Executive Director of Admissions

Western Washington University with over 15000 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 90000 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 masters-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. Westerns 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 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 Executive Director is an integral part of the Enrollment Management Unit and a critical player in developing enrollment strategies for the 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 universitys vision and strategic plan working in partnership with campus stakeholders to attract and enroll a diverse and talented undergraduate student bodyincluding first-year transfer international visiting/non-matriculating returning and dual enrolledfor 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 Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning and Recruitment:Develop and implement a comprehensive and data-informed recruitment strategy including segmented recruitment plans utilizing market data and enrollment trends to target prospective students effectively.
• Admissions Process Oversight:Manage the day-to-day operations of the admissions office including application processing review and the final decision-making process.
• Team Leadership and Management:Build and lead a high-performing admissions team cultivating a culture of collaboration accountability and continuous professional growth.
• Outreach and Events:Oversee the planning and coordination of on-campus recruitment events including campus tours information sessions group events fall preview events and admitted student days. Also guide the work of coordinating participation in events such as college fairs high school visits receptions and all outreach and events that promote the institution to prospective students and their families.
• Marketing and Communication:Collaborate with University Marketing to develop and distribute effective promotional materials and communication strategies across various channels (print web email text social media).
• Data Analysis and Reporting:Collect analyze and interpret enrollment data to evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment strategies identify trends and provide regular reports to senior leadership.
• Operational Excellence & Technological Fluency: Leverage deep expertise in Slate CRM and a strong understanding of the enrollment management lifecycle to enhance systems and processes. Collaborate with IT institutional research and administrative units to optimize outcomes.
• Collaboration and Liaison:Work closely with other university departments including Financial Aid Academic Advising Orientation & Transition University Residences the Registrars Office academic units and Athletics to ensure a seamless and supportive experience for new students.
• Policy and Compliance:Provide recommendations and guidance in the development of state and university policy. Develop implement and enforce admissions policies and procedures ensuring compliance with all applicable federal state and local laws and regulations as well as institutional rules and policies.
• Budget Management:Plan develop and control the departmental budget ensuring effective utilization of financial resources.

Duties / Responsibilities:

Leadership of Recruitment and Admissions- 40%

• Practices sound modeling assessment and strategic planning to support the universitys 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 admissionoften 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 universitys positioning on College Search platforms; and
• 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.

Management of Staff 15%

• Models supports and holds others accountable to the universitys 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; and
• Communicates regularly with leadership team and all staff about issues impacting operations.

Represent the Team and the University20%

• 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; and

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

Reporting and Data Analysis - 15%

• Approves all reporting on admissions to external organizations and/or national surveys prior to submission;
• Compiles and distributes year-end reports on trends and patterns in recruitment as well as outcomes;
• Leads annual assessment and strategic planning efforts for the office;
• Develops strategies to track key performance indicators through the admissions cycle;
• Anticipates problems where data/trends provide indications of issues and develops mitigation plans;

• Routinely reports on progress to goals and on admissions activities to the Vice Provost and others;
• Prepares reports for leadership Board of Trustees high schools community partners and others;
• Analyzes data for long range and short range planning;
• Understands and utilizes systems effectively to optimize the work of the team;
• Analyzes data to determine effectiveness of outreach and marketing efforts and makes informed adjustments; and

• Formulates and applies research in developing admissions policies and procedures that promote recruitment retention and student success.

Compliance Policy and Budget- 10%

• Monitors statutory regulatory and policy changes affecting recruitment and admissions in higher education;
• Develops plans for implementation of changes to regulations and policies;
• Advises leadership on implications of legislative policy proposals;
• Takes steps to improve process efficiencies through the implementation of new technology and process enhancements;
• Ensures the highest ethical standards of the profession are upheld by the team; and
• Has fiscal responsibility for the office operating budget including salaries and expenditures providing long-term planning and budget projections to ensure operational stability.

• Masters degree;
• Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in college recruitment and admissions; and
• Minimum of 5 years experience supervising professional staff in higher education admissions.

• 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; and
• Strong record of successful team-building and management of staff.

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

Application materials should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications.

Confidential inquiries are welcomed and nominations are invited.

To apply submit:

• A letter of interest
• Current resume
• At least three references with full contact information. References will not be contacted without consent from applicants.

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity 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 WWUs Policies onProhibiting Discrimination Based on A Protected Class and Prohibiting 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; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay);

WWU 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 360.650.3751 or 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 Westerns 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 at . 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 a sexual misconduct background check.