Assistant Vice President of Graduate Admissions Initiatives

Lesley University; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 133,000 - 151,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Life insurance

Long-term disability insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Job summary

Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, seeks an experienced Assistant Vice President of Graduate Admissions Initiatives to lead strategic enrollment efforts. You will oversee graduate admissions operations, data-driven recruitment, and collaborations with academic leadership and external partners to expand pipelines and improve conversion.

The AVP will mentor a diverse team, monitor performance, and develop innovative, student-centered strategies to sustain growth.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, public administration, business administration or a related field.
• 7+ years of enrollment management experience at the director level or higher, with a demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding enrollment goals.
• Experience leading graduate admissions or enrollment management operations within a private university, experience at a similar institution, is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of current higher education trends, enrollment challenges, and best practices in graduate admissions and recruitment.
• Demonstrated expertise in enrollment data analysis, CRM platforms, and admissions funnel management to inform recruitment strategies and improve conversion rates.
• Proven ability to lead, supervise, coach, and develop a diverse team of enrollment professionals while fostering accountability and a collaborative, results-oriented environment.
• Experience working with external strategic partners, recruitment vendors, and consulting agencies to support enrollment initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and contribute effectively to a team-oriented environment, building strong relationships across academic and administrative departments.
• Strong initiative, organizational skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities, projects, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent public speaking, presentation, relationship-building, and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with prospective students, faculty, institutional leadership, and external partners.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, resolve conflicts, and respond professionally to sensitive situations.
• Commitment to advancing the University's mission, vision, and values through collaborative leadership and student-centered enrollment practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Graduate Admissions team.
• Lead data-driven, student-centered recruitment strategies to expand graduate recruitment pipelines and improve conversion rates.
• Collaborate with academic leadership, institutional stakeholders, and external partners to advance graduate enrollment goals.
• Give leadership and oversight for graduate recruitment, admissions operations, team performance, and prospective student engagement.
• Work with the Vice President of Enrollment Initiatives to identify new enrollment opportunities and strengthen recruitment strategies and partnerships.

Skills

Leadership

Data analysis

CRM software

Enrollment management

Strategic planning

Public speaking

Education

Master's degree in higher education administration

Tools

CRM platforms

Enrollment analytics

Job description

The Opportunity Lesley University is seeking an experienced Graduate Admissions leader to join our team as the Assistant Vice President of Graduate Admissions Initiatives (AVP). This is an exciting opportunity to provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Graduate Admissions team. The AVP leads the execution of data-driven, student-centered recruitment strategies designed to expand graduate recruitment pipelines, improve conversion rates, and achieve established enrollment goals. The AVP will collaborate with academic leadership, institutional stakeholders, and external partners to advance the University's graduate enrollment goals. The AVP provides leadership and oversight for graduate recruitment, admissions operations, team performance, and prospective student engagement. Additionally, the AVP will work closely with the Vice President of Enrollment Initiatives, to identify new enrollment opportunities, strengthen recruitment strategies and partnerships, enhance recruitment channels, and implement data-informed initiatives to support and sustainable graduate enrollment growth.

Qualities and Capabilities

• A Master's degree in, higher education administration, public administration, business administration or a related field.
• 7+ years of enrollment management experience at the director level or higher, with a demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding enrollment goals.
• Experience leading graduate admissions or enrollment management operations within a private university, experience at a similar institution, is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of current higher education trends, enrollment challenges, and best practices in graduate admissions and recruitment.
• Demonstrated expertise in enrollment data analysis, CRM platforms, and admissions funnel management to inform recruitment strategies and improve conversion rates.
• Proven ability to lead, supervise, coach, and develop a diverse team of enrollment professionals while fostering accountability and a collaborative, results-oriented environment.
• Experience working with external strategic partners, recruitment vendors, and consulting agencies to support enrollment initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and contribute effectively to a team-oriented environment, building strong relationships across academic and administrative departments.
• Strong initiative, organizational skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities, projects, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent public speaking, presentation, relationship-building, and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with prospective students, faculty, institutional leadership, and external partners.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, resolve conflicts, and respond professionally to sensitive situations.
• Commitment to advancing the University's mission, vision, and values through collaborative leadership and student-centered enrollment practices.

Base Pay Range: $133,034 - $151,175 annually

Why Lesley

Located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lesley University is highly regarded for its graduate and undergraduate programs in the human arts of education, the arts, and applied social sciences. Lesley fosters a highly creative environment in which innovative ideas thrive, theory is integrated with practice and its 6,400 students and 90,000 alumni are empowered to improve and enrich communities.

We offer a competitive benefits package that includes health, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance. In addition, we offer significant paid time off, a generous retirement plan, and tuition programs that enable employees and their dependents to expand their knowledge and skills.

At Lesley University we strive for a supportive and equitable environment where people -- regardless of race, ethnicity, color, sex, physical ability, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or military status, membership in uniformed services, and all other categories protected by applicable state and federal laws -- can participate equally and fully as their true selves in all aspects of university life. Accordingly, the University prohibits discrimination based on these protected categories in any education program or activity that it operates, including in admission and in employment. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the fabric of our institution. Individuals may submit concerns or questions related to discrimination to the University's Director of Equal Opportunity. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity's webpage for the University's entire notice of nondiscrimination and for additional information.

At our core, we are a caring and compassionate community bound together by our passion for improving the lives of others through education, mental health, and the arts. At Lesley, we believe actively advancing our own and all other’s potential leads to a just and humane world. Lesley is the only university in the country focused on advancing human potential through the life-time cultivation of professionals in education, mental health and the arts. We share an eagerness to build just and humane communities in a stressful and rapidly changing world.