Graduate Program Director

University of Notre Dame•Notre Dame, IN

About The Position

The Graduate Program Director provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for graduate recruitment, enrollment management, student support, and graduate program coordination across the College of Engineering. Working in close partnership with the Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, this role supports five academic departments and 13 graduate programs, including master’s and doctoral programs. The Program Director leads centralized graduate recruitment initiatives, develops data informed enrollment strategies, and oversees prospective student engagement from inquiry through enrollment. The position collaborates extensively with Directors of Graduate Studies (DGSs), Graduate Administrators, the Graduate School, faculty, and campus partners to strengthen domestic and international recruitment pipelines, improve application quality and yield, and deliver a high-touch, student-centered experience. In addition to enrollment management, the Director supports graduate student programming, retention and well-being initiatives, fellowship and award administration, and graduate program governance. This role also serves as a key college-level resource on graduate education policy, operational effectiveness, and cross-functional coordination.

Requirements

Master’s degree required
Minimum of five years of professional experience in higher education administration, graduate enrollment management, student services, recruitment, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing recruitment and enrollment strategies.
Strong understanding of graduate education operations, admissions, and student support practices.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to work effectively with students, faculty, staff, and external partners from diverse backgrounds.
Experience planning and coordinating student programs, events, or initiatives.
Strong organizational, analytical, and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Ability to think strategically and use data to inform enrollment and program decisions.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with international students and global recruitment initiatives.
Familiarity with graduate admissions systems, enrollment analytics, and higher education policies.
Experience supporting fellowship, scholarship, or graduate funding processes.
Knowledge of engineering or STEM graduate education environments.

Responsibilities

Lead graduate recruitment strategies and outreach initiatives to support enrollment goals and broaden participation in engineering graduate education.
Manage prospective student engagement through advising, consultations, webinars, and recruitment events.
Represent the College at domestic and international conferences, fairs, and partner institution visits to strengthen recruitment pipelines and partnerships.
Collaborate with DGSs, Graduate Administrators, faculty, alumni, campus partners, and Marketing & Communications to support recruitment efforts and program visibility.
Support admissions and yield activities in partnership with departments and the Graduate School, including applicant review support and admitted student engagement.
Analyze recruitment, admissions, and enrollment data to assess trends, evaluate effectiveness, and support strategic planning and reporting.
Coordinate Graduate Education Committee operations and support continuous improvement of graduate education initiatives across the College.
Facilitate collaboration among departments, the Graduate School, the Dean’s Office, and campus partners to enhance graduate program operations and student support.
Support graduate student success, retention, well-being, and community-building initiatives, including advising the Graduate Student Leadership Committee and coordinating student programming.
Partner with campus resources to address student concerns and connect students with appropriate support services.
Manage graduate student professional development awards, fellowship support processes, and graduate funding communications and administration.