Director of Admissions- Veterinary Medicine

University of Maryland Eastern Shore • University of Maryland Eastern Shore, MD

1d • $78,000 - $106,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Admissions leads the strategic and operational management of the Department of Veterinary Medicine (DMV) admissions and recruiting process — from prospective-student recruitment through application review, selection, offer, and enrollment (yield). The Director develops and executes a data-informed recruitment and enrollment plan designed to attract, admit, and enroll a highly qualified, mission-aligned, and diverse class of veterinary students. Working closely with the Dean's office, the Admissions Committee, faculty, and university partners, the Director serves as the primary point of contact and public face of DVM admissions and ensures that all practices are holistic, equitable, transparent, and compliant with accreditation and legal requirements.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is an 1890 land-grant, historically Black institution and a member of the University System of Maryland. Its School of Veterinary Medicine is the first standalone veterinary program in Maryland and the first at the nation's public HBCUs. The program offers an accelerated three-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) curriculum built around a "One Health" approach, with the goal of graduating approximately 100 veterinarians per year to address regional and national workforce shortages while broadening access and diversity in the profession.

Because the admissions function is being established for the school's inaugural classes, this is a builder's role. The Director will design admissions processes, systems, and recruitment pipelines from the ground up, in alignment with American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE) accreditation standards, University System of Maryland policy, and the school's access-oriented mission.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Ten (10) years of experience in higher education, advising, international student services; or immigration law.
• Five (5) years of experience supervising or managing professional staff.
• Knowledge of international and U.S. higher education; immigration legislation, practice and procedures.
• Knowledge of federal or foreign requirements that impact the international work of the university.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in the use of Microsoft Office and Google Workspace products.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, regulations, and laws.
• Ability to multitask while demonstrating a commitment to customer service.
• Willingness and ability to travel regionally and nationally and to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in higher education administration, counseling, marketing, business, or a related field.
• Minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in admissions, recruitment, enrollment management, or a closely related area in higher education.
• Experience in health-professions, graduate, or professional-school admissions — veterinary, medical, dental, or similar.
• Familiarity with VMCAS/AAVMC processes and holistic-review practices.
• Experience with AVMA COE (or comparable programmatic) accreditation requirements.
• Experience launching or building an admissions function or new academic program.
• Supervisory and budget-management experience.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing recruitment/enrollment strategies and meeting enrollment goals.
• Experience managing an application or admissions process, including review, evaluation, and selection of applicants.
• Strong data-analysis skills and proficiency with admission/CRM and student-information systems.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication and public-presentation skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to access, equity, and serving diverse and underrepresented populations.
• Knowledge of enrollment-management principles, holistic and bias-aware review, and the full admissions funnel.
• Ability to translate data into strategy and to present findings clearly to varied audiences.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage concurrent deadlines during peak cycles.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle confidential information (FERPA).
• Collaborative, service-oriented approach and the ability to build relationships across the institution and externally.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate a comprehensive recruitment and marketing plan to build a robust applicant pipeline and meet enrollment targets for each DVM cohort.
• Design strategies to strengthen applicant quality, application volume, and the school's yield and melt-management outcomes.
• Cultivate recruitment pipelines with undergraduate pre-veterinary programs, community colleges, HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, 4-H/FFA and agricultural organizations, and community partners — with particular attention to rural, underserved, and historically underrepresented populations aligned with the school's land-grant mission.
• Represent the SVM at recruitment fairs, pre-vet conferences, campus visits, open houses, and information sessions (in person and virtually), and coordinate campus tours and yield events.
• Manage the end-to-end admissions cycle, including administration of the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) and any supplemental application, application intake, verification, and file completeness.
• Establish and document admissions policies, procedures, timelines, and communication plans; ensure published requirements and deadlines are accurate and consistently applied.
• Oversee the holistic, multi-factor review process (academic metrics, experience, competencies, and fit), coordinate interviews, and manage offer, waitlist, and enrollment-confirmation workflows.
• Implement and administer admissions/CRM technology to track prospects and applicants, automate communications, and support reporting.
• Serve as staff lead to the DVM Admissions Committee: coordinate meetings, train and calibrate reviewers, prepare files and decision materials, and ensure consistent, bias-aware evaluation.
• Partner with faculty, the Dean's office, financial aid, the registrar, and student affairs to ensure a seamless applicant-to-enrolled-student experience.
• Collect, analyze, and report admissions and enrollment data (funnel metrics, class profile, diversity, yield, and outcomes) to inform strategy and support institutional and accreditation reporting.
• Ensure full compliance with AVMA COE accreditation standards, University System of Maryland and UMES policy, VMCAS/AAVMC guidelines, FERPA, and applicable state and federal law.
• Contribute admissions-related documentation and evidence for accreditation self-studies and site visits.
• Serve as the primary contact for prospective students, applicants, advisors, and families; respond to inquiries about requirements, process, timelines, cost, and student life.
• Develop clear, accurate recruitment and admissions communications and materials in partnership with marketing/communications.
• Provide content and oversight to the School’s admission webpages.
• Advise prospective applicants on competitiveness and prerequisites, and support pre-veterinary pathway and pipeline initiatives.
• Build, supervise, and develop admissions and recruitment staff as the office grows.
• Develop and manage the admissions budget, travel, and event resources.
• Engage with the national veterinary admissions community, including the AAVMC and its Admissions & Recruitment Committee (ARC), to apply and contribute to best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the school's mission.

Benefits

• Health insurance, including multiple medical plan options for employees and dependents offered through the State of Maryland Employee Benefits Division.
• Prescription drug, dental, and flexible spending accounts, and vision coverage.
• Retirement plans: mandatory enrollment in a state pension system or an Optional Retirement Plan with Fidelity or TIAA, Supplemental Retirement Accounts (TIAA, Fidelity, or MSRP-Nationwide) with $600 annual state match, Life Insurance (state sponsored MetLife, USM sponsored MetLife Plan, life insurance and long-term disability insurance).
• Tuition remission benefits for eligible employees and, subject to USM policies, spouses and dependents at University System of Maryland institutions.
• Exempt positions start at 22 days annual per year, sick leave 15 days per year, personal leave 3 days per year), and paid holidays.
• Employee wellness and support resources and access to the State of Maryland wellness programs.

What This Job Offers

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