Student Affairs Officer III
- Lexington, KY
- $43,805-70,075 per year
- Permanent
- Full-time
ShiftMonday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm; evenings and weekends as needed
Job SummaryThe Student Affairs Officer III (Senior Admissions Officer) plays a key role in supporting the College of Social Work's mission by serving as a functional leader across the full graduate admissions' lifecycle. This position is responsible for managing communications and workflows for students after an admissions decision has been rendered, coordinating with the Graduate School on final admission processing, and supporting newly admitted students as they transition to enrollment.In addition to leading post-decision engagement and onboarding, this role provides functional leadership within the admissions office. The SAO III supports Admissions Officers in interpreting admissions policies, troubleshooting complex application scenarios, and responding to escalated cases when the Director of Admissions is unavailable. This position also manages communication and tracking for post-baccalaureate and UK Accelerated Masters Pathways (AMP) students completing coursework with the intent of future admission to a graduate program in the CoSW.The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, student-focused, and highly organized, with the ability to navigate complex institutional systems and policies. They must demonstrate strong communication skills, sound judgment, and a proactive approach to solving problems. While this position does not supervise staff, it plays a critical leadership role in ensuring consistency, transparency, and quality across admissions operations.Internal Employee Being ConsideredSkills / Knowledge / Abilities
- Student engagement and customer service orientation
- Process improvement and critical thinking
- Initiative and independent judgment
- Collaboration across teams and departments
- Technical fluency and systems troubleshooting
- Writing and communication for all CoSW audiences
- Time management and multitasking in a fast-paced environment
Preferred Education/Experience
- Master's degree from an accredited institution
- At least three years of professional experience in higher education within student services, admissions, or a related field
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage complex workflows
- Proficiency with student information systems (e.g., Slate, myUK, Salesforce, or similar)
- Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and data accuracy
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proven ability to interpret and apply institutional or academic policies
- Commitment to high-quality student service
- Experience supporting graduate-level admissions or onboarding processes
- Familiarity with University of Kentucky systems (myUK, SAP, Grad School workflows)
- Experience managing communication campaigns or onboarding content for newly admitted students
- Exposure to handling escalated student issues or coordinating between multiple departments
- Experience tracking or supporting students in post-baccalaureate or conditional admission statuses
- Prior experience serving in a functional leadership capacity without formal supervision duties