Director of Academic Support and Advising

Engineering a world of possibilities

Colorado School of Mines is seeking a visionary and student-centered Director to lead the Center for Academic Services & Advising (CASA) at a pivotal moment in the institution’s evolution. This role offers a rare opportunity to guide a committed team through a thoughtful, collaborative redesign of the advising and academic support ecosystem. This redesign will modernize services, elevate student success metrics, and incorporate emerging technologies and data-driven practices across the undergraduate experience.

The Director will find success by bringing a blend of strong supervision, systems thinking, strategic leadership, and a deep commitment to students’ academic journeys. These skills will be essential in stewarding CASA’s current operations, engaging the campus community to examine and frame a new organizational structure, and ultimately leading the reimagined office once it is implemented.

This is a dynamic opportunity for a leader who thrives in environments of innovation and purposeful change. We are looking for a director motivated by collaboration, able to see the big picture, and energized by the opportunity to design structures that support Mines students for years to come. The director will lead institutionally and divisionally with ongoing commitments and collaborations with faculty and administrators across Mines.

While the director will serve as an architect and champion for future aspirations, they will also lead an existing team of professional advisors through the current commitments. Their leadership should prioritize the core commitments that define CASA today: maintaining high standards in four-year advising, ensuring alignment with faculty and academic departments, coordinating closely with Academic Affairs and the Registrar, and integrating early alert systems that support timely student intervention and progress. The Director also leads essential academic support functions while cultivating strong, collaborative relationships across campus to ensure consistent, clear, and student-centered practices. As the office evolves, these same strengths (strategic advisement leadership, academic support oversight, team management, data fluency, and institutional partnership) will guide the Director’s success through the transition and into the future structure of the reimagined office.

This is a full-time, 12-month exempt position eligible for a flexible work arrangement, inclusive of limited remote/hybrid work.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Lead the redesign and implementation of an integrated advising and academic support model
• Develop and execute strategies to enhance student success metrics (retention, progression, graduation)
• Apply systems thinking and data-driven decision-making to improve services

Operations & Team Leadership

• Provide supervision and leadership to a team of professional advisors and staff
• Oversee daily CASA operations, ensuring continuity and high-quality service delivery
• Manage departmental budget and resources effectively

Campus Collaboration & Partnership

• Partner with faculty, academic departments, Academic Affairs, and the Registrar
• Build strong institutional relationships to align advising practices across campus
• Collaborate with senior leadership and external stakeholders as needed

Advising & Academic Support Oversight

• Maintain excellence in four-year advising models and student support services
• Ensure effective early alert systems and timely student interventions
• Oversee academic support initiatives aligned with student needs

Minimum Qualifications

• At minimum, Master’s degree from an accredited institution
• 15+ years of progressive administrative experience in post-secondary education, including academic success, advising, retention, or student support
• 10+ years of demonstrated budget management responsibility
• 10+ years of experience leading and supervising professional staff in large and/or complex teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working at a STEM-focused college or university
• Experience in student services, advising, counseling, retention, or student development
• Senior leadership experience (Director level or higher) in higher education
• Familiarity with higher education technology (e.g., Slate, Banner, or similar platforms)
• Experience collaborating with senior administrators and external stakeholders
• Strong organizational, project management, communication, and leadership skills

Salary and Benefits 

Rate of $90,000.00 - $100,000.00 annual salary 

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees. 

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes:  

• Flexible health and dental care options 

• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus. 

• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution 

• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents) 

• Free RTD Ecopass 

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits. 

How to Apply 

Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status) 

• Upload a resume or CV 

• Upload a cover letter 

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made. 
 

Application review will begin April 13, 2026 at 12p.m. Mountain Time (updated on 4/6/26). This posting will remain open until filled and may close without notice. For best consideration, apply by April 13 at 11:59 a.m. as applications received after that date may not be reviewed.  

Additional Information and Reasonable Accommodation Requests
It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at hr@mines.edu or 303.273.3250 for assistance.

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for this position.

Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a talented student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequality or concerns for safety.

Colorado's premier engineering and applied science university for 150 years and counting