Senior Director of Admissions

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

The Senior Director of Admissions provides leadership for the College's undergraduate recruitment efforts, leading a high-performing admissions team responsible for attracting, enrolling, and supporting the next generation of Stephens students. This position partners closely with the Vice President for Enrollment Management to implement recruitment strategies that advance institutional enrollment goals and strengthen the student experience from first inquiry through enrollment.

Position Responsibilities:

I. Provide leadership for the recruitment team, ensuring staff are aligned, accountable, and equipped to execute recruitment strategies effectively.

• Lead, supervise, and evaluate admissions staff by setting clear performance expectations, providing ongoing coaching and feedback, conducting performance reviews, and taking appropriate corrective action as needed to support accountability, professional growth, and achievement of admissions goals.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with recruitment staff, establish measurable performance expectations, monitor progress toward individual and team goals, and provide coaching to support success.
• Lead the execution of recruitment strategies and hold the recruiting team accountable for achieving inquiry, application, admit, and enrollment goals.
• Ensure prospective students and families receive clear, accurate, and student-centered information about tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and overall cost of attendance.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and student-centered communication with prospective students, families, and school counselors.
• Support and strengthen admissions policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure consistency, equity, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Train, coach, and evaluate recruitment staff on relationship-building, admissions processes, financial aid, overall cost of attendance, CRM usage, and institutional messaging.
• Foster a collaborative, student-centered culture focused on professionalism, accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.

II. Use data to monitor performance and guide recruitment efforts.

• Oversee the full admissions funnel, including inquiry generation, prospect cultivation, application review, admissions decisions, yield activities, and enrollment conversion.
• Monitor admissions data and funnel metrics to identify trends, assess recruitment effectiveness, forecast enrollment outcomes, and recommend improvements.
• Prepare reports and recommendations to support recruitment planning, enrollment forecasting, and continuous improvement.
• Support strategic enrollment planning and implementation of recruitment programs and activities, marketing plans, technology, and office goals related to the recruitment of first-time students, transfer students, international students, graduate students, and underrepresented students, as well as the review of their applications.

III. Drive continuous improvement across recruitment, operations, and student experience

• Supervise and support recruitment staff in the management of recruitment territories, including travel, relationship development, prospect cultivation, and enrollment goal attainment.
• Manage a recruitment territory, including travel, relationship development, and prospect cultivation.
• Collaborate with the marketing and communications team on recruitment messaging, campaigns, digital outreach, and admissions materials.
• Plan and oversee admissions events, including open houses, campus visits, information sessions, admitted student events, virtual visit days, and enrollment days.
• Conduct all activities within the established guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, FERPA.
• Stay current with admissions trends, best practices, and professional standards.

IV. Increase institutional visibility with internal and external collaborations.

• Represent the institution at recruitment events, community meetings, conferences, and partner organizations.
• Collaborate with academic departments and campus partners to support program-specific recruitment and enrollment goals.

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in admissions, enrollment management, student recruitment, higher education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, coaching, and developing recruitment or admissions professionals.
• Strong knowledge of admissions processes, recruitment strategies, CRM systems, enrollment funnel management, and yield strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement recruitment plans that support institutional enrollment goals.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to use data to inform decisions, improve outcomes, and guide recruitment strategy.
• Strong organizational, project management, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with senior leadership, academic departments, marketing, financial aid, student services, and other campus partners.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with prospective students and families about tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and overall cost of attendance.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel as needed.
• Ability to meet the transportation needs of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Slate, Salesforce, Ellucian, or another CRM.
• Experience developing recruitment plans and managing yield initiatives.
• Experience leading admissions strategy for multiple student populations.
• Experience in one or more of the following: first-time student admissions, transfer admissions, graduate admissions, international admissions, and/or performing arts admissions.
• Experience working in a tuition-dependent college or university environment.
• Experience recruiting to distinctive academic programs.
• Experience preparing admissions reports, enrollment projections, and recommendations for senior leadership.

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is the second-oldest women's college in the United States, dedicated to providing innovative, experiential, and career-focused education across various disciplines. Located in Columbia, Missouri, Stephens College continues to be a leader in women's education, fostering a community where students are empowered to lead, innovate, and excel. The college also provides flexible, co-educational master’s degrees and certificates for working professionals, and is home to the co-educational Conservatory for the Performing Arts at Stephens College.

Ranked (over and over again) as one of the best college towns in America, Columbia, Missouri, is home to 36,000+ college students and 118,000 residents. Columbia — conveniently located approximately 100 miles from both Kansas City and St. Louis — has it all: big-time college sports, film, music and arts festivals, a high-energy arts community, amazing recreation, and a great downtown with lots of places to eat, shop, snack and check out the latest bands. The Columbia community offers outstanding health care options, as well as excellent educational opportunities for every level of student (including our own Children’s School).

Stephens is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will recruit and employ qualified personnel without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a veteran.