Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions - Sam Fox School

Scheduled Hours

37.5

Position Summary

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Students, the Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions provides leadership and oversight for the development, implementation, and management of recruitment initiatives and operations related to the enrollment of undergraduate and graduate students within the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. The position is responsible for all areas of student recruitment, including lead generation, yield strategy and communications, admissions operations, and the management of admissions staff. The Associate Director is a highly visible role within the Sam Fox School and collaborates regularly with academic directors and program chairs to develop, execute, and assess enrollment initiatives and tactics. The position also develops and manages recruitment communications that align with school marketing plans. This position routinely analyzes and reports return on investment for strategies/initiatives as well as recruitment funnel key performance indicators. The position requires some evening and weekend work, flexible hours, and seasonal travel.

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis is a unique collaboration in architecture, art, and design education within the context of an internationally recognized research university. Comprising the College of Architecture and Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, the College and Graduate School of Art, and the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum, the Sam Fox School offers a depth of professional education in conjunction with one of the premier university art museums. The School has a strong commitment to social justice, environmental justice, and community-based work. The Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions supports a diverse population of approximately 530 undergraduate and 225 graduate students in the School, and candidates should demonstrate a commitment to creating and sustaining an inclusive and equitable environment.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Recruitment Planning and Implementation

• Collaborates closely with associate deans, academic directors, and program chairs to develop comprehensive enrollment plans for both undergraduate and graduate programs, and implement and assess recruitment strategies to meet/exceed the objectives of those plans.
• Partners with faculty and program chairs on all aspects of the recruitment, admission, and yield process, featuring faculty prominently in all stages of the process, ensuring a broad understanding of each respective program.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for directors and program chairs. This includes, maintaining a proactive line of communication regarding regular admission updates, data reviews, website changes, and responses to specific student inquiries.
• Collaborates with academic leadership on the development and implementation of recruitment strategies for new academic programs.
• Maintains an understanding of the competitive landscape for Sam Fox School graduate programs to include knowledge of key competitor and aspirant program offerings; and recruitment and messaging tactics; developing recommendations to maintain and enhance the market competitiveness and relevance of Sam Fox graduate programs.

Outreach and Cultivation

• Develops strategic partnerships with faculty, academic directors, administrative offices, alumni, business and industry leaders in order to develop and execute pipeline building to advance enrollment success.
• Represent the Sam Fox School at regional, national, and international recruiting events, both physical and virtual.
• Works with the Sam Fox School communications team and program chairs to contribute to the development of personalized marketing collateral, web content, and targeted social media advertising campaigns in support of student recruitment and yield.
• Coordinate with the Sam Fox School communications team and external vendors for design and purchase of promotional items and marketing materials.

Oversight of Admissions Operations

• Manages all aspects of the admissions office operations, including development of policies, processes, and procedures related to recruitment and enrollment, such as data management, application processing, use of recruitment databases, etc.
• Ensures accurate application file and review movement across multiple reviewers resulting in timely release of applicant decisions in order to meet application through enrollment targets. Consistently review funnel conversion rates to remain on target to meet enrollment objectives.
• Responsible for the implementation and oversight