Director of Graduate Admissions
Location: Hickory, North Carolina
Position Summary
The Director of Graduate Admission brings an innovative, data-driven, results-oriented approach to the growth of graduate student enrollment at Lenoir-Rhyne University. The Director supervises a team focused on student-centered customer service with the goal of recruiting prospective students. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Admission, the Director will be an integral part of the Admission Team. The Director will advance marketing efforts, ensure processes are streamlined and current, understand how technology can enhance and support recruitment, manage budget responsibilities, and oversee graduate admission policies. The primary focus of this position will be to market graduate programs and manage recruitment and yield strategies, emphasizing growing the top of the recruitment funnel. Key priorities include identifying new viable recruitment populations, executing a comprehensive candidate engagement strategy, and building successful recruitment partnerships for all graduate programs.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Supervise a team of graduate admission counselors
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Establish systems and structures to aid enrollment planning and decision making at all levels that lead to a continuous institution-wide conversation related to graduate enrollment.
- Analyze data and the recruitment landscape to inform decision making and evaluate current strategies to respond to changing markets and applicant pools.
- Partner with the Admission Leadership Team to ensure graduate admission operations are optimized through maximum use of available systems and that technology is utilized at its highest level to deploy communications effectively.
- Direct the graduate recruiting process from prospect development through enrollment.
- Develop and manage a multi-year strategy for student recruitment, travel planning, campus visitation, and events.
- In conjunction with University Communications and Marketing, oversee all marketing for targeted campaigns to execute yield campaigns for potential applicants.
- Collaborate with campus partners to coordinate the student onboarding process from applicant to enrolled student.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required Skills/Abilities:
- Experience working with an admissions-focused CRM, preferably SLATE
- Exceptional computer skills, communication skills, dealing with a wide variety of constituents
- Demonstrated planning and exceptional organizational skills
- Excellent supervisory, team building, customer service, and leadership skills
- Ability to think strategically
- Fluent in Spanish, preferred
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
- A minimum of three years of experience in higher education graduate admission
- Experience in working effectively with faculty and discipline-specific program coordinators in defining and meeting admissions targets for graduate programs preferred
- Experience with recruitment efforts targeting working professionals preferred (for example, workforce and employer engagement, employer benefit MOUs, stackable certificates, non-degree to degree program pipelines, student services for working professionals, hybrid program models, etc.)
- Experience with a multicampus institution a plus
Physical Requirements
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
- Ability to attend and preside over lectures and meetings.
- Ability to travel with students, faculty and staff throughout campus.
- Must be able to traverse various athletic grounds and facilities.
Work Schedule
- Standard office hours Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Subject to change based on university needs, scheduled courses, and university growth
- Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand
Behavioral Expectations
- Maintain high integrity, confidentiality and ethical standards.
- Maintain a healthy and safe environment.
- Maintain and contribute to a professional, respectful, courteous, diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment
- Treat other individuals with dignity, respect and kindness.
- Adhere to all university policies, procedures, standards, and values, and comply with all federal, state, and local laws.
Position requirements in the above mentioned role indicate the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the job competently. Role descriptions are an overview of the duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the position and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of the position. Employees may be required to perform other job-related assignments as requested and acquire new skills and responsibilities. Lenoir-Rhyne University reserves the right to modify, add, remove or waive the position's responsibilities, duties, and skills required.
Application Process
While completing the application, candidates will be prompted to submit a:
- Cover letter, specifically discussing how one’s professional experiences and perspectives relate to the needs of the position.
- Resume, including the names and emails of three references. References will only be contacted for finalists, and candidates will be notified in advance.
Lenoir-Rhyne University promotes a welcoming campus environment that is integral to the university's commitment to excellence in engagement and education. We are particularly interested in candidates who have demonstrated experience nurturing a welcoming community, working with faculty, staff and/or students from all walks of life and/or incorporating varied perspectives and traditions in their current or previous positions. This commitment is rooted in our Lutheran tradition of fostering wisdom, nurturing vocation and preparing students for lives of purpose while serving the common good.
About Lenoir-Rhyne University
Lenoir-Rhyne University is a co-educational, private, comprehensive liberal arts institution founded in 1891, with its traditional campus located in Hickory, North Carolina, a city of more than 40,000. The university has additional graduate centers in Asheville, N.C., and Columbia, S.C. Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lenoir-Rhyne is less than an hour’s drive from Charlotte, and the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of about 365,000. The university now offers more than 45 undergraduate and 20 graduate degree programs to approximately 2,400 students. Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build community, and promote responsible leadership for service to the world. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Lenoir-Rhyne is open to people from all religious and non-religious backgrounds.
Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity Policy
Lenoir-Rhyne University is committed to providing a workplace and educational environment, as well as other benefits, programs, and activities that are free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
LR is committed to creating a safe campus environment for all members of the LR community, including, but not limited to, those who identify as transgender and gender non-conforming. To that end, LR does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including sex stereotypes and sex characteristics), ethnicity, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran or military status or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable law.
To ensure compliance with federal and state civil rights laws and regulations and to affirm its commitment to promoting the goals of fairness and equity in all aspects of the educational program, activity and employment, LR has developed internal policies and procedures that provide a prompt, fair and impartial process for those involved in an allegation of discrimination or harassment, and for allegations of retaliation.
LR values and upholds the equal dignity of all members of its community and strives to balance the rights of the parties in the grievance process during what is often a difficult time for all those involved.