Executive Director of Admissions

Western Washington University•Bellingham, WA

1d•$137,968 - $179,359•Onsite

About The Position

Western Washington University is seeking an Executive Director of Admissions to lead its Admissions Department. This role reports to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and is responsible for developing and executing the university's admissions and recruitment strategies. The Executive Director will lead a team of approximately 30 permanent staff and a large team of student staff. This position requires strong leadership, exceptional communication skills, technological fluency, a deep dedication to excellence in higher education, and a commitment to student success and development. The Executive Director will be a critical player in developing enrollment strategies, fostering relationships across campus and in the community with a student-centered approach, and leading recruitment efforts in alignment with the university’s vision and strategic plan. The role involves attracting and enrolling a diverse and talented undergraduate student body, including first-year, transfer, international, visiting/non-matriculating, returning, and dual enrolled students for all WWU locations. The Executive Director will be a collaborative leader and diplomatic communicator, adept at bringing stakeholders together for effective, data-driven decision-making in student search, outreach, recruitment, and yield.

Requirements

Master’s degree
Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in college recruitment and admissions
Minimum of 5 years’ experience supervising professional staff in higher education admissions

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated knowledge of the admission process, including recruitment/yield, application review, application processing, and applicant communication strategies
Knowledge of higher education recruitment landscape
Fluency in best practices for college recruitment
Demonstrated leadership supporting diversity and multiculturalism and sensitivity to academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of applicants
Excellent communication skills
Understanding of innovative technology and media in recruitment and admissions processes, including knowledge and effective integration of CRM, student information systems such as BANNER, Parchment, etc.
Demonstrated budget management experience
Demonstrated understanding of the role of scholarships and other financial aid in achieving enrollment goals
Demonstrated ability to establish collegial relationships with students, family members, faculty, administrators, staff and the community
Experience analyzing and interpreting data to support decision making for building recruitment strategies
Strong record of successful team-building and management of staff

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a comprehensive and data-informed recruitment strategy, including segmented recruitment plans, utilizing market data and enrollment trends to target prospective students effectively.
Manage the day-to-day operations of the admissions office, including application processing, review, and the final decision-making process.
Build and lead a high-performing admissions team, cultivating a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous professional growth.
Oversee the planning and coordination of on-campus recruitment events, including campus tours, information sessions, group events, fall preview events, and admitted student days. Guide the work of coordinating participation in events such as college fairs, high school visits, receptions, and all outreach and events that promote the institution to prospective students and their families.
Collaborate with University Marketing to develop and distribute effective promotional materials and communication strategies across various channels (print, web, email, text, social media).
Collect, analyze, and interpret enrollment data to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment strategies, identify trends, and provide regular reports to senior leadership.
Leverage deep expertise in Slate CRM and a strong understanding of the enrollment management lifecycle to enhance systems and processes. Collaborate with IT, institutional research, and administrative units to optimize outcomes.
Work closely with other university departments, including Financial Aid, Academic Advising, Orientation & Transition, University Residences, the Registrar’s Office, academic units, and Athletics, to ensure a seamless and supportive experience for new students.
Provide recommendations and guidance in the development of state and university policy. Develop, implement, and enforce admissions policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations as well as institutional rules and policies.
Plan, develop, and control the departmental budget, ensuring effective utilization of financial resources.
Practices sound modeling, assessment, and strategic planning to support the university's vision, mission, and strategic goals.
In collaboration with university partners, builds recruitment plans, develops timelines, and executes admissions and recruitment plans.
Stays current with national and regional trends in university admissions and in high schools.
Serves as a key contributor to enrollment management planning for the university.
Develops strategies and plans to recruit new students in a changing enrollment landscape, with attention to changes in high school graduation volumes, community college enrollment levels, and shifts in student demographics and geography, among other factors.
Researches industry practices and implements procedures consistent with best practices.
Reviews applications for admission—often providing decisions on the most complex files.
Oversees the design of processes to ensure the clear, efficient tracking of application review from beginning to end.
Serves as the final authority on appeals of admission and scholarship decisions.
Works with Enrollment Management and others to establish the scholarship model for recruitment.
Identifies and implements effective awarding strategies for Admissions scholarships and tuition waivers in collaboration with the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Admissions and Financial Aid colleagues.
Collaborates with Enrollment Management colleagues in aligning the work of the Admissions Office in supporting campus enrollment goals, including increasing access and diversity.
Researches, assesses, and prioritizes the university’s positioning on College Search platforms.
Guides and provides expertise in the development of communications strategies for admissions and as a part of enrollment management efforts (print, media, and web content), ensuring that they are clear, accessible, inclusive, and represent the university well.
Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the university’s values of integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork.
Provides overall direction and supervision of staff with very different job responsibilities and skillsets, while demonstrating effective leadership in training, motivating, and counseling.
Works with a variety of stakeholders to assess change readiness and provides direct support and coaching through transitions.
Sets strong example and sets standards for excellent customer service.
Ensures the training of new employees and provides leadership and management best practices to develop a strong sense of teamwork, equity, and investment among the admissions team.
Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable.
Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, coaching, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked for at least 3 direct reports within the department.
Communicates regularly with leadership team and all staff about issues impacting operations.
Serves as spokesperson for admissions at recruitment events (on campus and off) as well as at other events.
Represents the office professionally and effectively among university and external constituents.
Serves on campus and external committees, boards, and/or task forces.
Establishes and maintains strong collegial relationships with students, families, faculty, administrators, and community members.
Actively participates in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops.
Meets and communicates regularly with colleagues in similar positions/roles at other institutions.
Consults with deans, directors, staff and faculty throughout campus on matters relating to admissions and recruitment.
Serves as the campus point of contact for admissions related matters.
Serves as a resource for all academic departments.
Routinely makes admissions presentations and participates in events related to admissions.
Performs other duties as assigned by the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.
Approves all reporting on admissions to external organizations and/or national surveys prior to submission.
Compiles and distributes year-end reports on trends and patterns in recruitment as well as outcomes.
Leads annual assessment and strategic planning efforts for the office.
Develops strategies to track key performance indicators through the admissions cycle.
Anticipates problems where data/trends provide indications of issues and develops mitigation plans.
Routinely reports on progress to goals and on admissions activities to the Vice Provost and others.
Prepares reports for leadership, Board of Trustees, high schools, community partners, and others.
Analyzes data for long range and short range planning.
Understands and utilizes systems effectively to optimize the work of the team.
Analyzes data to determine effectiveness of outreach and marketing efforts and makes informed adjustments.
Formulates and applies research in developing admissions policies and procedures that promote recruitment, retention, and student success.
Monitors statutory, regulatory, and policy changes affecting recruitment and admissions in higher education.
Develops plans for implementation of changes to regulations and policies.
Advises leadership on implications of legislative policy proposals.
Takes steps to improve process efficiencies through the implementation of new technology and process enhancements.
Ensures the highest ethical standards of the profession are upheld by the team.
Has fiscal responsibility for the office operating budget including salaries and expenditures, providing long-term planning and budget projections to ensure operational stability.