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

Penn State University • University Park, IL

29d • $54,060 - $78,444 • 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.

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.
• 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
• Required Certifications: None
• 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.
• Penn State does not sponsor or take over sponsorship of a staff employment Visa. 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.
• While the role offers modest flexibility for occasional remote work, candidates should expect to work primarily in person.

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
• Generous 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