Title: Executive Director, Admissions & Marketing

VP Area: Admissions & Marketing

Department: Admissions

Published Salary Range: 72,000-82,000

Job Summary/Basic Function:

Reporting to the Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Success, the Executive Director of Admissions & Marketing is responsible for shaping and executing a comprehensive strategy that integrates recruitment, admissions, and marketing initiatives. The successful candidate will work collaboratively across campus, meeting ambitious admissions targets while crafting and sharing the unique Lake Superior State story with prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, and community members. The incumbent actively participates in university committees and task forces while sitting on the Enrollment Leadership Team (ELT) for the Division of Enrollment Management & Student Success.

Position Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Institutional Alignment
● Develop and execute a forward-thinking admissions and marketing strategy that aligns with the university’s long-term goals and President Travis’s transformation agenda.
● Leverage best practices from NACAC, AACRAO, and AMA to ensure ethical, effective, and innovative practices.
● Collaborate with academic and administrative leadership to align recruitment strategies with institutional priorities, including program growth, diversity, and student success.
● Serve as a university ambassador, fostering strong relationships across campus and with external stakeholders.

Enrollment Performance & Operational Excellence
● Set and monitor ambitious enrollment targets using data-informed strategies and continuous improvement frameworks.
● Streamline operations related to application review, transcript evaluation, and admissions decisions, using automation and predictive analytics to enhance efficiency and responsiveness.
● Maximize CRM and marketing automation tools (e.g., Ellucian CRM Recruit) for real-time tracking, forecasting, and reporting of enrollment trends.
● Implement dynamic, student-centered communication strategies through content marketing, virtual engagement tools, and personalized outreach.

Insight-Driven Communication & Storytelling
● Craft and deliver compelling narratives that highlight Lake Superior State University’s distinctive qualities, values, and programs.
● Utilize diverse media channels to reach and engage prospective students, families, faculty, and the broader community.
● Monitor and assess campaign performance and market trends to refine messaging and guide strategic resource allocation.

Minimum Qualifications:

● Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Marketing, Communications, or Business Administration.
● A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in higher education admissions, preferably at the assistant director level or equivalent.
● Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire teams, build trust, and engage effectively with diverse audiences.
● Strong capacity to collaborate across institutional divisions and cultivate strategic partnerships that support the university’s enrollment and marketing goals.
● Proficiency in CRM platforms such as Slate, Salesforce, or Ellucian CRM Recruit, with a demonstrated ability to leverage technology for strategic outreach, segmentation, and campaign optimization.
● Proven ability to design and implement data-informed enrollment strategies that drive measurable growth in applications, yield, and student diversity.
● Demonstrated success in leading high-performing teams with a focus on results, accountability, and professional development.

Preferred Qualifications:

● Master’s degree in educational leadership, student affairs, public policy or business administration is preferred.
● Advanced analytical proficiency with a strong ability to forecast enrollment trends, manage recruitment pipelines, and translate complex data into actionable insights.
● Commitment to advancing equity and access in higher education, with experience supporting underrepresented, first-generation, and rural student populations.
● Familiarity with regional public institutions' unique opportunities and challenges, including community engagement, place-based marketing, and recruiting students from rural and remote areas.

AACRAO Core Competencies
● Change Management: Leads transformational, campus-wide change by engaging cross-functional stakeholders, aligning policy and culture, and embedding new practices into the enrollment management framework.
● Collaborative Decision-Making & Consensus Building: Navigates complex group dynamics with diplomacy and inclusivity to build consensus across diverse perspectives and organizational units.
● Diversity & Inclusion: Integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into all enrollment strategies, hiring practices, and organizational structures; fosters a climate that actively supports representation, equity, and open dialogue.
● Holistic & Systemic Thinking: Applies a broad institutional perspective to enrollment strategy, recognizing how interrelated systems and cultures impact student success and institutional effectiveness.
● Data Interpretation & Application: Translates institutional and external data into actionable insights that support strategic enrollment planning and operational decision-making.
● Leadership & Management: Serves as a subject matter expert in enrollment leadership, effectively aligning emerging technologies and professional standards with institutional goals.
● Problem Solving: Applies a structured, solution-oriented approach to complex challenges by anticipating obstacles, exploring alternatives, and presenting actionable recommendations.
● Professional Integrity: Demonstrates expert knowledge of institutional, state, and federal regulations, maintaining the highest standards of ethical and legal compliance.
● Communication: Communicates with clarity and influence across varied audiences; adapts tone and delivery, provides constructive feedback, and effectively represents the institution externally.
● Technological Knowledge: Utilizes advanced technical expertise to enhance enrollment systems and redesign processes using appropriate, forward-thinking technology tools.
● Professional Development & Field Engagement: Actively participates in professional associations and leadership roles, encouraging team engagement in ongoing learning and cross-institutional collaboration.

Physical Demands:

Work Hours: 

M-F, 8am - 5pm / Nights and weekends as needed.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

In your cover letter, please describe how your leadership experience in admissions and/or marketing has prepared you to advance the mission of a regional public university like Lake Superior State University. Specifically, address how you have used data-informed strategies to increase enrollment, how you’ve led cross-campus collaboration, and how you approach telling an institution’s story to diverse audiences. We encourage you to highlight your experience with CRM systems, technology integration, and fostering inclusive recruitment practices.