Associate Dean of Enrollment and Advising

Iowa Western Community College•Council Bluffs, IA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Dean of Enrollment and Advising serves as a strategic leader within the Student Services Division, responsible for overseeing recruitment and advising operations while ensuring a seamless, student-centered experience from initial inquiry through graduation. This role drives enrollment growth and student retention by aligning teams, processes, and technologies; leading staff development; and implementing data-informed strategies that respond to evolving student needs and external trends. The position emphasizes collaboration across the institution, effective communication and CRM utilization, and continuous improvement of the student journey to support institutional goals for access, success, and completion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in higher education administration, student affairs, leadership, business, or a related field.
Demonstrated progressive leadership experience in enrollment management, admissions, advising, or student services within higher education.
Experience supervising and developing professional staff, with a proven ability to build and lead high-performing, student-centered teams.
Knowledge of enrollment management principles, including recruitment, admissions processes, student advising, and retention strategies.
Experience using data and analytics to inform decision-making, assess outcomes, and drive continuous improvement.
Strong understanding of the student lifecycle from inquiry through completion, including best practices in student engagement and persistence.
Experience managing or working within a CRM system (preferably Element 451 or similar) to support communication, outreach, and enrollment processes.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments and with campus leadership.
Experience with budget oversight, resource allocation, and operational planning.
Ability to pass a background check

Responsibilities

Demonstrates IWCC’s core mission, vision and values
Serves as a key leader within the Student Services Division, contributing to divisional vision, goal setting, and execution of strategic and tactical plans aligned with institutional priorities.
Participates in shared governance through service on key college committees to remain informed, contribute to institutional decision-making, and ensure alignment with campus-wide initiatives.
Provides leadership and oversight for all advising and recruiting operations, ensuring effective coordination, performance, and continuous improvement across teams.
Leads the hiring, onboarding, training, and ongoing professional development of advising and recruitment staff to build a high-performing, student-centered team.
Designs, implements, and continuously improves a comprehensive, student-centered enrollment and advising model that aligns the full student journey, from initial inquiry through graduation.
Ensures seamless handoffs across functional areas (recruitment, admissions, advising, and beyond) to enhance the overall student experience, reduce friction, and improve both enrollment yield and retention.
Develops and executes strategic recruitment initiatives, including market-responsive outreach strategies, to drive enrollment growth and meet institutional targets.
Provides strategic direction and management for the recruitment team, including goal setting, performance monitoring, and process optimization.
Oversees the development, accuracy, and timely updating of recruitment and enrollment marketing materials, including managing inventory, coordinating content updates, and determining appropriate timelines for ordering and distribution to support effective outreach.
Establishes and advances strategic advising practices that promote student success, persistence, and timely completion.
Leads and supports the advising team in delivering proactive, data-informed, and student-centered advising services.
Oversees budget planning and resource allocation for enrollment and advising operations.
Utilizes data analytics, reporting, and trend analysis to evaluate effectiveness, inform decision-making, and adapt strategies in response to both internal performance and external market conditions.
Drives continuous improvement efforts by aligning enrollment and advising strategies with evolving student needs, demographic trends, and environmental changes.
Collaborates with Admissions and Information Technology to co-manage the institution’s CRM system (Element 451), ensuring effective use of technology to support recruitment, communication, and student engagement.
Ensures that student communication strategies are coordinated, streamlined, and responsive, delivering timely, relevant, and personalized outreach throughout the student lifecycle.
Advances institutional enrollment goals by increasing new student enrollment while strengthening retention and progression through effective advising practices.
Other duties as assigned