University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Assistant Director - Service Hub

Job Profile Title

Manager C, Student Services

Job Description Summary

Oversees core operations of a multi-function student services area, ensuring accessible and effective support for students. Manages workflow efficiency, sets short-term priorities, and leads a team of staff to deliver a positive student experience. Acts as a liaison with other departments to coordinate services and align with institutional standards.

Job Description

Job Description Summary

The Office of the Executive Vice President provides strategic leadership and oversight for the University's business, financial, operational, and administrative functions through nine divisions: Audit, Compliance and Privacy; Budget Planning and Analysis; Business Services; Facilities and Real Estate Services; Finance; Human Resources; Information Systems and Computing; Investments; and Public Safety. 

Student Registration and Financial Services (SRFS) is a critical department within the Finance organization and practices a service-forward approach to adapt to the increasing needs to the students and campus partners. The Assistant Director is responsible for a functional team embedded within the Service Hub of the SRFS organization. The team provides concierge-level partner support and in-house escalation capability for complex issues that require elevated access, authority, and functional expertise beyond the Service Hub Counselor scope. The Assistant Director is accountable for team readiness, consult coverage, specialist task execution, training of Service Hub Counselors, and quality reinforcement. This role balances two core imperatives: (1) rapid, accurate resolution for escalated issues and partner requests; and (2) systematic skill-building of Service Hub Counselors to reduce avoidable escalations and improve cross-functional knowledge over time.

The Assistant Director operates at the assigned functional team level and is accountable for daily execution, staff supervision, queue management, training delivery, and resolution of functional escalations within delegated authority. They will escalate issues that cross functional boundaries, exceed delegated authority, create significant compliance or service risk, or require broader resource reallocation to the Associate Director.

There are two available Assistant Director positions within the Service Hub. One position will focus on Registrar-related processes and team responsibilities, while the other will focus on Student Financial Aid-related processes and team responsibilities. Although each role has a primary functional focus, both Assistant Directors are expected to support the broader Service Hub model through cross-training, collaboration, and continued development of knowledge beyond their assigned functional area.

Job Responsibilities

Team Management:

• Provide day-to-day operational oversight for an assigned functional Service Hub team, including workload coordination, team readiness, consult coverage, and specialized task execution. Lead, manage, coach, and mentor assigned team members, including providing daily work direction, onboarding input, performance feedback, and formal performance reviews. Execute or oversee defined functional tasks requiring elevated authorization and/or system access that Service Hub Counselors are not permitted to perform. Coordinate team coverage to support same-day consult aspirations during business hours.

Escalation Point and Penn Partner Support:

• Serve as a primary escalation contact and liaison for schools, centers, community partners, and functional home offices within the assigned team’s scope. Ensure timely processing and resolution of partner-submitted tickets, feeders, and other assigned requests.

Compliance:

• Partner with the Compliance office for review support, trend identification, and controls reinforcement. Conduct spot reviews of team work for documentation, case handling, service quality, and compliance adherence. Maintain awareness of Title IV, FERPA, VA requirements, cash handling, records retention, and other relevant regulatory obligations applicable to assigned work.

Cross-Training Support:

• Provide consultative support and approvals for Service Hub Counselors while enabling them to retain case ownership when appropriate. Review, triage, prioritize, and resolve time-sensitive, high-risk, or high-impact escalations and partner requests. Train Service Hub Counselors in functional expertise through real-time coaching, targeted refreshers, job aids, consult coverage, and other training supports.

Functional Expertise:

• Attend partner meetings as needed and provide information regarding requirements, timelines, outstanding items, and resolution status. Attend functional home office trainings and communicate relevant updates to Service Hub staff.

Analysis and Workload Balance:

• Identify common escalation drivers and convert them into training content, job aids, documentation updates, or decision-support tools. Reinforce intake standards for required fields, documentation quality, case notes, and tracking practices. Manage workflow across shared functional queues, including monitoring case aging, complexity, risk indicators, and workload distribution.

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. 
• Experience in financial aid or registrar function in a higher education environment.
• Demonstrated ability to understand, apply, and remain compliant with current applicable federal, Title IV, state, and institutional requirements, including FERPA, to ensure work is completed accurately, ethically, and in compliance with established policies, procedures, and regulatory standards.
• Experience managing time-sensitive, high-risk, or high-impact issues with strong judgment and documentation skills.
• Strong organizational, analytical, interpersonal, and oral and written communication skills, with exceptional attention to detail.

Functional expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Financial Aid: award adjustments and exceptions; institutional methodology; professional judgment support; complex eligibility corrections; appeal determinations.
• Registrar/Records: Penn partner ticket submissions; registration overrides; complex records updates; policy-bound exceptions (where permitted). 
• Bursar: Outside scholarships process; third-party billing research; account adjustments within authority; complex reconciliation. 
• Veterans: VA certifications, invoicing, and corrections; complex benefits-related resolution.

Preferred:

• Experience supervising, coaching, or providing functional leadership to staff or colleagues. 
• Excellent customer service skills

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Division of Finance

Pay Range

$67,155.00 - $77,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay