Executive Director of Admissions

WWU College of Business & Economics, Bellingham, WA, United States

Position Title

Western Washington University is a public university located in Bellingham, Washington. The Executive Director of Admissions leads a team of approximately 30 permanent staff and a larger student staff to develop and execute the university’s admissions and recruitment strategies.

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 day‑to‑day operations of the admissions office, including application processing, review, and final decision‑making.
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 planning and coordination of on‑campus recruitment events, campus tours, info sessions, group events, fall preview events, admitted student days, and college fairs.
Marketing and Communication: Collaborate with University Marketing to develop and distribute promotional materials across print, web, email, text, and social media.
Data Analysis and Reporting: Collect, analyze, interpret enrollment data, evaluate effectiveness of recruitment strategies, identify trends, and provide regular reports to senior leadership.
Operational Excellence & Technological Fluency: Leverage Slate CRM and a strong understanding of the enrollment management lifecycle to enhance systems and processes; collaborate with IT, research, and administrative units.
Collaboration and Liaison: Work closely with departments such as Financial Aid, Academic Advising, Orientation & Transition, University Residences, the Registrar’s Office, academic units, and Athletics to ensure a seamless experience for new students.
Policy and Compliance: Provide guidance in developing and enforcing admissions policies and procedures in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Budget Management: Plan, develop, and control the departmental budget, ensuring effective utilization of financial resources.

Leadership of Recruitment and Admissions (40%)

Practice sound modeling, assessment, and strategic planning to support the university's vision and strategic goals.
Collaborate with partners to build recruitment plans, develop timelines, and execute admissions and recruitment plans.
Stay current with national and regional trends in university admissions and high schools.
Serve as a key contributor to enrollment management planning.
Develop strategies to recruit new students in a changing enrollment landscape.
Research industry practices and implement procedures consistent with best practices.
Review applications for admission, providing decisions on complex files.
Oversee design of processes for efficient application tracking.
Serve as final authority on appeals of admission and scholarship decisions.
Work with Enrollment Management and others to set scholarship models.
Identify and implement effective awarding strategies for admissions scholarships and tuition waivers in collaboration with the Vice Provost.
Collaborate with Enrollment Management colleagues to align the work of the Admissions Office with campus enrollment goals, including increasing access and diversity.
Research, assess, and prioritize the university’s positioning on College Search platforms.
Guide and provide expertise in developing communications strategies for admissions, ensuring content is clear, accessible, inclusive, and represents the university well.

Management of Staff (15%)

Model, support, and hold others accountable to the university’s values of integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork.
Provide overall direction and supervision of staff with diverse job responsibilities, demonstrating effective leadership in training, motivating, and counseling.
Work with stakeholders to assess change readiness and provide direct support through transitions.
Set strong example and standards for excellent customer service.
Ensure training of new employees and support development of teamwork, equity, and investment.
Set clear performance expectations and hold employees accountable.
Exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, coaching, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, and approving hours for at least three direct reports.
Communicate regularly with leadership team and all staff about issues impacting operations.

Represent the Team and the University (20%)

Serve as spokesperson for admissions at recruitment events (on campus and off).
Represent the office professionally among internal and external constituents.
Serve on campus and external committees, boards, or task forces.
Establish and maintain strong collegial relationships with students, families, faculty, administrators, and community members.
Actively participate in professional meetings, conferences, and workshops.
Meet and communicate regularly with colleagues in similar positions at other institutions.
Consult with deans, directors, staff, and faculty on admissions matters.
Serve as the campus point of contact for admissions‑related matters.
Serve as a resource for all academic departments.
Routine admissions presentations and participation in related events.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.

Reporting and Data Analysis (15%)

Approve all reporting on admissions to external organizations and national surveys.
Compile and distribute year‑end reports on recruitment trends and outcomes.
Lead annual assessment and strategic planning efforts for the office.
Develop strategies to track key performance indicators through the admissions cycle.
Anticipate problems where data or trends indicate issues and develop mitigation plans.
Report progress to goals and admissions activities to the Vice Provost and others.
Prepare reports for leadership, Board of Trustees, high schools, community partners, and others.
Analyze data for long‑range and short‑range planning.
Utilize systems effectively to optimize team workflow.
Analyze data to evaluate outreach and marketing effectiveness and adjust accordingly.
Formulate and apply research in developing admissions policies that promote recruitment, retention, and student success.

Compliance, Policy, and Budget (10%)

Monitor statutory, regulatory, and policy changes affecting recruitment and admissions.
Develop plans for implementation of changes to regulations and policies.
Advise leadership on implications of legislative policy proposals.
Take steps to improve process efficiencies through new technology and process enhancements.
Ensure ethical standards of the profession are upheld by the team.
Have fiscal responsibility for the office operating budget, including salaries and expenditures; provide long‑term planning and budget projections.

Required Qualifications

Master’s degree.
Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in college recruitment and admissions.
Minimum 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 applicants' academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.
Excellent communication skills.
Understanding of innovative technology and media in recruitment and admissions, including knowledge 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.
Strong record of successful team‑building and management of staff.

Conditions of Employment

All employees must comply with the university’s immunization policies, including proof of Rubeola (measles) immunity within 60 days of hire. All new employees must comply with employment eligibility verification requirements of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before beginning work. A background check, including a sexual misconduct background check, will be conducted on all new hires.

Benefits Overview

Benefits information is available upon request.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Western Washington University is an equal‑opportunity employer. In compliance with applicable laws, the university does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, citizenship, pregnancy, protected leave, genetic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, religion, veteran or military status, disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability. For more information consult the university’s policies on prohibiting discrimination based on protected class and sex.

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