Learner Affairs Specialist

Nexford University (NXU) is seeking Learner Affairs Specialists (LAS) who will serve a critical advising and support role in promoting learner success. LASs are learners' primary sources of information about Nexford’s academic programs, and about university policies and procedures.  LASs help learners understand their rights and obligations as members of Nexford’s learning community and assist them in overcoming obstacles to their success. LASs are responsible for providing highly engaged, learner-centered support to a caseload of undergraduate and/or graduate learners who are assigned to them as their advisees, as well as to all Nexford learners (on an as-available basis). The position requires significant contact via email, instant messaging, live video, and other forms of communication.

Reporting to the Learner Success Manager (LSM), LASs are expected to take a deep personal interest in learners’ academic progress and to demonstrate a strong commitment to learner success. To fulfill their duties, LASs must be thoroughly versed in the details of Nexford’s academic programs, policies and procedures, and be able to answer or obtain answers to any questions learners may pose.

Key Responsibilities:

•  Forming productive advising relationships with assigned advisees
• Mentoring Nexford learners
• Helping learners remain engaged in, and successfully complete, their academic programs
• Providing direct, comprehensive program guidance to learners
• Monitoring learners' academic progress and intervening as appropriate
• Providing exceptional customer service by responding to learner communications within established timeframes
• Helping learners to resolve any misunderstandings or confusions that might arise in the course of their studies 

Competencies

• Innovative, constructive-critical thinking
• Team-playing, collaboration
• Progressive attitude, growth mindset
• Effective communication
• Detail and quality-oriented
• Problem solving
• Able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Capacity for independent work 

The ideal candidate:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• 2 years of related professional experience
• 1 year experience in higher education, either in a teaching, advising or admin role
• Higher education teaching and/or curricular experience is a plus
• Strong customer service orientation and exceptional communication skills (written and spoken)
• Technological proficiency, (Microsoft Office skills a plus)
• Prior personal experience with online education (as a provider and/or a learner) highly desired
• Ability to spend significant time working at a computer and on the telephone
• Very strong organizational skills
• Very strong collaboration skills, ability to work as a member of a team
• Willing to work on shifting schedules including weekends (on a quarterly basis)

A successful candidate must also be comfortable working in a multinational startup environment that is very different from both traditional universities, and other online universities, and that will also be evolving over time. 

About Nexford University

Nexford University is a next-generation university based in Washington DC that operates with a course-based competency learning model. Nexford’s mission is to enable greater social and economic mobility by providing an affordable high-quality education that will positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world.

Nexford offers the following degrees and certificates: Associate of Applied Science in Business (AAS), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and Master of Business Administration (MBA), as well as nine undergraduate certificates and three graduate certificates in the field of business. Nexford provides learners with a fully online global education based on the mastering of competencies that are relevant in the workplace. Nexford supports learners and promotes their professional success through the innovative use of technologies such as AI and machine learning, as well as by providing them with the services of a global team of faculty and advisors.

For more information, visit www.nexford.org.