Executive Director of Admissions & Programs

GENERAL PURPOSE:

The Executive Director of Admissions and Programs oversees and manages the University of Rochester, Simon Business School Full-time and Part-time MBA and MS admissions and financial aid programs to achieve enrollment, revenue and quality goals. It involves collaboration with other units of the School including Marketing & Communications, the Office of Student Engagement, the Benet Career Management Center, and Advancement, as well as the Dean’s office and student groups. The Executive Director is the primary admissions spokesperson, representing the School at admissions recruiting events and key conferences. The Executive Director is a strong, persuasive, and articulate leader known for fair-mindedness, consistency, resourcefulness, and creativity in developing and presenting sound and well thought out ideas.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Executive Director reports to the Sr. Assistant Dean of Admissions and Programs and works closely with the Simon School Leadership Team to achieve admissions goals.

• Manage the Admissions and Programs team of 25+ full-time staff, and 5-10 seasonal “time as reported” part-time staff who work together to meet the strategic goals and objectives of the department, including responsibility for hiring, training, performance evaluations and staff feedback. The Team is responsible for enrolling and retaining more than 600 full-time and part-time Masters students that translates to more than $40MM in net tuition revenue. (20%)

• Develop and lead the implementation of the Admissions annual strategic plan and annual departmental budget of $3.5 MM. Participate in meetings with senior leadership develop enrollment revenue and financial aid budgets that align with the School’s strategic plan and ultimately meets enrollment, program and financial goals. Review and approve monthly budget reconciliations, approve invoice payments and expense reports (15%)

• Identify strategies and implement tactics to expand the pool of qualified applicants who apply for admission to the MBA and MS programs, with a particular focus on candidates who may be otherwise under-represented in the existing applicant pool. Identify and implement marketing initiatives to enhance brand awareness, marketing and recruiting efforts. (15%)

• Work with other departments at Simon, with particular interaction with the Ainslie Office of Student Engagement and the Benet Career Management Center on recruiting initiatives for prospective students and on-boarding events for admitted students (10%)

• Oversee systems, technology and operational decisions that support the recruiting and admissions efforts for all Simon School graduate programs (PhD, MBA, MS) across all delivery formats, including annual system and process improvement activities, staff training and benchmarking best practices with other schools. (10%)

• Serve as the primary admissions spokesperson at Simon. Represent the School at recruiting events, including domestic and internatiional events, admissions conferences, and School-wide conferences and events. (10%)

• Part-time Program Management – collaborate with PT programs team and faculty director to build and maintain annual calendar of programming for PT students. Provide input and problem resolution to non-routine and escalated issues in the PT program. (10%)

• Develop and track admissions performance metrics. Report information to key stakeholders including senior leadership team, faculty, staff, students and the media. Benchmark Simon’s admissions results with those of other leading Business Schools. (5%)

• Prepare content and participate in semi-annual Simon Alumni Council, Simon Alumni Board and/or EDI Alumni Council meetings. Prepare content and provide input to faculty committees on potential changes in academic program requriements based upon prospective and admitted student feedback. (5%)

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in business, higher education or a related area (MBA preferred).

• 8-10 years of experience in Admissions including several years in a leadership role with at least 5 years of staff management experience

• Department budget oversight strongly preferred

• Visionary problem-solving skills with the ability to develop innovative solutions while embracing new strategies and the use of technology.

• Ability to analyze data from a wide variety of sources, develop insights and prepare presentations for internal and external stakeholder audiences.

• Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment to address problems and identify opportunities; the ability to resolve actual or potential problems from a broad perspective and discern underlying causes of problems.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Demonstrated effectiveness and successful leadership as a culturally competent professional with broad experience interacting with and supporting the needs of diverse prospective students.

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion to advance the University’s mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status protected by law. This commitment extends to the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates from underrepresented populations, veterans, and persons with disabilities consistent with these values and government contractor Affirmative Action obligations.

How To Apply

All applicants must apply online.

EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled

Location: Simon Grad School Business
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Opening: Full Time 40 hours Grade 057 Simon Grad Sch Admis/Reg