Summary
The Executive Director of Admissions leads National American University's admissions organization and is responsible for achieving new student enrollment goals through effective leadership, coaching, operational excellence, and performance management. Reporting to the Chief Marketing and Operations Officer, this position oversees admissions personnel, forecasting, admissions operations, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver an exceptional prospective student experience.
Minimum Qualifications
The Executive Director of Admissions will satisfy the following minimum qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
- Five or more years of progressively responsible admissions leadership experience in higher education.
- Demonstrated experience leading admissions managers and admissions representatives within online, private, proprietary, or primarily online higher education environments.
- Demonstrated success leading remote admissions teams while achieving enrollment goals.
- Strong knowledge of admissions operations, admissions funnel management, enrollment forecasting, CRM systems, admissions technologies, and admissions performance metrics.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and hold admissions teams accountable for measurable performance outcomes.
Skills and Attributes
Ability to lead, direct, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve all aspects of admissions operations within a fully remote environment. Exceptional leadership, coaching, communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Demonstrated ability to build high-performing admissions teams through accountability, performance management, and professional development. Strong understanding of admissions technologies, CRM systems, workflow optimization, enrollment forecasting, operational reporting, and data-informed decision making. Ability to collaborate effectively across departments while maintaining a student-centered approach to enrollment operations.
Essential Functions
The Executive Director of Admissions performs the following essential functions:
- Executes admissions strategies and operational plans that support the University's enrollment goals and Strategic Plan.
- Assists in developing departmental budgets, staffing plans, and resource recommendations while effectively managing admissions operations.
- Monitors admissions performance and is accountable for achieving key operational metrics, including:
- Lead response times
- Phone activity
- Contact rates
- Appointment activity
- Application volume
- Application completion rates
- Conversion rates throughout the admissions funnel
- New student starts
- Re-entry student starts
- Admissions representative productivity
- Monitors enrollment forecasts and admissions performance while providing operational analysis, trend reporting, recommendations, and risk assessments to executive leadership.
- Leads and manages all day-to-day admissions operations for a fully remote admissions organization.
- Recruits, hires, develops, coaches, evaluates, and retains Admissions Managers, Admissions Representatives, and other admissions personnel.
- Establishes performance expectations, productivity standards, coaching practices, and accountability measures for all admissions personnel.
- Identifies operational barriers affecting enrollment performance and develops solutions that improve admissions effectiveness and the prospective student experience.
- Develops, implements, and continuously improves admissions policies, procedures, workflows, and operational best practices.
- Partners with Marketing to improve lead quality, lead conversion, admissions messaging, and enrollment performance.
- Collaborates with Financial Aid, Registrar, Student Advisory Services, Academic Affairs, and Technology Services to improve operational efficiency and the student enrollment experience.
- Oversees admissions technologies, CRM utilization, workflow automation, AI-enabled admissions tools, reporting systems, and operational processes supporting admissions effectiveness.
- Oversees relationships with third-party admissions service providers, enrollment vendors, and Online Program Management (OPM) partners, as applicable.
- Ensures compliance with university policies, accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and applicable federal and state regulations.
- Provides timely operational reports, enrollment forecasts, performance analyses, and recommendations to executive leadership.
- Provides leadership, direction, coaching, succession planning, and professional development to admissions managers and staff while fostering a collaborative, accountable, and student-centered culture.
- Collaborates with executive leadership and cross-functional departments to implement enrollment initiatives, improve admissions performance, and support institutional priorities.
- Periodically reviews admissions policies, workflows, technologies, and operating procedures and recommends improvements that increase operational effectiveness and enhance the prospective student experience.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Required Work Hours
A minimum of forty hours per week, plus additional hours as necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. A combination of day, evening, and weekend hours may occasionally be required.
Reporting and Supervisory Responsibilities
- The Executive Director of Admissions reports to the Chief Marketing and Operations Officer.
- This position supervises and oversees:
- Admissions Managers
- Admissions Representatives
- Admissions Team Leads, as applicable
- Admissions Operations and Support Staff, as applicable
- This position may also oversee third-party admissions service providers, enrollment vendors, and Online Program Management (OPM) partners, as assigned.
Physical Requirements
The Executive Director of Admissions must be able to speak, hear, read, write, type, use a computer and telephone for extended periods, participate in virtual meetings, reach, bend, and perform other administrative functions associated with the position.
Travel
Periodic travel, including airline travel and overnight stays, may be required for leadership meetings, conferences, training, institutional events, and other university business.
Classification
Note: This position description does not list every activity, duty, and responsibility of the position and may be altered by the University at any time.
