Position Summary

The Director of Recruitment, MS programs leads the strategic planning, development and execution of student recruitment for the MS programs at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies under the supervision of the Executive Director, Admissions, Specialized Masters Programs The team's goal is to recruit and yield the most highly qualified students and provide exemplary support throughout the enrollment process to the students for the School's diverse portfolio of MS and MS-affiliated programs.

Responsibilities

Manage relationships with Program teams and other relevant stakeholders to develop and execute the recruitment strategy for each program and evaluate annual recruitment plans.

• Research, identify, assess, and develop MS recruitment opportunities
• Identify partnerships and manage relationships with domestic and international sending institutions, including universities, government scholarships, companies, industry-specific organizations, and non-profit organizations to promote recruitment of best fit students and geographic diversity
• Manage any Memoranda of Understanding and contracts in compliance with the appropriate legal and university based standards.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of the admissions process and the School's programs to ensure recruitment efforts are aligned with Admissions policy and support the funnel and yield of the students for each unique program
• Lead efforts for tracking analytics and impact metrics in order to promote data-driven decision-making. Maintain records and produce regular reports to track outcomes specific to recruitment initiatives
• Lead efforts to develop recruitment strategies for new MS program launches
• Work collaboratively with the marketing and communications teams to ensure alignment

Develop the strategy for, plan and execute School-wide and Program-specific recruitment events.

• Lead engagement with various stakeholders to support all School, Program-clustered and Program-specific recruitment events planning, set up, communications and follow-up in Slate
• Research and implement best practices for applicant engagement
• Ensure website and other promotional content is up-to-date and targets the needs of prospective students and institutional audiences
• Oversee information sessions, yield initiatives, and prospect engagement guidelines across programs to ensure high quality, meaningful prospect experience
• Manage staff and develop best practices to host online and in-person fairs and recruitment events internationally and domestically
• Calculate ROI from targeted outreach events and build cost efficiencies
• Develop and oversee calendar of team recruitment activities and track year over year recruitment activity and results

Develop and execute prospect and applicant outreach and communication plan

• Build communication plan for prospects, in-progress applicants, and admitted students to engage prospective students proactively and meaningfully
• Develop and execute outreach plan that leverages Program staff, faculty, current students, alumni, and content assets for recruitment initiatives
• Develop best practices for and facilitate e engagement opportunities through coordination of meetings, campus and class visits, and tours
• Build operational processes that promote a Program and Prospect-centered experience.
• Implement surveys to better understand decision-making among admitted populations, and identify initiatives to increase yield for future cycles
• Manage the relationship with the Associate Director of Admissions, work collaboratively to ensure the best possible applicant experience

Supervision and management of MS assistant directors admissions counselors

• Supervise high-performing admissions counselors to work cohesively as a team to support Programs and prospects through the recruiting cycle
• Identify professional development opportunities and provide ongoing training to admissions counselors
• Lead the entire cycle of the recruiting process while evaluating the team's workload to guarantee optimal recruitment activity
• Assign and assess application caseloads for admissions counselors

Other duties

• Perform other duties as assigned or requested

Applicant will be expected to spend up to 30% of time on domestic and international travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• 5-7 years of related experience required
• A resume and cover letter with salary requirements must be submitted for applicant to be considered for the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in related field
• Experience managing a team
• Previous admissions, recruitment, talent selection, or career management responsibilities
• Familiarity with Columbia University and SPS program offerings

Other Requirements

• Prior experience in higher education recruitment or admissions

• Knowledge of graduate education enrollment trends

• Excellent project management skills; demonstrated ability to prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced environment

• Exceptional attention to detail, strong organization and time management skills, and the ability to perform routine and non-routine work with changing priorities and aggressive deadlines

• Strong communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills (verbal and written), and experience presenting in small group and large group settings, and to a variety of audiences, including individuals in positions of influence

• Intellectual curiosity, sound problem-solving and decision-making abilities, and strength in creative and innovative thinking

• Slate proficiency preferred

• High energy and passion for recruiting

• Ability to work flexible hours and travel as needed during peak seasons

• Ability to exhibit good judgement and handle confidential information in a mature, professional manner

• Ability to work independently as well as in teams in a highly-matrixed environment, receiving direction from and providing support to multiple sources

• Sound problem-solving and decision-making abilities, both as an independent entity, and as part of a team

• Proficient in MS Office/systems (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.