Campus Director Role Overview

Excelon Associates is conducting a confidential search for an experienced Campus Director to lead the day-to-day operations of a career-focused educational institution in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The Campus Director oversees all aspects of campus management, ensuring operational excellence, student success, and compliance with accreditor, state, and federal requirements.

This position requires a strategic, hands-on leader who can effectively balance academic quality, staff engagement, and business performance. Career college campuses in California operate under U.S. Department of Education Title IV requirements, state authorization rules, and the standards set by accreditors recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The role maps to the postsecondary education administrator profile.

Key Responsibilities

Campus Leadership and Operations

• Provide leadership and oversight for all campus functions, including admissions, academics, student services, career services, registrar, and business operations.
• Develop and implement strategies to achieve institutional goals for enrollment, retention, placement, and financial performance.
• Create and maintain a safe, student-centered learning environment.
• Establish and manage campus budgets, forecasts, and operational plans to meet or exceed performance expectations.
• Ensure full compliance with institutional policies, accreditor standards, and all state and federal regulations.
• Recruit, train, and evaluate staff while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Academic and Student Success

• Monitor classroom instruction and educational outcomes to ensure program quality and instructor adherence to approved curriculum standards.
• Support faculty development and ensure consistent academic delivery across all programs.
• Oversee student engagement, attendance, and academic progress, and provide guidance and support for at-risk students.
• Participate in key student events such as orientations, graduations, and extracurricular activities to maintain strong campus visibility and engagement.

Operational Oversight

• Lead regular campus meetings and contribute to organizational discussions at the regional or national level.
• Oversee data management systems to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance in reporting.
• Monitor financial processes including collections, loan counseling, and student account management.
• Partner with admissions and marketing teams to align recruitment activities with institutional goals and capacity.
• Review operational metrics regularly, including retention, placement, and enrollment data, to ensure alignment with campus objectives.

Compliance and Accountability

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of accreditor, state, and federal compliance requirements and ensure adherence across all departments.
• Support audit and inspection readiness and lead the campus in implementing corrective actions where needed.
• Represent the institution with professionalism in all interactions with students, regulators, and community partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of progressive management experience in higher education or a similar operational environment.
• Proven ability to manage complex operations with multiple departments and cost centers.
• Strong understanding of P&L management, accreditation standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience overseeing admissions or enrollment operations preferred.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and campus management systems.
• Willingness to travel periodically and work occasional evenings or weekends as needed.

Who Thrives as a Campus Director

The strongest Campus Directors run the position like a general manager with an academic mission attached. They own the operational metrics, enrollment, retention, placement, and financial performance, and connect those numbers back to instruction quality and student support, because that is where a career college earns its reputation. Comfort with P&L management and multiple cost centers is essential.

Candidates who do well here own compliance rather than delegate it. Familiarity with Title IV processes, accreditor standards, and state authorization turns audits and inspections into routine operating discipline. Building a team matters just as much: recruiting and developing staff, setting clear expectations, and sustaining a culture of collaboration and accountability so the student experience stays consistent.

This is a hands-on, mission-driven leadership post. The work spans budgets, people, students, and regulators in the same week, and the people who enjoy it bring operational discipline, leadership presence, and a real passion for academic excellence to all of it.

About Excelon Associates

Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm founded in 2007, headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida. The firm recruits leadership and specialized talent across higher education, healthcare, financial services, and government.

This Campus Director role is a confidential search conducted by Excelon Associates, with a recruiter as the single point of contact through screening, interviews, and offer. You can explore the firm’s higher education recruitment practice, browse current open roles, or review recent campaigns to see the kinds of searches Excelon runs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Apply for This Campus Director Role

Excelon does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, marital or veteran status, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.