Assistant Dean, Recruitment & Admissions (COPH)

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The Assistant Dean for Recruitment & Admissions is a dynamic, collaborative, people-centered, and strategic leader responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing graduate student recruitment, admissions, enrollment planning, and pipeline development initiatives for the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. Reporting to the Dean and serving on the College’s leadership team, the Assistant Dean leads innovative, data-informed strategies that support sustainable enrollment growth, student success, and the College’s long-term strategic goals. The position oversees admissions operations, enrollment-related communications, recruitment activities, and a professional staff team while fostering service, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. The Assistant Dean works with faculty, staff, students, and external partners to advance student-centered practices and provide an exceptional experience for prospective students. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of public health education by expanding access to graduate education, strengthening enrollment outcomes, building sustainable student pipelines, and advancing the College’s growth and impact. The successful candidate will join a collaborative, mission-driven academic community focused on student success, workforce development, and improving health and health equity in Arkansas and beyond. The position is a regular, benefits-eligible administrative role with a day shift. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Travel and occasional evening and weekend work are required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration, public health, business administration, student affairs, marketing, communications, or a related field.
At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in enrollment management, admissions, student recruitment, student affairs, higher education administration, or a closely related area.
Experience supervising professional staff, establishing performance expectations, and managing complex operations.
Experience managing budgets, resources, and multiple priorities.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic recruitment, admissions, or enrollment initiatives.
Ability to use data, market information, and performance measures to guide decisions and evaluate outcomes.
Knowledge of enrollment management technologies, customer relationship management systems, student information systems, or comparable data platforms.
Strong written, oral, presentation, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, students, senior leaders, and external partners.
Commitment to student-centered practices and the success of individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities.
Ability to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in higher education, public health, business administration, leadership, or a related field.
Ten or more years of progressively responsible higher education leadership experience, including leadership roles in enrollment management, admissions, student recruitment, or a related function.
Experience with graduate or professional student recruitment, admissions, and enrollment.
Experience in a school or college of public health, health sciences, medicine, or another professional education environment.
Demonstrated success expanding applicant pipelines, improving enrollment outcomes, supporting student access, or increasing enrollment diversity.
Experience with strategic enrollment planning, forecasting, market analysis, scholarship management, and return-on-investment assessment.
Familiarity with accreditation, rankings, regulatory reporting, and external data-submission requirements.
Experience building partnerships with colleges and universities, community organizations, employers, public agencies, or international institutions.
Experience leading organizational change, process improvement, or enrollment growth initiatives.
Demonstrated experience working with graduate and professional student populations, including international students.
Knowledge of university policies and procedures and experience using admissions, customer relationship management, and student information systems such as SOPHAS, Slate, Salesforce, Workday, or comparable platforms.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for recruitment, admissions, enrollment management, and student pipeline development in alignment with the College’s mission and priorities.
Develop and implement data-driven enrollment strategies, including enrollment goals, market analysis, forecasting, scholarship planning, and workforce-aligned program growth.
Advise College leadership on enrollment trends, student success, resource allocation, and opportunities to expand student access and enrollment.
Oversee admissions from initial inquiry through enrollment, including application reviews, admissions decisions, communications, and prospective student services.
Develop and improve admissions policies, procedures, and service standards to support efficient operations, a positive applicant experience, and compliance with university policies and regulatory requirements.
Coordinate recruitment and enrollment activities, including information sessions, open houses, webinars, admitted-student events, and orientation.
Build and maintain relationships with academic departments, educational institutions, employers, community organizations, international partners, and university stakeholders to strengthen recruitment pipelines.
Collaborate with Student Affairs, Financial Aid, Marketing and Communications, and other university offices on recruitment, enrollment, and student success initiatives.
Partner on digital, print, social media, and other recruitment campaigns, and represent the College at educational fairs, conferences, and community events.
Supervise, mentor, and evaluate enrollment management staff; establish performance expectations and support professional development.
Develop efficient workflows and operational processes that promote collaboration, service excellence, and achievement of enrollment goals.
Manage departmental budgets, scholarship allocations, staffing, and recruitment resources to support strategic priorities.
Analyze enrollment, market, and workforce data to identify trends, measure recruitment effectiveness, evaluate return on investment, and guide strategic decisions.
Establish performance indicators and oversee effective use of CRM systems, student information systems, and communication technologies.
Prepare enrollment forecasts, performance reports, and institutional data submissions for accreditation, regulatory requirements, strategic planning, and College leadership.
Serve on College and university committees and participate in institution-wide enrollment initiatives.
Travel as needed and work occasional evenings and weekends to support recruitment and College events.
Perform other duties as assigned in support of the College’s mission and strategic priorities.