Director of Admissions Operations

Job Description

Office of Admissions

Annual Salary Range for Program Director II: $176,169 - $234,887

Annual Salary Range for Program Director III: $193,783 - $258,375

FLSA Exempt / Non-Union Represented

This position allows for up to four days of remote work per week

Summary
The Director of Admissions Operations provides strategic leadership and executive oversight for the Office of Admissions, including Exam Administration, Grading, Educational Standards, Moral Character, Eligibility, Special Admissions, and Testing Accommodations. Along with the Director of Exam Development and the Chief of Admissions, the Director of Admissions Operations is responsible for leading the Office of Admissions.

This role ensures all operations are conducted with integrity, fairness, and efficiency, in alignment with the policies and strategic objectives of the State Bar, the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE), and applicable laws and rules. The selected candidate will take the lead in developing operational recommendations and innovations across all admissions functions (except exam development), using research, best practices, and data-driven analysis to enhance efficiency, equity, and applicant experience. The ideal candidate brings experience managing both in-person and remote exam administration and is skilled in navigating the operational, logistical, and compliance challenges unique to each admissions function.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Oversight

• Develop and implement strategic goals and operational plans across all units of the Office of Admissions, in coordination with the Director of Exam Development and the Chief of Admissions.
• Lead initiatives to evaluate and apply emerging trends, research, and best practices in legal education, high-stakes exams, and admissions operations to inform policy, procedures, and process improvements.
• Advise Executive Leadership, the Committee of Bar Examiners, Board of Trustees, and the California Supreme Court through regular reports and presentations.
• Represent the Office of Admissions in high-level meetings, offering expert guidance on operational risks, innovations, and policy impacts.
• Review and recommend updates to admissions, exam, and law school oversight laws and rules to ensure alignment with evolving modalities and standards.
• Lead and advise directors, managers, and supervisors within Admissions Operations in the effective and accurate operation of their teams.
• Promote an organizational culture focused on integrity, excellence, investing in our people, respect, clarity, equity, and growth mindset/continuous improvement.

Admissions Operations Management

• Through Admissions' directors, managers, and supervisors, oversee processing and review of applicant eligibility, registration, and special admissions programs (e.g., Multijurisdictional Practice Program, Foreign Legal Consultant Program, Provisional Licensure).
• Through Admissions' directors, managers, and supervisors, manage the Testing Accommodations unit to ensure applicants with disabilities receive accommodations necessary to provide equal access to exams.
• Through Admissions' directors, managers, and supervisors, direct the Moral Character Determinations unit, ensuring timely, consistent, and fair application of rules and standards.
• Through Admissions' directors, managers, and supervisors, oversee the Administration and Examinations unit, including exam administration, grading, and result dissemination.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules, and policies, including Chapter 6 Rules (conduct violations at exams), rules and guidelines for accredited and unaccredited law schools.

Exam Administration & Grading

• Lead the planning, logistics, and secure administration of all exams using the appropriately delivery modality-in-person, remote, and hybrid.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training, and evaluation of graders and Examination Development & Grading (EDG) leadership.
• Collaborate with psychometricians to ensure grading processes are accurate, consistent, and aligned with scoring standards.
• Identify and implement innovations in operational and grading workflows to improve accuracy, efficiency, and transparency.
• Serve as a primary liaison for grading-related inquiries and reconsideration requests.

Educational Standards & Law School Oversight

• Direct the Educational Standards unit in overseeing law schools in California, including accreditation and registration of schools, inspections, reporting requirements, and engagement initiatives to ensure a free flow of information and ideas.
• Oversee the work of the Committee of State Bar Accredited and Registered Schools (CSBARS) and the Law School Council (LSC), including setting of meaningful agendas and collaborating with these entities to share and receive information.
• Ensure law school oversight activities support high-quality legal education, compliance with laws and rules, and organizational objectives.

Moral Character Determinations

• Oversee processing and investigation of moral character applications for all applicants, ensuring timely, consistent, and fair determinations.
• Manage the supervision of the staff team in making determinations, conducting additional investigations, and referring complex matters for committee review.
• Ensure applicants are informed of processes, decisions, and appeals options and support staff in managing informal conferences and compliance with committee protocols.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Assume shared leadership for applicant communications and engagement strategies to enhance clarity, transparency, and trust across all admissions units.
• Deliver presentations and reports to governing committees, boards, and members of the public on operational, policy, and accreditation matters.
• Collaborate across the State Bar to align admissions operations with broader organizational goals and improve the applicant experience.

Financial & Operational Oversight

• Oversee an annual admissions budget exceeding $27 million, ensuring effective fiscal planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Manage contracts, vendor relationships, and procurement processes for examination sites, services, and special programs.
• Research, test, and implement operational models and process improvements relating to exam administration, moral character determinations, special admissions programs, and law school oversight to ensure sustainability, efficiency, equity, and compliance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience overseeing both in-person and remote exam administration and admissions operations, with the ability to anticipate and respond to modality-specific challenges.
• Proven experience negotiating, managing, and evaluating vendor contracts and service-level agreements.
• Strong record of delivering oral and written presentations governing committees, boards, or other oversight bodies.
• Experience communicating complex operational or policy issues to external stakeholders and members of the public in a clear, professional, and responsive manner.
• Familiarity with accreditation standards, psychometric principles, or legal education regulations.
• Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizational practices and team composition.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing operational recommendations, process improvements, and strategic initiatives across multiple units.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties, or equivalent academic achievement.
• Master's degree is preferred and may substitute for up to two years of experience.

Experience:

• Minimum eight (8) years' progressively responsible experience in related program administration.
• Minimum four (4) years' senior management/supervisory experience in administering personnel and budget requirements.

License, Certificate, Registration Requirements:

• Juris Doctorate and/or special Qualifications including specialized knowledge, abilities, education, experience, or license may be established for individual positions.

Applicants meet who the Minimum Qualifications will be required to successfully complete the State Bar's selection process for this classification.

About the State Bar

The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation, and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.

Our Values

Clarity | Investing in Our People | Excellence | Respect | Growth Mindset

Learn more about our values.

DEI Statement

We are a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all of our employees and prospective employees experience fairness, dignity, and respect.

Learn more about our commitment to DEI.

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