Senior Associate Director, FT Admissions Operations

Northwestern University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision insurance

Tuition benefits

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, is seeking a Sr. Associate Director of Admissions to lead daily admissions operations and drive strategic priorities across eight MBA programs.

You will recruit, interview, evaluate and yield, while coordinating interview processes and ensuring smooth progression from launch to matriculation. The role requires strong strategic thinking, public speaking, and collaboration with financial aid and academic units.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 8+ years of professional work experience.
• Experience in database management and data analysis.
• Excellent public speaking skills and comfortable presenting to large groups.
• Willing to travel internationally, domestically and work evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day admissions operations across the full-time MBA program.
• Recruit, interview, evaluate and yield prospective students.
• Coordinate interviews and manage file reviews and decision releases.
• Collaborate with financial aid, student services and academic departments.
• Mentor and develop two direct reports and support their growth.

Skills

Public speaking

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Databases

Job description

Job Summary:

The Sr. Associate Director of Admissions will play a critical role in leading the team responsible for the day-to-day operations that assist Kellogg admissions in achieving its strategic priorities across eight full-time programs. In addition to creating and executing seamless workflows and processes, this role also performs core admissions duties such as recruiting, interviewing, evaluating and yielding.

Position Overview:

Creates, manages and optimizes admissions processes and procedures that ensure a seamless progression from launching the application to matriculating the class. This includes leading the operations of closing an application round, assigning file reviews, coordinating interviews, verifying evaluations, releasing decisions and confirming deposits.

Serves as a thought leader and strategic partner to aid in the design, planning, execution, and launch of continuous efforts to maintain and build upon Kellogg’s competitiveness within the MBA landscape.

Develops strategic plans for end-to-end business processes and workflows for the full-time admissions team.

Implements innovative methods to improve business goals and enhance the efficiency of admissions operations.

Leads initiatives for senior admissions leadership, focusing on program innovations and regulation compliance.

Liaises with various departments, such as financial aid, student services, and academic experience, to ensure a smooth admissions process.

Manages a team of two direct reports and provides guidance on core responsibilities and individual development and growth.

Models the best that Kellogg has to offer via exceptional customer service to our prospective student population.

Manages a portfolio of prospective Kellogg students and meaningfully engages with them throughout the application process.

Contributes to the evolution of best practices for attracting, evaluating and yielding the right students for Kellogg.

Participates in all aspects of the selection process for the full-time MBA program, including interviewing candidates, evaluating applications, managing applicant pools, deploying scholarships, and delivering decisions.

Creates and analyzes admissions data to identify areas of opportunity.

Collaborates with fellow admissions team members to support key admissions initiatives and to contribute to the strategic goals of the admissions team at Kellogg.

Please note: Some weekend and evening hours may be required.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the admissions process including application launch, file read assignments, interview coordination, final decisions entry, management of decision release, confirmation of deposit submissions and matriculation.
• Participates in the recruiting, interviewing, evaluating and yielding of prospective students.
• Liaise with various departments, such as financial aid, student services, and academic departments, to ensure a smooth admissions process.
• Assists with other projects, administrative duties and initiatives as assigned.
• Miscellaneous
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 8+ years of professional work experience
• Experienced in database management and data analysis
• Excellent public speaking skills and comfortable presenting to large groups
• Commitment to delivering a best-in-class prospective student experience
• Ability to think strategically and execute tactically
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Willing and able to travel internationally, domestically and work occasional evenings and weekends.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Adaptable and flexible with strong change management skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Managerial courage and the ability to make and defend strategic decisions
• The ability to generate and manage innovative ideas and see them through from start to finish
• Proficient at influencing a wide variety of stakeholders both internally and externally
• Capable of leveraging systems, technology, and processes to manage work efficiently
• Forward thinking, innovative, proactive, and solution-oriented
• Quality-driven and results-focused approach to work
• Passion for team-based work with clear dedication for fostering positive, collegial relationships
• Strong sense of initiative with good judgment on when to work independently and involve team as needed
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize competing tasks and projects within a dynamic environment
• Mature professional with executive presence

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or the equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired
• Experience interacting with senior executives
• Experience with talent development or talent evaluation
• Experience in client and relationship management
• Proven track record of client success

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Strong analytical skills
• Savvy with technology and systems including online reading and CRM

Target hiring range for this position will be $95,000 - $107,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:

• At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs.

Work-Life and Wellness:

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care.

Professional Growth & Development:

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources.

Location:

Evanston, Illinois

Department:

Kellogg Admissions and Fin Aid

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.