Executive Director of Recruitment

Arizona State University; Tempe (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Arizona State University seeks an Executive Director of Recruitment within Admission Services to provide strategic leadership for campus-based undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and international student recruitment and enrollment. The leader will guide a 70+ person team responsible for national and global outreach, campus visits, events, recruitment communications, and yield strategies.

The role emphasizes balancing strategic vision with operational excellence, fostering innovation, and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in an appropriate field.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in recruitment/enrollment or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic operational initiatives.
• Experience building partnerships across units and navigating complex organizations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for recruitment and enrollment of undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and international students.
• Lead a recruitment organization of 70+ staff across national and global outreach, campus visits, events, and yield strategies.
• Foster trust-based relationships and cross-unit collaboration to align recruitment with campus needs and enrollment goals.
• Drive data-informed strategies and scalable practices to meet ASU's enrollment growth objectives through 2030.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder management

Team management

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Arizona State University (ASU) seeks an accomplished, innovative, and collaborative leader to serve as Executive Director of Recruitment within Admission Services. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Admission Services, the Executive Director will provide strategic leadership for the recruitment and enrollment of campus-based undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and international students while advancing the university's ambitious enrollment goals and mission-driven commitment to access and student success.

As one of the nation's largest and most dynamic public research universities, ASU operates at a scale and complexity unmatched by many institutions.

The Executive Director will lead a recruitment organization of more than 70 staff members responsible for national and global outreach, campus visits and events, recruitment communications, and yield strategies that support enrollment across ASU's distinct campus locations.

Success in the role will require balancing strategic vision with operational excellence while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

A central priority for the next Executive Director will be strengthening partnerships across ASU's academic colleges and enrollment ecosystem. Recruitment success at ASU depends upon trust-based relationships and shared ownership of enrollment outcomes among academic units, communications, financial aid, orientation, housing, international programs, and other campus partners.

The successful leader will engage stakeholders as collaborators, build consensus across a highly decentralized environment, and ensure recruitment strategies reflect the distinct identities and needs of ASU's campuses, colleges, and student populations.

The Executive Director will also play a critical role in advancing innovative recruitment strategies aligned with ASU's enrollment growth objectives through 2030. The university seeks a leader who understands the rapidly evolving higher education landscape and can respond to changing student behaviors, emerging technologies, demographic shifts, and new pathways to enrollment. This includes reimagining the campus visit experience, strengthening engagement with prospective students and families, and leveraging data-driven decision making to guide recruitment investments and strategy.

As a member of the Academic Enterprise Enrollment leadership team, the Executive Director will serve as a thought partner to senior university leaders while helping position ASU as a destination of choice for students from Arizona, across the nation, and around the world.

The ideal candidate will embrace ASU's culture of principled innovation, thrive in a fast-moving environment, and contribute fresh ideas that further the university's commitment to educational access, excellence, and societal impact.

Candidates must possess a master's degree in an appropriate field and a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible leadership experience with demonstrated responsibility for developing and executing strategic operational initiatives, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

The successful candidate will bring significant experience leading complex recruitment or enrollment organizations, demonstrated success using data to inform strategy and decision-making, and a proven ability to lead large teams, build partnerships across diverse stakeholders, and navigate change within a dynamic organizational environment.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic enrollment leader who is energized by scale, complexity, and innovation and who is eager to help shape the future of recruitment at a university widely recognized for redefining what a modern public institution can achieve while remaining deeply committed to its charter and student-centered mission.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.