Position Summary Information
Primary Purpose
The Student Support Specialist is responsible for managing and servicing undergraduate Degree Completion students, graduate students, credential-only students, and affiliated student pathways within Benerd College. This role provides proactive coaching, retention-focused outreach, enrollment support, and operational student services assistance to ensure students progress efficiently through their programs and receive a consistent, high-quality student experience.
In addition, this position provides direct operational support to the Assistant Director of Student Services by managing recurring workflows, student communications, enrollment and registration processes, tracking systems, and coordination efforts that support undergraduate, graduate, and credential student populations. This position collaborates closely with the Credential Analyst and Fieldwork Coordinator to ensure coordinated student support, accurate tracking, and timely communication across all assigned student populations.
This position does require monthly weekend attendance on Friday evenings and Saturdays.
This position will report to the Assistant Director of Student Services, with dotted line reporting to the Program Lead for Degree Completion programs.
Essential Functions
Primary Student Population Ownership (Undergraduate, Graduate & Credential Students)
- Serve as a primary point of contact for Degree Completion, graduate, and credential-only students from entry through program completion.
- Maintain case management processes, including tracking student needs, follow-up actions, referrals, and issue resolution.
- Provide proactive support to students navigating program requirements, enrollment processes, registration, and university policies.
Enrollment-to-Onboarding Support
- Coordinate applicant-to-enrolled support for Degree Completion, graduate, and credential-only programs, including outreach, follow-up, and collaboration with Admissions and campus partners.
- Manage onboarding readiness communications and completion tracking, ensuring students complete required documentation, compliance requirements, and enrollment steps.
- Support new student orientations and onboarding activities for assigned student populations.
Registration & Student Services Operations
- Support and troubleshoot registration and student services needs for undergraduate, graduate, and credential students, coordinating resolution with appropriate university offices.
- Guide students through registration planning, program progression, and term-to-term enrollment expectations.
- Conduct periodic DegreeWorks and student record reviews and communicate gaps, outstanding requirements, and action steps to students.
- Proactively monitor student enrollment status and assist with term registration completion.
Support to the Assistant Director (Student Services Operations & Outreach Lead)
- Own outreach and enrollment follow-up efforts for Degree Completion, graduate, and credential programs, including responding to inquiries, cultivating prospective student relationships, tracking applications, and facilitating progression from inquiry to enrollment.
- Coordinate and execute recruitment, outreach, orientation, and yield activities (virtual and in-person), including scheduling, logistics, materials preparation, attendance tracking, and follow-up communications.
- Partner on marketing and outreach initiatives by coordinating with marketing and leadership teams on campaign implementation, communications, and recruitment strategies.
- Support the Assistant Director by managing day-to-day student services operations across undergraduate, graduate, and credential populations, including registration troubleshooting, course sequencing support, onboarding tracking, enrollment verification, and recurring student communications.
- Maintain systems and reporting that support effective student services operations, including electronic records, tracking systems, reports, and identification of trends or barriers impacting student success.
Other
- Other duties as assigned.
University of the Pacific recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion is foundational to the success of our valued students and employees. We prioritize policy and decision-making that demonstrates awareness of, and responsiveness to, the ways socio-cultural forces related to race, gender, ability, sexuality, socio-economic status, etc. impede or propel students, faculty, and staff.
Minimum Qualifications
- Some college coursework completed or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
- Three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible administrative, student services, customer service, enrollment operations, academic support, or related professional experience.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain accurate records, meet deadlines, and provide high-quality customer service.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate professionally with students, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders.
- Experience coordinating complex processes, tracking multiple workflows, and following issues through resolution.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Experience in higher education, student services, enrollment management, academic support, advising, or related fields.
- Experience supporting adult learners, graduate students, credential candidates, and/or Degree Completion student populations.
- Demonstrated experience with outreach, recruitment support, event coordination, or proactive follow-up workflows.
- Experience with student information systems and tracking/reporting tools (e.g., DegreeWorks, Banner, Argos, OnBase, Salesforce, or similar).
- Strong written communication skills and ability to produce clear, student-facing guidance.
- Demonstrated ability to improve processes, identify operational efficiencies, and manage accurate records.
- Experience with graduate admissions, onboarding, enrollment management, retention initiatives, or student success programming.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative but not definitive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
This is an in-person role, and the successful candidate must be willing to relocate within California, preferably within 25 miles of the Stockton Pacific campus.
Requires extended periods of sitting and repetitive hand/wrist motion while using computer keyboard and phone. Occasional standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping and reaching. Frequent verbal and written communication. Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.
Work Environment/Work Week/Travel:
Most work performed during standard business hours; however, some evening and weekend coverage, when assigned programs are on campus.
Hiring Range
$20.16 - $26.70 per hour. We consider factors such as, but not limited to, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, internal equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
Background Check Statement
All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment are required to execute a release and authorization for a background screening.
AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: University of the Pacific complies with California Assembly Bill 810, requiring candidates accepting conditional job offers to disclose any final administrative or judicial findings, ongoing proceedings, allegations, resignations under investigation, or appeals related to sexual harassment or misconduct within the past seven years.
Anti-Discrimination/EEO Policy Statement
University of the Pacific is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity across backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Pacific does not unlawfully discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or mental or physical disability, or other legally protected characteristics or combination of such characteristics. While we strive to attract a broad and representative pool of candidates, all hiring decisions are made based on merit, selecting the most qualified individual for each position.
