Associate Director of Visit Experience (Albany)

About Siena University:

Located in Loudonville, New York - just 10 minutes from the state capital of Albany - Siena empowers more than 3,400 students each year through a transformative journey we call the Education for a Lifetime. All members of the Siena University community work together to advance the University's mission to graduate Saints intent on making the world more just, peaceful, and humane. The Franciscan tradition, upon which Siena was founded, permeates throughout campus life. All community members are valued for their unique worth and recognized for their specific contributions toward the greater good. That spirit of belonging and respect reverberates across our 174-acre campus, which is ranked among the 50 most beautiful college campuses in the country by Cond Nast.

Siena is leading the way in Catholic, liberal arts education, and the national rankings help tell our story. Siena ranks number one in New York for job placement; top 10 among all Catholic University in the country; and among the top three percent of all institutions in the U.S according to the Wall Street Journal. It has always been our community of dedicated and passionate Saints who make this campus a coveted destination to work, live, and learn. We hope you'll consider joining us.

Job Description:

The Associate Director of Visit Experience is responsible for designing, executing, and continuously improving Siena University's campus visit experience including daily visits and University's signature enrollment events. This role owns the moments that matter most in a prospective student's decision journey, creating experiences that inspire students and families to see themselves at Siena and confidently take the next step toward enrollment.

Success in this role is measured by more than flawless event execution. The Associate Director is accountable for increasing visit-to-application conversion, visit-to-enrollment yield, visitor satisfaction, and the overall effectiveness of Siena's visit strategy. This role combines operational excellence with a relentless focus on continuous improvement, ensuring every interaction reflects Siena's distinctive brand and leaves students feeling welcomed, connected, and excited about becoming part of the Siena community.

Visit Experience Leadership

• Own the daily undergraduate campus visit experience, ensuring every visit reflects Siena University's commitment to personalized engagement and executional excellence.
• Lead the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of all undergraduate recruitment events, including Open Houses, Accepted Student Days, transfer events, group visits, counselor programs, and other signature enrollment experiences.
• Design experiences that strengthen Siena's brand, increase visitor engagement, and inspire prospective students to take the next step in the enrollment process.
• Create and continuously refine every touchpoint throughout the visit experience?from registration through post-visit follow-up?to maximize conversion and visitor satisfaction.

Experience Design & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate the campus visit experience through the perspective of prospective students and families, identifying opportunities to improve every interaction.
• Develop systems, processes, and quality standards that ensure consistent execution across all visit programs.
• Measure and analyze visit performance, including attendance, satisfaction, visit-to-application conversion, and enrollment yield, using data to drive continuous improvement.
• Pilot, test, and refine new approaches that elevate Siena's visit experience and strengthen enrollment outcomes.

Student Ambassador Leadership

• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop Siena University's student ambassador team.
• Establish high standards for professionalism, storytelling, hospitality, and customer experience.
• Provide ongoing coaching and performance feedback to ensure ambassadors consistently deliver exceptional visitor experiences.

Collaboration & Operations

• Partner closely with Admissions, Marketing, Financial Aid and other campus partners to ensure visit communications and event experiences reinforce Siena University's brand promise.
• Manage event logistics, scheduling, staffing, and operational planning to ensure every detail is executed with excellence.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

The most successful people in this role:

• Obsess over every detail because they know details shape experiences.
• Build systems that deliver excellence consistently.
• Create moments that surprise and delight prospective students and families.
• Continuously test, measure, and improve the campus visit experience.
• Lead with hospitality, professionalism, and warmth while maintaining exceptionally high standards.
• Anticipate problems before they happen and solve them before visitors ever notice.
• Inspire student ambassadors to become exceptional representatives of Siena University.
• Take pride in creating experiences that directly influence students' decisions to apply and enroll.

Requirements:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three or more years of progressively responsible experience in event management, customer experience, hospitality, admissions, enrollment, marketing, or another experience-focused profession.
• Demonstrated success leading complex events or customer experiences with accountability for measurable outcomes.
• Experience managing projects involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and detailed operational planning.
• Experience supervising, coaching, or developing student employees or professional staff.
• Exceptional organizational and project management skills with extraordinary attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to consistently execute complex events and experiences at a high level.
• Strong customer experience mindset with a passion for creating memorable, meaningful interactions.
• Ability to design and improve systems, processes, and workflows that drive consistency and quality.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate data and improve performance.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead through influence, build strong cross-functional relationships, and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends throughout the recruitment cycle.
• Valid Drivers License

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Higher Education Administration, Business, Marketing, Hospitality, Event Management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success improving customer experience, event performance, and conversion metrics through process improvement, operational excellence, and the effective use of visitor feedback and performance data to enhance customer journeys and organizational outcomes.
• Experience using CRM platforms such as Slate or similar systems to support visitor engagement and event management.
• Spanish language proficiency.

Additional Information:

Salary: $66,000

*The hiring salary above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting in compliance with the Albany County Salary Transparency Law.

Siena University offers a generous benefit package to eligible full-time employees. The highlights include:

• Retirement plan contribution equal to 10% of compensation (as defined under the plan) after meeting the plan's eligibility requirements
• Tuition reimbursement and exchange opportunities for eligible employees, spouses, and dependents
• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Eligible University employees enjoy a work schedule that includes half-day Fridays in the summer and an expansive holiday schedule, including up to two weeks off during winter break
• Other perks currently include complimentary breakfast Thursdays in the dining hall, access to University community lectures and productions, complimentary University gym and library memberships, discounted and complimentary tickets to Siena Division I sporting events, and more.

Siena University is a Franciscan and Catholic institution and expects members of its community to be knowledgeable about its mission and to make a positive contribution to that mission.

Siena cares for and values each member of its workforce and actively supports upward mobility. We are a community of Siena Saints, and as we often say, the world needs more Saints!

Siena University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Instructions:

Please submit a cover letter, resume and contact information for three references.

A background screening is required for finalist applicants for all University positions.