Registrar, Director of Academic Records

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Design, implement, and oversee all registrar functions at Meritus College.

• Build and lead the Office of the Registrar.

• Draft, promote, and guide registrar policies through governance.

• Establish and maintain the Academic Catalog, which includes content architecture, approval workflows, version control, publication cycles, and archiving.

• Develop registrar service infrastructure, including intake and case management, service-level standards, escalation paths, and self-service documentation.

• Define academic authority, documentation requirements, and audit trails.

• Lead the definition of SIS requirements, configuration, academic structure setup, and lifecycle governance in collaboration with IT.

• Create the student-record data dictionary and implement data integrity controls.

• Certify the accuracy of official institutional data.

• Establish records custody, retention, destruction schedules, disaster recovery plans, and teach-out strategies.

• Set and publish the academic calendar.

• Support the enrollment lifecycle, which encompasses registration, add/drop, withdrawal, leave, reinstatement, program changes, and enrollment verification.

• Build and manage the degree audit process; resolve exceptions and substitutions; certify candidates for degree conferral.

• Design the credential issuance process, including diplomas, digital credentials, transcripts, secure delivery, and degree verification.

• Establish criteria for transfer credit and prior learning evaluations, articulation, awarding limits, residency requirements, posting, and appeals.

• Produce registrar contributions for accreditation and maintain evidence files.

• Oversee registrar-related state authorization obligations and reporting.

• Define cohorts and metrics for institutional effectiveness reporting.

• Train faculty, coaches, admissions, and student services on records obligations, FERPA compliance, deadlines, and grading practices.

⛳️ Requirements

• Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in a registrar’s office, academic records, or academic operations functions in higher education, including a minimum of three years at the associate registrar level or higher.

• Proven ownership of core registrar systems and processes, having personally led at least one significant build or rebuild, such as an SIS implementation or migration, a degree audit construction, a catalog or curriculum-of-record system, or a transcript and credentialing redesign.

• A demonstrated history of writing academic policy and navigating it through institutional governance.

• Direct involvement in self-study, evidence preparation, site visits, substantive change filings, or annual reporting.

• In-depth knowledge of FERPA, including practical judgment in ambiguous disclosure situations.

• Expertise in student information systems, including requirements definition, configuration decisions, understanding of the underlying data model, structural troubleshooting, and vendor accountability.

• Familiarity with federal and state regulatory requirements affecting academic records, Title IV eligibility criteria, state authorization and reciprocity obligations, as well as IPEDS and Clearinghouse reporting.

• Ability to define metrics clearly, analyze data for integrity issues, generate accurate reports, and explain discrepancies.

• Candidates must reside within the 50 states or the District of Columbia and possess full authorization to work in these areas.

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.; Merit America does not provide employment visa sponsorship.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance with 100% Paid Employee-Only Coverage.

• Flexible Spending Account and Health Savings Account options.

• Dependent care Flexible Spending Account.

• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Merit.

• Reimbursement for education and personal development.

• Access to a catalog of courses for professional learning and development.

• Short and long-term disability coverage.

• Flexible PTO available after a 90-day introductory period.

• Paid Parental Leave and Adoption benefits available after 1 year of employment.

• 11 federally recognized holidays.

• A 2-week holiday office closure in December/January.

• 401(k) retirement plan with automatic contributions from Merit.

• Wellness Benefits and Resources.

• Employee discount perks program.

• Stipend for phone/technology expenses.

• Stipend for home office setup.

• Opportunities for community building through affinity groups and virtual, in-person, and/or regional meetups.