Director of Admissions & Enrollment Strategy

Palo Alto University; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto University is seeking a Director of Admissions for its residential Palo Alto campuses. This full-time role leads the Office of Admissions, builds a data-informed enrollment operation, and partners across academic programs to meet enrollment goals.

The position emphasizes strategy, equity, and excellent candidate experience, with in-person collaboration and leadership across multiple programs at PAU.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in higher education, counseling, business, or a related field.
• Five+ years of progressive experience in higher education admissions, with at least three years in a leadership role.
• Demonstrated success meeting or advancing enrollment goals across graduate and professional programs.
• Strong command of admissions operations, CRM platforms, enrollment analytics, and predictive modeling.
• Proven ability to lead teams through change, build cross-functional relationships, and communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
• Commitment to equity, belonging, and student-centered leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, multi-year recruitment and admissions strategy aligned with PAU's enrollment goals and priorities.
• Establish and monitor KPIs across the admissions funnel and drive continuous improvement.
• Partner with the VPEM, academic program leaders, and Cabinet to set enrollment targets and respond to opportunities.
• Design and lead an innovative, multi-channel recruitment strategy; build relationships with schools, community colleges, associations, and employer partners.
• Oversee all admissions operations including inquiry management, application review, advising, decisions, and yield conversion with a focus on equity and excellence.
• Lead admissions technology usage (CRM, SIS) ensuring data integrity, reliable reporting, and efficient workflows.
• Build and inspire a high-performing admissions team and represent PAU at conferences and events.
• Maintain an annual admissions calendar with deadlines, events, and cycles.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Master's degree in higher education or related

Tools

HubSpot

Liaison/PsyCAS

Jenzabar

Job description

Palo Alto University is seeking a Director of Admissions for its residential Palo Alto campuses. This full-time role leads the Office of Admissions, builds a data-informed enrollment operation, and partners across academic programs to meet enrollment goals.

The position emphasizes strategy, equity, and excellent candidate experience, with in-person collaboration and leadership across multiple programs at PAU.