How to hire an academic support director

How to hire an academic support director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step academic support director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an academic support director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new academic support director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an academic support director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An academic support director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, academic support directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of academic support directors.

   Type of Academic Support Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Academic Support Director	Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, student life, or the office of the registrar.	$17-58
   Dean	A dean is responsible for overseeing the educational operations of the assigned department, enforcing school policies, and monitoring the students' progress by coordinating with the teachers and setting up procedures to improve teaching methods. Deans administer educational training and programs for the students, as well as extra-curricular activities to develop the students' social behavior, maximize their potentials, and increase their self-confidence... Show more	$23-72
   Registrar	A registrar's role is to process and maintain accurate records within an institution or establishment. They are the main point of communication to obtain various kinds of information... Show more	$13-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Exam
   • Academic Support
   • Professional Development
   • Study

   Responsibilities:

   • Attend class sessions, orientations, open house, and other campus activities to promote the ASC.
   • Handle high volume inbound and outbound calls to students who are attending any workshops or group study sessions.
   • Cultivate and maintain relationships with colleges and universities across the global through print, electronic and person-to-person communications.
   • Attend on and off campus meetings/events with other SGA members, the president and the board of trustees.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your academic support director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An academic support director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, academic support directors' average salary in florida is 52% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level academic support directors 70% less than senior-level academic support directors.
   • Certifications. An academic support director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an academic support director's salary.

   Average academic support director salary

   $66,929yearly

   $32.18 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level academic support director salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

4. Writing an academic support director job description

   An academic support director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an academic support director job description:

   Academic support director job description example

   We are seeking an individual to provide instruction, development and coordination of UKCSD Academic Clinic, service to the college and professional development activities under the supervision of the Director of the Academic Clinic. Specific instruction activities will include coordinating diagnostic experiences for first- and second-year graduate students at multiple sites along with the daily activities of 1st year graduate students and faculty for clinical experiences. Individual will meet with students to develop clinical treatment, lesson plans, SOAP notes, and progress reports. Individual will participate in documenting competency progression with clinical skills. Individual will also serve as clinical instructor for clinical courses and undergraduate instruction as needed. Specific service activity will include supporting development of new clinical initiatives and serve as administrator of the ASHA Continuing Education Unit Program. Professional development activity is expected in accordance with licensure and practice.
   
   The University of Kentucky considers the health, safety and well-being of our entire community to be a top priority. In alignment with this priority, all new hires must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption as a condition of employment. For areas that fall under the federal CMS mandate, start of employment cannot occur until two weeks after receiving the full COVID-19 vaccination series or upon obtaining an approved exemption. Only vaccines approved by the World Health Organization can be accepted.
   Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
   
   Experience as clinical instructor, clinical administrator.
   
   Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? Yes Preferred Education/Experience Deadline to Apply 11/03/2022 University Community of Inclusion
   
   The University of Kentucky is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring all our students, faculty, and staff work in an environment of openness and acceptance. We strive to foster a community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives can feel secure and welcome. We also value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.
   
   As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we strongly encourage veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and all minorities to consider our employment opportunities.
   
   Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find academic support directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any academic support directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level academic support directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find academic support director candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting academic support directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new academic support director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the academic support director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new academic support director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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