Director of Admission Operations
- Employer
- Connecticut College
- Location
- New London, Connecticut
View more
- Executive Administration Jobs
- C-Level & Executive Directors
- Administrative Jobs
- Institutional & Business Affairs, Admissions & Enrollment, Business & Financial Management, Communications & Marketing, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Student Activities & Services
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Connecticut College is a highly selective, private liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut, a historic New England seaport. The campus is host to over 1,800 students and is situated on a 750-acre arboretum campus above the Thames River and Long Island Sound. Founded in 1911, Connecticut College today is where liberal education is being redefined for the 21st century through its innovative Connections program. The College is recognized nationally for its innovative liberal arts education, rigorous academic standards, faculty scholarship and research, and commitment to equity, sustainability and service, and commitment to preparing students to be creative thinkers who tackle the world’s most complex problems.
Connecticut College seeks a highly collaborative, experienced Director of Admission Operations with confidence and a creative, playful, and energetic approach to problem solving. Reporting to the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid and serving as a senior leader in the enrollment division of the college, the successful candidate will build strong working relationships within the division and across the institution. The director will oversee a team of up to six full time staff and foster a culture of excellence, collegiality, and collaboration within the operations team. The Director of Admission Operations will assist in the planning and implementing student recruitment strategies to help Connecticut College achieve enrollment goals.
In overseeing admission operations the director will assume responsibility for the functional management of the college's recruiting and admissions information system and reporting tool(s); create and manage ongoing and ad-hoc training for Slate; oversee the hiring, supervision and management, as well as the professional development of the operations team; serve as the admission systems functional lead for Slate and Banner software; work collaboratively with the Financial Aid and Information Services staff to maintain and develop necessary functionality; and represent admission in meetings related to technology and data.
General Duties and Responsibilities:
- Interpret educational policy and institutional mission of the College to achieve admission and enrollment goals.
- Serve as a senior admission leader with the Dean of Admission & Financial Aid, Director of Admission, and Director of Financial Aid – including but not limited to staffing decisions, enrollment/financial aid strategy, and strategic collaborations with other divisions across the college.
- Serve as Admission Lead on Slate functionality and enhancement and lead the operations team and institutional stakeholders in evaluating and maximizing the use of Slate features and functions.
- Build a culture of continuous innovation in order to address changing technology, needs of students and families, goals and strategies. Evaluate systems, processes, functions, workflows and staff assignments in order to maximize efficiency and meet the evolving needs of the College.
- Serve as liaison to the Summer at Conn to provide technical support via Slate for the College’s summer initiatives.
- Manage special projects and work to develop new and creative technology solutions to enhance student recruitment, application reading and student selection and yield.
- Serve at the Banner Functional Lead, manage of all admission related software support for Banner, WebFocus (reporting), Axiom (data loading), Common Application (data importing); support includes upgrades, implementations, data import rules, test plans, documentation, data mapping, and staff training.
- Hire, train, develop and evaluate up to six operations staff.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, professionalism and positivity among the operations team, support the ongoing professional development and training of team members across the division, and celebrate the success of the team and its members in their achievements.
- Manage a small domestic recruitment territory and review applications individually and in committee, recommend candidates for admission.
- Prepare statistical reports for the admissions staff and other members of the college community, provide appropriate analysis, data visualization, and recommendations or conclusions.
- Partner with the director of enrollment marketing on marketing communications strategy that will reach, influence, and compel prospective students and their families to consider Connecticut College, including direct mail and email campaigns, print publications, digital strategy, and the website.
- Work with the Dean and Director on purchasing and managing Search and Admitted Student Questionnaire data (ASQ or other products).
- Participate in professional admission/technology associations.
- Partner with outside vendors and organizations in the management of student records and data, maintaining data security and assuring data quality, and timely transfer or distribution.
Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes of the Successful Candidate:
The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree, preferably in the liberal arts; as well as a minimum of five years of experience in admission. In addition, the following job-related qualifications represent the knowledge, skills, and attributes an individual needs to possess:
- Strong technology-related skills with a working knowledge of Slate, its features, functionality, integrations and limitations.
- Interest in bringing the full admission and financial aid teams together in an expanded appreciation for the accessible nature of Slate and Banner to inform innovative and comparative approaches to recruitment and admission of students.
- A curiosity about emerging technologies and the ability to evaluate and implement technology solutions which meet the needs of the office and college.
- Prior experience training and supervising full time staff preferred; ability to strengthen the approach of an experienced team through evaluation, innovation, and best practices.
- Demonstrated understanding of business practices, systems development and change management, with success working in partnership with multiple departments.
- Knowledge and experience in recruitment, operations and communications functions within admission.
- Exceptional organizational skills with strong attention to detail and ability to establish and fulfill priorities, benchmarks, and deadlines.
- Ability to build and sustain key relationships with Connecticut College staff as well as off-campus contacts.
- Demonstrated strength in interpersonal skills related to supervision as well as collegial interactions with all.
- Exceptional listening, oral and written communication skills and an authentic willingness to address the needs of others while maintaining operational priorities.
- Ability to provide appropriate training to individuals with a variety of skills, listen to individual and institutional needs, and provide operational, procedural, and technical solutions when appropriate.
- Past experience in solving complex problems in a culturally diverse, complex environment, with multiple stakeholders.
- Provide excellent leadership within and beyond the office of admission as a working director.
- Demonstrated creativity, innovation, and energy when addressing problems and challenges.
- Ability to plan and anticipate the needs of campus partners, with a collegial, customer service attitude.
- A strong knowledge of best practices and new ideas in student recruitment and retention; an ability to foster a culture of excellence while appropriately leveraging data and sharing information within the Office of Admission.
- A commitment to diversity and the ability to embrace, articulate, and embody the College’s Principles of Community.
Connecticut College
Connecticut College enrolls 1,800 students from across the country and around the world, who choose Conn for its long history of excellence in the liberal arts and sciences. The College’s unique mission of “educating students to put the liberal arts into action” encourages students to combine rigorous academics with real-world experience not just to make a living but to make a difference.
The College’s bold new curriculum, Connections, realizes that mission for the 21st century. Connections is a holistic approach to the liberal arts that unleashes curiosity and promotes complex thinking and problem-solving to prepare students for next-generation success. Students maximize the impact of their academic major by combining it with interdisciplinary study, world languages, off- campus learning, guaranteed internships and other professional development in a personally meaningful pathway leading beyond college. Of the most recent incoming class, 93 percent said that the comprehensive, integrative vision of Connections was the reason they chose to enroll at Conn.
The College offers more than 1,000 courses in 30 academic departments and 46 traditional majors. Close to 55 percent of Connecticut College students study abroad, and nearly 80 percent participate in the paid summer internship program. Graduates are creative, adaptive thinkers prepared to take on complex challenges with an academic foundation rooted in integrated study, research opportunities and service learning.
Students at Connecticut College have the opportunity to enhance their pathways with unique certificate programs in museum studies and in distinguished centers for interdisciplinary scholarship: the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy; the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment; the Ammerman Center for Arts and Technology; the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts; and the Center for the Critical Study of Race and Ethnicity.
A sign of its commitment to equity and student success, the College supports the most highly endowed Academic Resource Center in the country, enabling excellence for every student. The new Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement allows all students to integrate meaningful international experiences into their pathways. And the newly renovated Hale Center for Career Development enhances the academic programs of every student with its own four-year curriculum, offering the opportunity to integrate College-funded internships and research experiences into pathways in preparation for life beyond college.
Connecticut College features a selective admission process. Within the Class of 2026 50% of the students were from the top 10% of their class; and among the 67% who submitted test scores the middle 50% scored between 640 and 720 on the SAT evidence-based reading and writing, between 640 and 730 SAT Math, and between 30 and 33 on the ACT. Seven percent were international students; 23% were U.S. students of color. The Class of 2026 is the largest class in the College’s history and the most diverse. The student body is drawn from 45 states and over 70 countries and supported by generous financial aid, with 29% domestic and international students of color in 2026, an increase of about 30% since 2015.
Connecticut College reaches prospective students in a variety of ways including through travel with 8 of the Best, a group of nationally recognized selective liberal arts colleges; and participation in the Posse program, Chicago and New York, whose students are selected for their academic and leadership potential by the Posse Foundation.
Conn provides a rich community experience for its students with opportunities on and off campus. A member of the elite New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), one of the top NCAA Division III conferences in the country, In 2021, the College was crowned NCAA Division III Champions in men’s soccer. There are over 80 student led clubs and organizations, and 70% of the student body participates in community learning and volunteering. With more than 99 percent of students living in the residence halls, Connecticut College offers students an integrated residential life program featuring 23 residential houses that serve as active learning communities.
The campus is known for its eclectic and creative mix of artists, scientists, researchers, and activists, with a strong sense of social justice. All members of the Connecticut College community revel in the strong, rich traditions that include, high academic standards, a student-led living honor code, a fiercely held value of shared governance, and a commitment to environmental stewardship and to full participation. The community is also guided by the Principles of Community, which ensure that all members of the Connecticut College community are fully able to contribute their talents in support of this mission, each member is expected to participate in improving the quality of life in our community by: Creating a climate of civility in all learning environments and professional contexts, Recognizing the value of diversity, Fostering an environment of inclusivity and mutual understanding, Expressing ideas, arguments, and points of view in a thoughtful and respectful manner, Acting equitably, honorably and with integrity, Accepting the rights and responsibilities of membership in the College’s community and upholding the principles outlined in this statement
Connecticut College’s strategic plan, Building on Strength, seeks to advance the academic program, enrich residential learning, and elevate the experience of all by making the community more equitable and the College more sustainable. Capital projects completed in the last five years include the renovation of the Charles E. Shain Library; the creation of both the Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement and the Hale Center for Career Development; and the revitalization of the College’s historic art deco theater, Palmer Auditorium, into the Nancy Athey ’72 and Preston Athey Center for Performance and Research. Major renewals of the campus center, the athletics complex and the College waterfront, and the creation of a center for justice, are also planned. A capital campaign has raised over $237 million, nearly 80% of the goal, in the first five years, including the largest gift in College history, to support the plan’s goals.
President Katherine Bergeron
Katherine Bergeron became the 11th president of Connecticut College on Jan. 1, 2014. From her first year in office, she has supported the faculty’s development of a bold new venture in integrative education. The resulting vision, called Connections, asks all students to make deeper linkages between the work they do in courses, in jobs, in the community, and around the globe, in order to prepare them for leadership in an era of change: liberal arts for the interconnected world. During this same period, Connecticut College received some of the largest single gifts in its history to enhance financial aid, career education, academic support, athletics, and the arts.
Before arriving at Connecticut College, Bergeron was dean of the college at Brown University. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wesleyan University, Bergeron earned master’s and doctoral degrees in music history from Cornell University, and is the author of numerous scholarly publications, including two prize-winning books on French music and culture.
She serves as Past-Chair of the Board of the Council of Independent Colleges; on the Board of the American Academic Leadership Institute; on the Board of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut; on the Board of Directors of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.
To learn more about Connecticut College, go to https://www.conncoll.edu/
New London, Connecticut
Located on the northeast corridor equidistant between Boston and New York, New London is a historic port city with a rich Native American and maritime tradition owing to its location on the Thames River and the Long Island Sound. Before the arrival of European settlers, it was known as Nameaug, the home of the Mashantucket Pequot, the Eastern Pequot, Mohegan, and other indigenous tribal nations. In the 19th century, the city was a major trade and whaling center and the boyhood home of the great American playwright Eugene O’Neill. In the 20th century, it became the home of Connecticut College, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and Mitchell College.
Today the city of 27,000 residents has a progressive culture and a lively music and arts community. The Providence Journal once described it as a “seaside haven with a funky, hipster vibe.” It neighbors many beautiful towns along the Connecticut shoreline— from Niantic to Groton to Mystic to Stonington—offering access to beaches, farms, and outdoor activities. Since the founding of Connecticut College, the City of New London and the College have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership that continues to this day. In Fall 2022 for the first time, the College is supporting a new kind of residential living experience for students in downtown New London, in the newly renovated Manwaring Building on State Street.
To Apply:
Applications, nominations, and inquiries for the position of Director of Admission Operations at Connecticut College should be directed to Napier Executive Search. To arrange for a confidential conversation, please contact Catherine Capolupo (catherine.capolupo@napiersearch.com) or Mary Napier (mary.napier@napiersearch.com). An application must include a detailed letter of interest, an up-to-date resume, and contact information for three professional references. For best consideration, submit all application materials by email to: conncoll@napiersearch.com by November 16, 2022. Materials will be reviewed beginning in late November, and the search will remain open until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is January 2023. All applications and nominations will be considered confidential, and notice will be given prior to contacting references.
As a highly selective residential liberal arts college, Connecticut College is committed to creating a vibrant community enriched by diverse perspectives, talents and experiences. We encourage applications from candidates who share this commitment and will contribute to the diversity of our college community. AA/EOE.
Organization
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE is a highly selective, private, coeducational liberal arts college located in southern New England overlooking Long Island Sound and the Thames River in the historic seaport of New London. Founded in 1911, the College enrolls 1900 men and women from 42 states and 41 countries. The 750-acre campus is an arboretum, and is supported by a staff and faculty of over 800. The southeastern Connecticut area offers a rare combination of affordable living and natural, unspoiled beauty with convenient access to Providence, Boston and New York City.
Connecticut College is known for putting the liberal arts into action through interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. The College offers more than 1000 courses in 30 academic departments and 7 interdisciplinary programs, 55 traditional majors, plus opportunities for self-designed courses of study. Approximately 55 percent of the student body studies abroad at some point during their four years.
Since its founding in 1911, the College has been sustained by a community of individuals working in a wide variety of academic and non-academic positions to fulfill its mission. Each person's contributions are vital to preserve an environment that supports teaching, encourages learning, and brings a sense of accomplishment to employees and students alike. Our success as a College depends directly on what our employees do. As members of this unique community we take pride in providing excellent service to students, visitors and each other.
CONNECTICUT COLLEGE is actively engaged in diversifying its staff and faculty. CONNECTICUT COLLEGE is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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