Director of Recruitment and Admissions

Details•San Diego, CA

About The Position

The Director of Recruitment and Admissions provides strategic leadership for recruitment, admissions, and enrollment for all graduate programs in the Kroc School of Peace Studies, in partnership with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. The position is responsible for advancing enrollment growth and tuition revenue across master’s, dual degree, combined degree, and graduate and professional certificate programs, while ensuring effective admissions operations and a high-quality student experience from inquiry through enrollment. The Director leads recruitment strategy and recruitment-focused marketing in close collaboration with the Director of Marketing and works across academic and administrative units to align outreach, admissions processes, and financial aid strategies with enrollment goals. The role relies on data-informed planning and analysis to guide decision-making and collaborates closely with school leadership, faculty, and central offices to support enrollment strategy, student onboarding, and new program development. The position requires occasional evening and weekend work, as well as periodic domestic and international travel in support of recruitment and partnership activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of five years of experience in higher education recruitment, admissions, and/or marketing.
Valid California driver’s license required with the ability to travel, including occasional overnight travel and evening or weekend events.
Demonstrated ability to clearly and persuasively articulate the value of Kroc School programs to prospective students and external partners.
Strong knowledge of graduate recruitment, admissions processes, and financial aid.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively while building effective relationships with students, faculty, administrators, and external partners.
Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with strong initiative and follow through.
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills across multiple audiences and organizational levels.
Demonstrated supervisory and people-management skills, including delegation, performance monitoring, and staff development.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to recommend and implement effective solutions.
Experience managing vendors and maximizing institutional and external resources.
Ability to plan and execute student-centered recruitment and engagement events.
Experience developing and implementing strategic recruitment plans.
Demonstrated ability to engage culturally diverse communities and populations.
Sound judgment and discretion, particularly when handling confidential student, personnel, or institutional information.
Professional tact, poise, and diplomacy in a high-demand environment.
Experience with CRM platforms, including Salesforce and HubSpot.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, Adobe software, and related technologies, with the ability to learn new systems efficiently.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Six or more years of related experience preferred.
Proficiency in a second language is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for a multi-year graduate enrollment growth strategy working in close consultation with the Kroc School Dean and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs.
Set and lead a comprehensive recruitment strategy for a growing portfolio of graduate programs, including master’s degrees, dual and combined degrees, graduate and professional certificates and executive education offerings, with clearly defined annual enrollment goals.
Partner with the Assistant Dean and Program Directors to assess market demand, inform new program development, and align recruitment priorities with academic strategy, revenue goals, and institutional mission.
Establish and monitor measurable recruitment outcomes, including year-over-year application growth, enrollment yield, geographic reach, student diversity, cost-perenrollment, and progress toward five-year enrollment benchmarks.
Lead recruitment marketing strategy in partnership with the Director of Marketing, with responsibility for setting recruitment priorities, target audiences, messaging direction, and performance metrics to ensure marketing and communications efforts drive sustained enrollment growth across domestic and international markets.
Provide strategic oversight of recruitment marketing initiatives, enrollment funnel design, and communications workflows to ensure alignment across outreach, inquiry management, application conversion, and matriculation efforts.
Direct relationships with external recruitment agencies and vendors, setting performance expectations, evaluating return on investment, and making data-informed recommendations to scale or adjust partnerships.
Oversee the strategic use of enrollment analytics to guide recruitment decision-making, forecast enrollment trends, monitor pipeline performance, and adjust strategy in response to data and evolving market trends.
Develop and lead domestic and global recruitment and partnership strategies, including formal relationships with universities and colleges, employer groups, membership and professional associations, military and veteran-serving organizations, and external education partners to build sustainable student pipelines, joint and affiliated programs, and long-term enrollment growth.
Integrate artificial intelligence and advanced analytics into recruitment strategy, including predictive modeling, audience segmentation, inquiry scoring, and personalized outreach, to improve conversion rates, optimize staff capacity, and enhance data-driven decisionmaking across the enrollment funnel.
Advance alumni engagement as a strategic recruitment asset by designing scalable alumni ambassador, referral, and storytelling initiatives aligned with enrollment growth goals.
Provide leadership and supervision for recruitment staff, graduate assistants, and student ambassador programs, setting clear expectations, performance goals, and professional development plans tied to recruitment outcomes.
Represent the school at high-impact recruitment, partnership, and stakeholder engagements, serving as a senior ambassador for the institution and advancing visibility in priority markets.
Continuously assess recruitment structures, workflows, systems, and staffing models, and provide strategic recommendations to improve efficiency, scalability, and long-term enrollment performance.
Provide strategic leadership for admissions and enrollment performance, including KPI development, data analysis, and reporting, in support of annual and multi-year enrollment goals.
Design, implement, and continuously improve admissions and enrollment frameworks, including committee review structures, decision timelines, scholarship allocation models, and enrollment campaigns aligned with institutional priorities.
Establish and oversee admissions and enrollment KPIs, including application volume, admit rate, yield, melt, time to decision, scholarship effectiveness, cost per enrollment, and cohort composition, and use these metrics to guide planning and strategy.
Develop and present regular admissions and enrollment reports for the Dean and senior leadership, providing clear analysis of trends, risks, and opportunities, along with actionable recommendations.
Set and enforce admissions standards, review protocols, and decision criteria, with oversight of applicant evaluation and interview processes to ensure consistency and alignment with program goals.
Partner with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs to coordinate and support faculty admissions committees, including setting expectations, timelines, and decision frameworks to ensure timely and effective admissions outcomes.
Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs on enrollment planning for admitted students, including cohort sizing, capacity planning, and readiness for matriculation.
Develop and oversee a strategic scholarship and financial aid framework, in consultation with the Dean and the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, using enrollment data to improve yield and steward institutional resources.
Provide strategic oversight of admissions communications and enrollment campaigns to support admitted student engagement and conversion.
Serve as the primary liaison with the USD Graduate Admissions Office and Office of Financial Aid, and collaborate with peer graduate schools to support recruitment coordination.
Continuously assess admissions systems, workflows, and reporting structures and recommend scalable improvements to strengthen efficiency, transparency, and sustained enrollment performance.
Work with the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs to provide professional mentorship and development opportunities for the Assistant Director of Outreach and Recruitment, student workers, including Kroc School Ambassadors, Alumni Ambassadors and any temporary admissions staff.
Under the direction of the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, contribute strategic and creative input, market research, and enrollment analysis to support the development of new partnerships and academic offerings, including combined degrees, certificate programs, and new degree programs.
Special Projects as assigned