At the core of higher education is the creation, transmission, and execution of a knowledge-based mission. The emergence of COVID-19 forced universities to transition to remote and online operations. However, not all jobs can be performed equally and effectively. Key differences between tacit and explicit knowledge embedded within different higher education jobs are likely to underline performance variations. As education administration and leadership seeks to engage their stakeholders in online formats across diverse jobs, a deeper understanding of the impact of tacit and explicit knowledge jobs on employee performance and impact is important. A mixed methods approach was used to compare the impact of the remote transition on core explicit and tacit knowledge jobs. A behavioral knowledge scale reported results consistent with face validity group selection. Open-ended survey responses were analyzed for thematic trends. The explicit group was more productive and confident in their ability to perform their jobs remotely. The tacit group was less confident and productive. The tacit group was more impacted by issues involving work/life relationships, social connection, and stress. These findings suggest that a more nuanced approach to remote operations and additional leadership support based upon job knowledge characteristics is needed for education administration and leadership.

Keywords: Core Job Knowledge, Remote Work, COVID-19.