Executive Director of Admissions – E-DOA

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in South Dakota.

📋 Description

• Lead the admissions team at National American University to accomplish new student enrollment objectives.

• Report directly to the Chief Marketing and Operations Officer.

• Implement admissions strategies and operational plans that align with enrollment targets and the Strategic Plan.

• Develop budgets for the department, staffing plans, and resource recommendations.

• Oversee the daily operations of a fully remote admissions organization.

• Track lead response times, phone activity, contact rates, appointment activity, application volume, completion rates, funnel conversion rates, student starts, and representative productivity.

• Analyze enrollment forecasts and provide operational insights, trend reports, recommendations, and risk assessments to executive leadership.

• Recruit, hire, train, mentor, assess, and retain admissions staff.

• Set performance expectations, productivity standards, coaching practices, and accountability measures.

• Identify operational challenges and create solutions to enhance admissions effectiveness and the prospective student experience.

• Develop and continuously refine admissions policies, procedures, workflows, and operational best practices.

• Collaborate with Marketing to enhance lead quality, lead conversion, admissions messaging, and enrollment outcomes.

• Work in partnership with Financial Aid, Registrar, Student Advisory Services, Academic Affairs, and Technology Services.

• Manage admissions technologies, CRM usage, workflow automation, AI-driven admissions tools, reporting systems, and operational processes.

• Supervise third-party admissions service providers, enrollment vendors, and OPM partners as necessary.

• Ensure adherence to university policies, accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and relevant federal and state laws.

• Provide operational reports, enrollment projections, performance analyses, and recommendations to executive leadership.

• Deliver leadership, coaching, succession planning, and professional development opportunities to admissions managers and staff.

• Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams on enrollment initiatives and institutional priorities.

• Review admissions policies, workflows, technologies, and procedures, and suggest enhancements.

• Supervise Admissions Managers, Admissions Representatives, Admissions Team Leads, and Admissions Operations and Support Staff as necessary.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree is required.

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible admissions leadership experience in higher education.

• Experience in leading admissions managers and representatives within online, private, proprietary, or predominantly online higher education settings.

• Proven success in managing remote admissions teams while meeting enrollment targets.

• Strong understanding of admissions operations, funnel management, enrollment forecasting, CRM systems, admissions technologies, and performance metrics.

• Ability to coach, develop, and hold admissions teams accountable for measurable performance results.

• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, communication, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Capability to build high-performing admissions teams through accountability, performance management, and professional development.

• Strong grasp of workflow optimization, operational reporting, and data-driven decision-making.

• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments while maintaining a student-centered focus.

• Availability for a minimum of forty hours per week, including occasional day, evening, and weekend hours.

• Ability to speak, hear, read, write, type, use a computer and telephone for extended periods, and participate in virtual meetings.

• Occasional airline travel and overnight stays may be required.

🏝️ Benefits

• Full-time employment.

• Remote work arrangement.

• Opportunities for periodic travel for leadership meetings, conferences, training, institutional events, and other university-related activities.