Executive Director of Admissions

The Simon Business School at the University of Rochester invites inquiries, applications, and nominations for the position of Executive Director of Admissions. Reporting to the Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions and Programs, the Executive Director manages a team of 18 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.

The Executive Director oversees and manages the Business School Full-time MBA and MS admissions and financial aid programs to achieve enrollment, revenue and quality goals. The position requires a high degree of professionalism and attention to detail, while providing excellent service to all stakeholders and an effective management of resources. It involves collaboration with other units of the School including Marketing & Communications, the Office of Student Engagement, the Benet Career Management Center, Executive and Part-time Programs, and Advancement, as well as the Deans 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.

Additional Responsibilities

• Develops and leads the implementation of the Admissions annual strategic plan and annual departmental budget of $2.5 MM. Participates in meetings with senior leadership develop enrollment revenue and financial aid budgets that align with the Schools strategic plan and ultimately meets enrollment, program and financial goals.
• Identifies strategies and implements 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. Identifies and implements marketing initiatives to enhance brand awareness, marketing and recruiting efforts.
• Works with other departments at Simon, with particular interaction with the Office of Student Engagement and the Benet Career Management Center on recruiting initiatives for prospective students and on-boarding events for admitted students.
• Oversees systems, technology and operational activities 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.
• Serves as the primary admissions spokesperson to senior management at Simon. Represents the School at recruiting events, including domestic and international events, admissions conferences, and School-wide conferences and events.
• Develops and tracks admissions performance metrics. Report information to key stakeholders including senior management, faculty, staff, students and the media. Benchmarks Simons admissions results with those of other leading Business Schools.
• Prepares content and participate in semi-annual Simon Alumni Council and Simon Alumni Board meetings. Interface with Admissions directors at other universities through service on national committees and organizations related to graduate Masters admissions.
• Provides input to faculty committees on potential changes in academic program requirements based upon prospective and admitted student feedback.

Qualifications

Master’s degree in business, higher education or a related area required; MBA preferred. 8 years of experience in Admissions including 5 years in a leadership role with both staff and budget oversight required or equivalent combination of education and experience. Required knowledge, skills and abilities: 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; 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.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send, as two separate documents, a resume and a letter of application that relates skills, abilities, knowledge, and professional experiences to the stated qualifications for the position and notable achievements. The packet should be sent to EDASIMON@wspelman.com. The subject line in the email should be EDASIMON.

Confidential inquiries may be made by contacting Megan Spelman by email to Megan@wspelman.com or by telephone at 585-750-7091.

Recruitment is underway and will continue until the position is filled.

The University of Rochester has a strong commitment to principles of diversity and, in that spirit, actively encourages applications from groups underrepresented in higher education. The University of Rochester is an equal opportunity employer.