Jobs › Baker Tilly

Special Advisor, Higher Education Advisory

Baker Tilly · Milwaukee, WI · Remote available · $86,660–$164,300 a year · Part time

Posted Apr 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you helped a university leadership team make a hard decision.

What they are checking: Whether they have real experience advising presidents, provosts or boards through unpopular choices.

Higher education leaders often distrust consultants. How do you earn credibility on a campus?

What they are checking: Whether they listen and respect campus culture rather than arriving with a set answer.

Tell me about a relationship in higher education that led to new work for your firm.

What they are checking: Whether a special advisor brings a network and can help grow the practice.

How do you mentor younger consultants who have never worked inside a university?

What they are checking: Whether they can pass on sector knowledge so the team does not depend on them for everything.

What would you do

A college is facing falling enrollment and a structural deficit. Where would you start in the first month?

What they are checking: Whether they can diagnose an institution's finances and mission together, not just cut costs.

How do you work with faculty governance when recommending changes to academic programs?

What they are checking: Understanding of shared governance, which can make or break any change on a campus.

A client president wants a report that supports a decision they have already made. How do you handle that?

What they are checking: Independence and integrity when a client wants validation instead of advice.

About the work

What financial indicators do you look at first to judge a college's long-term health?

What they are checking: Fluency with tuition discount rate, reserves, debt and enrollment trends that define sector risk.

How would you help a board understand the real cost of running each academic program?

What they are checking: Whether they can build and explain program cost and margin analysis in plain terms.

How do you see federal policy and accreditation changes affecting smaller private colleges right now?

What they are checking: Whether they follow the sector closely enough to give current, useful advice.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Baker Tilly.

Overview Baker Tilly is a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) provide professional services through an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to their clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, are independent members of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 141 territories, with 43,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $5.2 billion. Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Please discuss the work location status with your Baker Tilly talent acquisition professional to understand the requirements for an opportunity you are exploring. Baker Tilly is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable federal, state or local law. Any unsolicited resumes submitted through our website or to Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, employee e-mail accounts are considered property of Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorized recruitment agency ("search firm") for Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by Baker Tilly's Talent Attraction team, to submit candidates for review via our applicant tracking system. Job Description: Overview The Special Advisor for Higher Education is a part-time role that augments consulting teams by providing senior-level expertise and strategic guidance drawn from extensive experience in the higher education sector. The advisor supports both business development and client engagements by contributing thought leadership, shaping strategic recommendations, and helping ensure deliverables reflect sound policy and operational insight. This role may include participating in client presentations, developing thought content, collaborating with engagement teams, and providing expert review of analyses and recommendations. As a trusted subject matter expert, the Special Advisor helps strengthen the quality, credibility, and impact of the firm’s higher education work. Baker Tilly’s Higher Education practice partners with colleges, universities and higher education systems to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing environment. Our team provides strategic, operational and financial advisory services that help institutions strengthen sustainability, improve student outcomes and modernize operations. By combining deep sector expertise with data-driven insights, we support leaders in making informed decisions that position their institutions for long-term success. Baker Tilly is a leading advisory, tax and assurance firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) provide professional services through an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards. Baker Tilly US, LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to their clients. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms. Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP and Baker Tilly US, LLP, trading as Baker Tilly, are independent members of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 141 territories, with 43,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $5.2 billion. Visit bakertilly.com or join the conversation on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Please discuss the work location status with your Baker Tilly talent acquisition professional to understand the requirements for an opportunity you are exploring. Baker Tilly is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable federal, state or local law. Any unsolicited resumes submitted through our website or to Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, employee e-mail accounts are considered property of Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, and are not subject to payment of agency fees. In order to be an authorized recruitment agency ("search firm") for Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP, there must be a formal written agreement in place and the agency must be invited, by Baker Tilly's Talent Attraction team, to submit candidates for review via our applicant tracking system. Responsibilities: • Serve on client projects and assist in management of client relationships. • Document and analyze processes, internal controls, and workflow in order to identify opportunities for improvement. • Perform research into best practices, operational polices, and organizational design. • Interview clients to better understand processes and to recommend improvements. • Support project managers in day-to-day service delivery. • Research issues and prepare whitepapers on current industry trends and issues. • Effectively support and participate in the presentation of conclusions and recommendations using visuals and written content. • Assist in development of articles, sales proposals and presentations for new business development and client purposes. • Staying current with firm administrative requirements. Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree required, terminal degree preferred. • A strong work ethic and willingness to take on a variety of roles and levels of responsibility in a dynamic and entrepreneurial setting. • Minimum of ten (10) years prior experience in a senior executive role (president, provost, vice president of finance and administration, etc.) in a higher education institution required (public or private colleges and universities, community colleges, technical colleges, or university systems) • Specific experience with MS Office Suite, specifically Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. • Strong writing skills, specifically in regard to summarizing analysis and making recommendations. • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. • Ability to demonstrate commitment to continuous learning in order to stay current regarding strategies and regulations, display appropriate ethical knowledge and commitment, and exhibit a sense of urgency and commitment to quality and the timely completion of duties. • Ability to travel to client sites as needed. The compensation range for this role is $86,660 to $164,300. Actual compensation is influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to skills, experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

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