Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions - Professional Graduate Programs, Smeal College of Business

The Pennsylvania State University • University Park, FL

28d • Hybrid

About The Position

Penn State’s Smeal College of Business seeks a dynamic, results-oriented, and collaborative professional to serve as Assistant Director of Recruiting and Admissions for its residential one-year specialty master’s programs. This is a highly visible, fast-paced role focused on strategic recruitment, frequent travel, event planning, and high-volume prospective student engagement. For full consideration, applicants are asked to provide a resume/CV and Cover Letter to include a brief description of their connection to, or interest in, specialized master’s programs and how that perspective would inform their approach to recruiting and admissions.

Requirements

• Experience, preferably in graduate admissions, higher education, recruiting, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success in public speaking, relationship building, event coordination, and student supervision.
• Comfort with frequent travel—including 25–40% domestic travel and occasional international travel; evening and weekend availability required.
• Familiarity with digital recruitment strategies, including CRM-driven communication campaigns, social media outreach, webinar promotion, email marketing, and basic recruitment analytics.
• This position requires a regular on-campus presence at the University Park campus to support student engagement, events, team collaboration, and recruitment activities. While the role offers modest flexibility for occasional remote work, candidates should expect to work primarily in person.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills; ability to adapt communication style to varied audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM tools; experience with Penn State systems such as Salesforce, LionPATH, and GRADS is a plus.
• Valid Driver’s License
• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
• Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
• This position requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver’s license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to standard background checks.
• Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with graduate business education environments—such as exposure to specialized master’s programs, cohort-based learning models, or student engagement within a business school setting (e.g., through academic experience, professional collaboration, or alumni connections to programs like the Smeal College of Business Residential Specialty Master’s Programs).
• Comparable experience engaging with prospective students or academic communities will also be considered.

Responsibilities

• Lead recruitment efforts for Smeal’s specialty master’s programs, with a heavy focus on domestic travel, Penn State campus recruitment (University Park and Commonwealth Campuses), classroom and club presentations, career fairs, and external university visits.
• Plan and execute engaging presentations, events, and information sessions virtually and in person, including frequent on-campus visits and periodic travel to major U.S. cities and international locations.
• Support digital recruitment initiatives by creating targeted recruitment content to be distributed across email, social media, digital advertising, and web-based channels; collaborate with marketing and program teams to increase program awareness, engagement, and lead generation.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for prospective students throughout the recruitment and admissions cycle—delivering personalized guidance via email, phone, Zoom, and in-person meetings.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to expand recruitment pipelines, including faculty, staff, alumni, and key partners at Penn State campuses and surrounding colleges.
• Manage application follow-up and yield communications, ensuring timely, effective engagement with prospective students through Salesforce CRM, GRADS ATS, and other systems.
• Monitor and utilize recruitment data and CRM analytics to evaluate campaign effectiveness, identify prospective student engagement trends, and recommend strategies to improve inquiry conversion and enrollment outcomes.
• Provide operational and logistical support for admissions processing, onboarding, and international student documentation, ensuring alignment with University policies and timelines.
• Evaluate applications and credentials to determine admissions decisions, financial aid eligibility, visa documentation needs, and transfer credit approvals, as appropriate.
• Collaborate across departments and programs, including marketing and communications partners, to ensure consistent messaging and an excellent prospective student experience across both in-person and digital recruitment channels.
• Support and occasionally lead evening and weekend events, including open houses, webinars, and partner events.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Robust retirement plans
• Substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
• 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level