Admissions Advisor

Meridian University; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k)

PTO + holidays

Spotify/Calm/Audible subscriptions

Weekly catered team lunches

Commuter support

Job summary

Meridian University is seeking a thoughtful, relationship-driven admissions liaison to guide prospective students through the admissions process for master’s and doctoral programs. You will build genuine connections, listen carefully, ask good questions, and help each person understand whether Meridian is the right fit for them.

The role centers on relationship development, applicant support, and cross-department collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher is required.
• Strong alignment with Meridian's curriculum, mission and values.
• Experience guiding applicants toward meaningful decisions, not just customer service.
• Comfortable with relational, one-on-one conversations with individuals facing major life choices.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-management with reliable follow-through and organized pipeline management.

Responsibilities

• Build authentic relationships with prospective students in person, by phone, and globally.
• Lead informational sessions on admissions pathways, requirements, and next steps.
• Guide applicants through decisions with individualized attention.
• Nurture a pipeline of prospects with consistent follow-up.
• Maintain records and process integrity using Salesforce.
• Collaborate across departments and drive cross-domain initiatives.

Skills

Relational conversations

Guidance toward decisions

Strong communication

Self-management

Accountability

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft 365

Job description

About the Position

Meridian University is seeking a thoughtful, relationship-driven team member to guide prospective students through the admissions process. In this role, you will build genuine connections with prospective postgraduate professionals seeking a transformative education — listening carefully, asking good questions, and helping each person understand whether Meridian is the right fit for them.

The Meridian curriculum is innovative, experiential, and transformative — designed for master's and doctoral students engaged in fields such as coaching, psychotherapy, organizational development, social healing, social entrepreneurship, and transformative leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Relationship & Prospect Development

• Build authentic, sustained relationships with prospective students — in person, by phone, and globally
• Facilitate live informational sessions that help prospective students understand admissions pathways, requirements, and next steps
• Guide applicants through the decision-making process with individualized attention and care
• Nurture a pipeline of prospective students with consistent, thoughtful follow-through

Applicant Support

• Support applicants through form submissions, document completion, and application requirements
• Serve as a responsive, knowledgeable point of contact throughout the application process
• Maintain a deep and current understanding of Meridian's programs, concentrations, and admissions criteria
  

Operations & Collaboration

• Maintain accurate records and process integrity using Salesforce and internal workflows
• Contribute to team processes and cross-domain initiatives with reliability and ownership
• Provide support across departments and facilities as needed

Mindset & Approach

• Relational — You are genuinely interested in people. You listen well, ask thoughtful questions, and make prospective students feel heard — not managed.
• Ownership — You follow through. You manage your own pipeline, keep your commitments, and don't wait to be asked before closing a loop.
• Mission‑aligned — You understand what Meridian is and what it isn't. You represent it honestly, and you care whether the students you admit are truly the right fit.
• Adaptable — You are comfortable with a role that evolves. Priorities shift, processes improve, and new needs emerge — you move with that rather than against it.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher
• Strong alignment with Meridian's curriculum, mission, and values
• Experience providing individualized guidance toward meaningful decisions — not just customer service
• Genuine comfort in relational, one‑on‑one conversations, including with people navigating significant life choices
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Self‑management capabilities: reliable follow‑through, organized pipeline management, and proactive communication

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in psychology, education, coaching, or a related field
• Experience in an admissions, advising, or student‑facing role
• Familiarity with Salesforce or a comparable CRM
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, etc.)
• Experience working in a fast‑moving, startup‑style environment

Alignment with Meridian's Core Values

Success in this role requires genuine embodiment of Meridian's core values: Humility, Kindness, Self‑Management, Engagement, Productivity, Accountability, and Innovation. Team members at Meridian are self‑starters who manage their responsibilities well, work with a focus on accountability, and continually look to improve the processes they are responsible for.

Geographic Residency Requirement

This full‑time position is based at Meridian University's Los Angeles Campus (LAC), located in Santa Monica, CA, and it is required to be performed on‑site. Given the nature of the duties associated with this position, punctuality, i.e., the ability to arrive at work when and as required by Meridian, is a critical requirement. To ensure that the person selected for this position will be successful in it, the selected candidate must either reside in or be willing to relocate their residency to a place that is within a maximum commuting distance of 20 miles or 45 minutes to Meridian's LAC. Should relocation be required, the selected candidate is expected to relocate, at their own expense, within forty‑five (45) days of their full‑time start date, unless a later period has been pre‑authorized by Meridian.

Benefits

• Health: Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Retirement: 401(k)
• Time Off: PTO + sick time + paid holidays
• Wellbeing: Spotify, Calm, and Audible subscriptions
• Meals: Weekly catered team lunches + coffee & snacks stipend
• Commuter support

About Meridian University

Founded more than 30 years ago, Meridian University enrolls students globally in its unique, hybrid and 100% online graduate degree, certificate, and public programs. The University offers master's and doctoral programs in Psychology, Education and Business with diverse concentrations available within each of these programs.

Meridian graduates engage in varied professional contexts that include coaching, psychotherapy, organizational development, facilitation, social healing, social entrepreneurship, and transformative leadership. The University's integrated, innovative curriculum is designed to be experiential and transformative.

Meridian University's facilities include the Los Angeles Campus, San Francisco Bay Area Center, and additional centers outside of California.

Application & Onboarding Process

Select applicants are invited to a 15‑minute initial interview, followed by a 30‑minute second interview. Final candidates proceed to a mutual diligence stage, which may include assessments tailored to the role. Candidates who advance are offered a paid, multi‑week project‑based contract prior to any full‑time offer. Full‑time team members complete a structured four‑week onboarding process with a dedicated onboarding manager. Meridian University reserves the right to deviate from the outlined process as required for the role being filled.

Meridian is committed to diversity across all criteria‑of‑difference in its staff, faculty, and students. Meridian does not consider race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status in hiring or admissions decisions.