Executive Director, Admissions - Western Washington University

Another Source's client, Western Washington University, is recruiting an Executive Director of Admissions to join their team in Bellingham, WA.

Here's a little about Western Washington University and the position they are recruiting for:

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/ae 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, students, and external constituents.

Learn more about Western Washington University here: https://www.wwu.edu/about-wwu

About the Department:

The Office of Admissions is part of Western Washington University's Division of Academic Affairs and plays a vital role in advancing the university's enrollment goals and student success. The department leads the recruitment, admission, and enrollment of first-year, transfer, international, returning, and other undergraduate student populations, serving as the front door to the Western experience.

The admissions team is made up of approximately 30 professional staff members, supported by a large student staff, and partners closely with Enrollment Management, academic colleges, Financial Aid, Marketing, and campus leadership to develop data-informed recruitment strategies and deliver an exceptional prospective student experience. The department is committed to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement while helping Western attract and enroll a talented and diverse student body.

Western's Admissions operation manages approximately 15,000 applications annually, with current enrollment goals of approximately 3,200 first-year and 1,200 transfer students. Recruitment efforts extend across Washington and key out-of-state markets and include hundreds of annual high school visits, college fairs, campus programs, and yield events. The Executive Director will join Western at an important time for enrollment, with opportunities to build on recent year-over-year growth and lead new initiatives focused on first-year recruitment, transfer pathways, and yield.

Learn more:

Admissions Office: https://admissions.wwu.edu/

• Enrollment Management: https://enrollmentmanagement.wwu.edu/

About the Role:

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.

How you will spend your time:

Leadership of Recruitment and Admissions (40%):

• Practices sound modeling, assessment, and strategic planning to support the university's vision, mission, and strategic goals

• In collaboration with university partners, builds recruitment plans, develops timelines, and executes admissions and recruitment plans

• Stays current with national and regional trends in university admissions and in high schools

• Serves as a key contributor to enrollment management planning for the university

• Develops strategies and plans to recruit new students in a changing enrollment landscape, with attention to changes in high school graduation volumes, community college enrollment levels, and shifts in student demographics and geography, among other factors

• Researches industry practices and implements procedures consistent with best practices

• Reviews applications for admission often providing decisions on the most complex files

• Oversees the design of processes to ensure the clear, efficient tracking of application review from beginning to end

• Serves as the final authority on appeals of admission and scholarship decisions

• Works with Enrollment Management and others to establish the scholarship model for recruitment

• Identifies and implements effective awarding strategies for Admissions scholarships and tuition waivers in collaboration with the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Admissions and Financial Aid colleagues

• Collaborates with Enrollment Management colleagues in aligning the work of the Admissions Office in supporting campus enrollment goals, including increasing access and diversity

• Researches, assesses, and prioritizes the university's positioning on College Search platforms

• Guides and provides expertise in the development of communications strategies for admissions and as a part of enrollment management efforts (print, media, and web content), ensuring that they are clear, accessible, inclusive, and represent the university well

Represent the Team and the University (20%):

• Serves as spokesperson for admissions at recruitment events (on campus and off) as well as at other events

• Represents the office professionally and effectively among university and external constituents

• Serves on campus and external committees, boards, and/or task forces

• Establishes and maintains strong collegial relationships with students, families, faculty, administrators, and community members

• Actively participates in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops

• Meets and communicates regularly with colleagues in similar positions/roles at other institutions

• Consults with deans, directors, staff and faculty throughout campus on matters relating to admissions and recruitment

• Serves as the campus point of contact for admissions related matters; * Serves as a resource for all academic departments

• Routinely makes admissions presentations and participates in events related to admissions

• Performs other duties as assigned by the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management

Management of Staff (15%):

• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the university's values of integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork

• Provides overall direction and supervision of staff with very different job responsibilities and skillsets, while demonstrating effective leadership in training, motivating, and counseling

• Works with a variety of stakeholders to assess change readiness and provides direct support and coaching through transitions

• Sets strong example and sets standards for excellent customer service

• Ensures the training of new employees and provides leadership and management best practices to develop a strong sense of teamwork, equity, and investment among the admissions team

• Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, coaching, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked for at least 3 direct reports within the department

• Communicates regularly with leadership team and all staff about issues impacting operations

Reporting and Data Analysis (15%):

• Approves all reportin