboarding, resource management) that support field staff or practitioner-facing teams. Experience in roles requiring strong collaboration with internal units such as HR, IT, Accounting, Procurement, Legal, or Communications.

Benefits:

ISAC offers an attractive benefits package including health, vision, and life insurance, State Employees' Retirement System, educational benefits, and more. 25 earned vacation days per year. 12 paid sick days. 13 paid holidays (14 paid holidays when there is a General Election Day) Tuition waiver at select public Illinois universities and tuition reimbursements for non-public Illinois universities.

Salary:

$115,200

Promotional Line:

None Work Type:

In-office Be part of our great mission helping Illinois students attend college! Visit us at www.isac.org. For consideration, please complete an application at https://recruiter.isac.org. The selected candidate will be required to pass a criminal background check. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the US. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment Visas at this time. ISAC does not discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person's race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.