Director of Graduate Admission bei Elmhurst University

Description

The Director of Graduate Admission provides strategic leadership for graduate recruitment and enrollment. This role leads the development and execution of data-informed recruitment strategies, supervises the graduate admission team, and serves as a central liaison among academic programs, marketing, and student services to achieve enrollment goals and ensure a high-quality prospective student experience.

Position Status: Exempt

Salary Range: $70,000 - $80,000. This is the expected salary range for this position. The actual salary offered will depend on a candidate's experience and education, and departmental budget.

Responsibilities

• Designs, leads, and executes comprehensive annual and term-based graduate recruitment strategies aligned with specific enrollment goals by program, market segment, and start date.
• Oversees graduate recruitment operations from inquiry through enrollment, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and a student-centered process.
• Establishes enrollment targets by program and term in collaboration with program directors and Academic Affairs; monitors progress and adjusts strategies based on performance data.
• Manages communication workflows with prospective students through the CRM system and other platforms, ensuring timely, consistent, and personalized communication that supports inquiry conversion and applicant yield.
• Collaborates on and influences marketing and communications to ensure accurate, compelling, and brand-aligned recruitment content allowing the design of recruitment plans that highlight the unique value of each program.
• Collaborates with academic departments and program directors to understand program needs, enrollment goals, and target audiences, and to showcase applied learning and graduate career outcomes.
• Identifies, develops, and maintains relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including faculty, alumni, current students, partner organizations, and institutions to build and sustain enrollment pipelines.
• Initiates, develops, and maintains articulation agreements with feeder institutions in collaboration with the Academic Services team.
• Plans and participates in recruitment events, information sessions, and outreach initiatives.
• Supervises, trains, and evaluates the graduate recruitment team, and provides team members with program briefs, talk tracks, and ongoing training to improve conversion rates.
• Manages recruitment budgets, vendors, and resources responsibly.
• Prepares regular enrollment reports to inform decision-making.
• Represents the graduate admission team on campus committees and cross-functional teams.
• Maintains expansive knowledge of graduate program offerings and processes, including curriculum mapping, program delivery, and sequencing.
• Works alongside Academic Services to ensure seamless enrollment of graduate students, including admission, advising, financial aid, and registration.

Other Responsibilities

• Supports the University’s mission, vision and values.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties and completes special projects as needed and assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Progressive leadership experience within a college or university admission office or comparable. Prior experience within a sales or marketing environment is essential.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with CRM systems (Slate preferred) and Student Information systems (Ellucian Colleague preferred).
• Understanding of private liberal arts colleges and their missions.
• Grasp of academic, admission, and financial aid policies and procedures.
• Ability to project a positive image of the institution in an organized, accurate manner.
• Grasp of admission and financial aid procedures and academic opportunities.
• Must be responsive and adaptable to a fast-paced environment and fluctuating responsibilities.
• Ability to travel and work a flexible schedule including some evenings and weekends when required.
• A valid Driver’s License; off campus visits are performed in personal automobiles and costs are reimbursed.
• Ability to lift and carry display and promotion materials up to 50 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements
The essential functions of this position are primarily performed in an indoor setting with limited exposure to outdoor weather conditions. Work is often sedentary in nature and requires remaining in a stationary position for extended periods. Required abilities include speaking and hearing for in-person and virtual communication, using close and distance vision when reading documents or viewing screens, and performing tasks with repetitive fine motor skills. Work may require occasional lifting, bending, carrying, or otherwise moving objects weighing up to 50 pounds. Qualified applicants who can perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodations will be considered.

Benefits

An overview of Elmhurst University benefits is available here.