Associate Director, AccessibleNU

Department: AccessibleNU
Salary/Grade: EXS/9

About AccessibleNU: AccessibleNU (ANU) is responsible for the academic and on-campus housing accommodation determination and coordination process for students with disabilities. Northwestern University recognizes disability as an essential aspect of our campus, and as such, we actively collaborate with faculty, staff, and students to achieve access goals.

Mission: AccessibleNU supports and empowers students with disabilities by collaborating with the Northwestern community to ensure full participation in the academic learning environment.

Job Summary:
The Associate Director co-leads academic and housing accommodation processes for AccessibleNU across Evanston and Chicago campuses. Serving as a unit lead and disability accommodation expert, this role oversees service planning, administration, and evaluation; supervises staff; and meets with students to determine reasonable accommodations in compliance with ADA, Section 504/508, FHA, and WCAG standards. The position drives process improvement for efficiency and consistency, supports all student populations, and exercises independent decision-making, with guidance provided for complex cases. Reports to the Associate Dean of Students/Director of ANU/Director of Testing Services under the Dean of Students Office in the Division of Student Affairs

Pay Range: The salary range for the Associate Director of AccessibleNU position is $95,000 to $100,000, depending on experience, skills, and internal equity.

Principal Accountabilities:

• Leads, hires, onboards, develops, and supervises a team of remote and hybrid staff.
• Oversees daily ANU accommodation management, operations, and processes including:
  • Conducts timely and thorough interactive process to ensure equitable access including student meetings, faculty and staff meetings, appeal meetings, medical and supplemental documentation analysis, and reasonable accommodation determination for students.
  • Maintains a caseload of students, as needed.
  • Consults with faculty and academic leaders to assess and advise on program-specific technical and practical requirements and fundamental alteration analysis.
  • Coordinates Deaf and hard of hearing services, assistive technology, document conversion, peer notetaking, and adaptive furniture accommodations.
  • Active oversight and updates of caseload and workload distribution.
  • Ensures quality and consistency of student meetings, case notes, data entry, and data output through regular observations, student file review, and database review.
  • Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of the accommodation data management system and implements database procedural updates accordingly.
  • Coordinates and leads meetings and case review meetings, ensuring staff support, consistency, and reasonable accommodation determination outcomes.
  • Lead accommodation and database policy and procedure development and updates.
• Assists and serves as back-up to the Associate Dean of Students with overall ANU program management.
• Leads and implement strategic planning goals, objectives, and assessments.
• Provides consultations, information meetings, presentations, trainings, outreach events, committee work, and programming for NU constituents with respect to disability accommodation processes, definitions, perspectives, implications, applications of professional research, and local, state, and federal laws.
• Performs back-up functions such as front desk duties and test proctoring.
• Provides in-person support and representation at Division and Dean of Students office functions, including events, meetings, celebrations, commencement, etc.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Master's degree in higher education, counseling, social work, psychology, or related field.
• 5+ years of disability services experience in higher education.
• Proven leadership and team supervision in complex settings.
• Expertise in ADAAA, Sections 504/508, FHA, and applying these laws to academic, clinical, and housing accommodations.
• Ability to interpret medical and psychoeducational documentation (e.g., WAIS, Woodcock-Johnson, DSM-V).
• Knowledge of assistive technologies for academic environments.
• Experience creating and delivering campus trainings and presentations.
• Strong communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving, negotiation, and time management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success in leading and managing teams in remote or hybrid work environments.
• Familiarity with AIM or similar disability services case management systems.
• Understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and their application in higher education.

Working Conditions: This is a hybrid position with requirements to be on-campus approximately 5 times per month for meetings, presentations, events, and accommodation coordination. Office share for on-campus days. May require limited evening and weekend availability.

Benefits: At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness: Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth and Development: Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

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