Director Graduate Admissions chez Saint Martin's University

The Director of Graduate Admissions provides strategic leadership and oversight for a comprehensive graduate recruitment, marketing, and admissions program aligned with the University's mission. This role reports to the Dean of Admissions and Enrollment and is responsible for developing and executing data-informed strategies to attract, admit, and enroll a diverse and talented graduate student body across all graduate programs and assisting with the development of new graduate and professional programs offered by Saint Martin’s University.

Ranked by Niche as the second (#2) most diverse private college in Washington State in 2020, Saint Martin’s is extremely proud of our student diversity.  Our university treasures persons of all abilities, ages, ethnicities, genders, nationalities, orientations, races, and religions.  In particular, we know that students educated in an ethnically diverse settings perform better academically and reap greater professional success than their peers from more homogeneous learning environments. We proudly celebrate that our student population is 51% undergraduate and 32% graduate students of color.  We are committed to pursuing an employee community that reflects a similar, if not the same percentage.  

Therefore, we intentionally encourage and request that members of historically underrepresented groups apply to join this community.  All of us, from all backgrounds, are making a commitment to do and be better for our students, faculty and staff.

Established in 1895, Saint Martin’s University serves as the educational mission of Saint Martin’s Abbey.  The Abbey is a Catholic Benedictine monastery, whose members pray, work, and live together on the University campus.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Essential Functions & Responsibilities - Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this position. Employees are required to be in attendance and prepared to begin work at their assigned work location on the specified days and hours. Factors such as regular attendance at the job are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following.

Graduate Recruitment & Admissions Strategy

• Lead the design and implementation of innovative recruitment and marketing strategies for graduate programs.
• Collaborate with program directors to align recruitment efforts with yield and enrollment goals.
• Identify and cultivate prospective student pipelines through strategic outreach and partnerships.
• Analyze recruitment data and trends to inform decision-making and improve outcomes.

Prospective Student Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for prospective graduate students, providing timely and personalized communication.
• Present academic offerings, admission requirements, deadlines, and financial aid opportunities to prospective students and community partners.
• Coordinate and attend campus visits, graduate fairs, and off-campus recruitment events.
• Deliver presentations to prospective students, pre-professional advisors, and other stakeholders.

Event Planning & Marketing Collaboration

• Plan, budget, and execute local and regional graduate admissions events.
• Partner with the Office of Marketing and Communication to develop outreach materials and digital campaigns.
• Oversee recruitment initiatives including virtual and in-person events, SMS/calling campaigns, social media, website content, and campus tours.

Partnership Development

• Build and maintain relationships with feeder institutions and community organizations to expand recruitment pipelines.
• Represent the University’s graduate programs at domestic higher education institutions and professional events.

Systems & Data Management

• Manage recruitment and admissions systems including Slate and SIS.
• Collaborate with admissions operations and marketing teams to optimize the admissions funnel and lead generation using data analytics.
• Document admissions procedures and maintain the graduate office training manual.

Collaboration & Strategic Support

• Advise academic deans on enrollment strategies, new program development, and accreditation reaffirmation.
• Work closely with the Dean of Admissions and Enrollment, academic leadership, and marketing teams to enhance program visibility.
• Maintain and update graduate admissions web content.

 Leadership & Operations

• Supervise graduate assistants and oversee daily operations of the graduate admissions office.
• Foster collaborative relationships with faculty and campus departments.
• Support university-wide strategic planning and assist the Dean with special projects.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensure compliance with university policies and external regulatory requirements.
• Represent graduate admissions on university committees, including the Board of Trustees.
• Prepare and present data-driven reports to stakeholders on recruitment and enrollment outcomes.
• Maintain strong connections with internal partners including undergraduate admissions, international programs, academic advising, career development, financial aid, registrar, alumni relations, and student affairs.
• Manage and oversee the graduate admissions budget.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

• Budgeting; marketing, communications, and strategic planning; enrollment management; student recruitment and retention strategies.
• Commitment to integrity, confidentiality, and ethical standards in admissions practices as well as experience in hiring, supervision, and training.
• Effective communication with department employees, prospective students and their families, and the public in one-to-one and group settings (providing instructions, information, and responding to questions).
• Strong organizational skills for coordination and overall management of programs, projects, and events.
• Strong writing, communication, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to produce written documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
• Ability to regularly produce reports outlining strategies and assessing outcomes.
• Effective public speaking skills for group presentations.
• Commitment to utilizing LinkedIn and social media.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work irregular hours (evenings and weekends).
• Working knowledge of computer functions including word processing applications, e-mail, PowerPoint, web/internet, spreadsheets, and navigating student information databases.
• Ability to read about, listen to, and observe specific situations and articulate appropriate responses, including directives affecting staff activities, budget expenditures, and the organization of materials and communications.
• Capability to work in a stressful, deadline-specific work environment.
• Self-motivated, energetic, flexible, and creative.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of all departmental information. Stay apprised of current policies and legal and ethical issues in higher education, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Demonstrate strong multicultural knowledge, awareness, and skills needed to perform the tasks of promoting diversity and social justice.
• Knowledge of best practices related to supporting diverse student population, including students of color, students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, first generation students, students with disabilities, and other historically marginalized identities. 
• Supportive of a Catholic, Benedictine philosophy of education and able to articulate and support the University’s mission statement.

REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Demonstrated success in driving graduate enrollment growth.

• Successfully pass a background check.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a standard office environment. Physical demands include: 

• Moves objects (less than 20 pounds) long distances (more than 20 feet).
• Ability to be mobile campus-wide for appropriate business needs. 
• Operates a variety of standard office equipment requiring continuous or repetitive arm-hand movements.
• Reading, writing, speaking, hearing, standing, bending, sitting.
• Learning and comprehending.
• Requires visual concentration on detail.
• Manual dexterity and precision required for keyboarding
• Must be able to sit for long periods at a time at a computer
• May occasionally be required to deal with distraught people.
• Must be able to concentrate on details and process complex information while experiencing frequent interruptions.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with people at all levels under stressful conditions. 
• Occasional travel to regional center locations and national conferences.