Admissions Specialist (0078702)

Admissions Manager

Position Number: 0078702

Hiring Unit: Office of Admissions

Location: Manoa

Date Posted: August 18, 2026

Closing Date: September 1, 2026

Band: B Salary: salary schedules and placement information Additional Salary Information: PBB, minimum $5,640/month Full Time/Part Time: Full-time Temporary/Permanent: Permanent

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as a senior-level manager for the Office of Admissions, providing strategic and tactical direction for undergraduate enrollment with a focus on the role and impact of Admissions Merit Scholarship programs.

Leadership

• Serves as a key and lead member of the Admissions leadership team to effectively manage the Admissions resources and carry out the mission, Admissions strategic plan, and Enrollment Management strategic plan.
• Provides the Director of Admissions and leadership team with best practices, policy and procedure analysis, advisement, and recommendations to enable effective management decisions.
• Participates in strategic planning and development of activities including strategies to meet current and long-term organizational goals and objectives.
• Recommends changes in program policies and standard operating procedures to improve operations to achieve effectiveness and efficiencies and maximize use of resources and talent.
• Serves on special committees or task groups as requested by the Director of Admissions and other entities within the University system.

Undergraduate Scholarship Programs

• Serves as key leader for developing and executing undergraduate scholarship programs, including awarding strategies, practices, and procedures. These scholarship programs include, but are not limited exclusively to: Academic Merit Scholarships, Regents Scholarships, Provost's Achievement Scholarships, Presidential Scholarships, and Upper-level or Transfer Merit Scholarships.
• Oversees the application and selection processes for the Admissions scholarship programs.
• Manages the communication processes related to notifying students of their awards.
• Monitors data regarding current students who fall out of scholarship eligibility. Makes decisions and/or recommendations to the Director of Admissions about re-activating students awards as needed.
• Responsible for designating staff who will participate and contribute to the scholarship awards processes. In some cases, this may involve staff/faculty/advisors from offices/departments other than Admissions.
• Liaises with Financial Aid Services to coordinate on student records regarding impact of awards on need-based financial aid.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for questions from various constituents (i.e.: current, incoming, and future students; high school counselors; parents) addressing questions about the scholarship programs and awards processes.
• Serves as Advisor to the Manoa Scholars Club.

Enrollment Management Scholarship Allocations

• Serves as a co-lead to the VPEM regarding Enrollment Management's tuition scholarship allocations. Historically, this allocation totals approximately $39mil annually.
• Recommends allocation amounts to various campus departments that receive a portion of these funds.
• Assists with the allocation procedures and monitoring accounts via the financial management system.

Application Review and Selection

• Reviews and evaluates student applications. Renders admission and scholarship decisions in alignment with admissions and enrollment management strategies.

Recruitment and Travel

• Provides leadership and guidance in recruitment strategies, with a focus on local/Hawaii recruitment strategies and enrollment goals.
• Leads, conducts, and participates in recruitment activities and events for prospective and/or admitted/matriculated students. These activities and events may include, but are not limited to: admission information sessions, college fairs, high school visits, on-campus events, and events for other constituents that support students through the college search process (ie: parents, college counselors) that may occur outside of normal business hours and/or at various geographical locations including neighbor islands, mainland, and foreign countries.

Personnel Management

• Supervises staff in the daily operations of admissions functions, with a particular focus on staff that are responsible for scholarships and local/Hawaii recruitment.
• Provides leadership in staff development and training, with a particular focus on training related to merit scholarship practices and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree in business administration, education, higher education administration, or related filed and 4 year(s) of progressively responsible professional experience with responsibilities for any or multiple of the following areas: project management, personnel management, recruitment, marketing/communication, and/or scholarship management; or any equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience which provides the required education, knowledge, skills, and abilities as indicated.
2. Considerable working knowledge of principles, practices and techniques in the area of project management, personnel management, recruitment, marketing/communication, and/or scholarship management as demonstrated by the broad knowledge of the full range of pertinent standard and evolving concepts, principles and methodologies.
3. Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations and theories and systems associated with project management, personnel management, recruitment, marketing/communication, and/or scholarship management.
4. Demonstrated ability to resolve wide ranging complex problems through the use of creative reasoning and logic to accurately determine the cause of the problems and the resolution of the problems in an effective, innovative and timely manner.
5. Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing, verbally and by preparation of reports and other materials.
6. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders and members, and individuals.
7. Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer and apply word processing software.
8. If applicable, for supervisory work, demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.
9. Considerable knowledge of the principles of marketing and of the methods, materials, and techniques used in marketing and promotion as it relates to student recruitment typical of an institution of higher education.
10. Considerable knowledge of various programs and organizations, their purposes and functions that typically exist in an institution of higher education.
11. Considerable knowledge of the policies and regulations as applied to the recruitment of students, including diverse ethnic, socioeconomic students, typical of an institution of higher education.
12. Demonstrated ability to utilize presentation software and other programs to develop and update recruitment presentations and promotional materials.
13. Ability to work outside normally scheduled work hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as directed.
14. Ability to travel off island, including neighbor islands, mainland, and foreign countries, for purposes including visitations, presentations, and college fairs.
15. Ability to travel independently to various geographical locations in a timely manner. Requirement may be fulfilled by a valid Hawaii Driver's license (class 3), comparable driver's license, or other means of transportation, which meets position needs.
16. Considerable understanding of the content of undergraduate education and the nature of the undergraduate experience at UHM or at a comparable research university.
17. Ability to lift and carry at least 25 pounds.
18. Ability to travel to multiple on and off-campus sites to conduct presentations, visitations, etc.

Desirable Qualifications

1. Experience and knowledge of UHM's student information system (Banner).
2. Considerable knowledge of UHM programs and organizations, their purposes and functions.
3. Considerable knowledge of the policies and regulations in a large, public, research university as applied to the recruitment and/or admission of students, including diverse ethnic, socioeconomic students.
4. Computer skills including creating various files and other presentation and reporting programs.
5. Experience in working with students, faculty, and administrators in both lower and higher education.
6. Considerable knowledge of the techniques and procedures involved in academic and personal counseling.
7. Demonstrated experience with planning and implementing large-scale events (on and off-campus) preferably with school counselors, teachers, or administrators; prospective and admitted students; parents; and/or alumni.