Executive Director of Admissions

Executive Director of AdmissionsWestern Washington University, with over 15,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western has additional sites in Anacortes, Bremerton, Everett, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo. Western is recognized nationally for its successes, such as being named one of the top public master's-granting institutions in the Pacific Northwest for 25 years in a row by U.S. News & World Report.Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties.The Admissions Department supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. The mission of WWU's Office of Admissions is to identify, attract, admit, and help enroll today's brightest scholars and most promising future leaders. We will counsel and evaluate prospective students as individuals with unique strengths, needs, and paths as we build an increasingly diverse, talented, and dynamic student body.As part of the Division of Academic Affairs and reporting to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, the Executive Director of Admissions leads a team of about 30 permanent staff and a large team of student staff and is charged with developing and executing Western Washington University's admissions and recruitment strategies. This role demands strong leadership, exceptional communication skills, technological fluency, a deep dedication to excellence in higher education, and a commitment to student success and development. The Executive Director is an integral part of the Enrollment Management Unit and a critical player in developing enrollment strategies for the university. In addition to leading the admissions team and being an effective manager, this leader will foster meaningful relationships across campus and in the community, always with a student-centered approach. The Executive Director will lead recruitment efforts in alignment with the university's vision and strategic plan, working in partnership with campus stakeholders to attract and enroll a diverse and talented undergraduate student body—including first-year, transfer, international, visiting/non-matriculating, returning, and dual enrolled—for the Bellingham campus and other WWU locations.In addition to leading an efficient and effective admissions and recruitment operation, the Executive Director will be a collaborative leader and a diplomatic communicator who excels at bringing stakeholders together to support effective and data-driven decision-making in the search, outreach, recruitment, and yield of new students.Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Planning and RecruitmentAdmissions Process OversightTeam Leadership and ManagementOutreach and EventsMarketing and CommunicationData Analysis and ReportingOperational Excellence & Technological FluencyCollaboration and LiaisonPolicy and ComplianceBudget ManagementDuties / ResponsibilitiesLeadership of Recruitment and Admissions- 40%Management of Staff – 15%Represent the Team and the University—20%Reporting and Data Analysis - 15%Compliance, Policy, and Budget- 10%Required Qualifications - Master's degree;Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in college recruitment and admissions; andMinimum of 5 years' experience supervising professional staff in higher education admissions.Preferred Qualifications - Demonstrated knowledge of the admission process, including recruitment/yield, application review, application processing, and applicant communication strategies;Knowledge of higher education recruitment landscape;Fluency in best practices for college recruitment;Demonstrated leadership supporting diversity and multiculturalism and sensitivity to academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of applicants;Excellent communication skills;Understanding of innovative technology and media in recruitment and admissions processes, including knowledge and effective integration of CRM, student information systems such as BANNER, Parchment, etc.;Demonstrated budget management experience;Demonstrated understanding of the role of scholarships and other financial aid in achieving enrollment goals;Demonstrated ability to establish collegial relationships with students, family members, faculty, administrators, staff and the community;Experience analyzing and interpreting data to support decision making for building recruitment strategies; andStrong record of successful team-building and management of staff.Conditions of Employment - All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, includingProof of Rubeola Measles Immunitywithin 60-days of hire. Please reach out View email address on click.appcast.io you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations.Salary - Hiring range is $137,968 - $158,664/year. Through longevity position tops out at $179,359.Application Instructions - A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted for finalists, with notice provided beforehand. A complete application also requires a separate equity and inclusion statement (1-2 pages) demonstrating your ability and commitment to cultivating learning and/or working environments that are equitable and inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of different backgrounds and identities.Western Washington University is being assisted with this search by Another Source. To apply, please visit:Executive Director of AdmissionsClosing Date Notes - Position closes 09/05/2026 at 11:55 pm.Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, use of protective leave, genetic status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal (including a service animal in training) by a person with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policies onProhibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected ClassandProhibiting Discrimination Based on Sex. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225;View phone number on click.appcast.io(voice) or 711 (Washington Relay);View email address on click.appcast.io is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contactHuman Resources Disability Services,360.650.3751or 711 (Washington Relay).Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of Student Life View email address on click.appcast.io. The report can be found at:Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes asexual misconduct background check.