ASSISTANT DEAN OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, SANFORD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY, DUKE UNIVERSITY

OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Academic Programs, the Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management provides strategic leadership and supervision of the unit responsible for marketing to, recruiting, admitting, and enrolling prospective students into Sanford’s four professional master’s programs. Primary responsibilities include working with school senior leadership on setting and reaching recruitment targets for Sanford’s professional master’s programs, working with program faculty to understand and market these programs, establishing and promoting partnerships and collaboration between individual programs, and guiding the admissions teams in executing a comprehensive recruitment and marketing strategy. The Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, along with the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs & Student Affairs and the Assistant Dean of Career Services and Professional Development form the leadership team for Sanford’s student services professionals and communicate and collaborate wherever possible.

WORK PERFORMED

A detailed description of functional areas and tasks follows:

Management & Leadership

1. Oversee program staff for the Enrollment Management Unit comprised of admissions, marketing, recruitment, and financial aid staff for four professional master’s programs – the hybrid Executive Master of Public Affairs (EMPA), the hybrid Master of National Security Policy (MNSP), and the campus-based Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of International Development Policy (MIDP).

2. The Assistant Dean and their team may also provide limited guidance and support, where needed, to marketing, recruitment, and admissions efforts for the Sanford PhD program.

3. Supervise six director reports, the Director of Financial Aid, Marketing Manager, Director of MPP Admissions, Director of MIDP Admissions, Director of Digital Learning, who currently oversees EMPA and MNSP admissions, and unit operations coordinator; oversee hiring, evaluation, and professional development for direct reports and provide oversight of these processes for their teams.

4. Determine the distribution of responsibilities and support between unit staff and ensure that cross-program responsibilities are understood and undertaken equitably.

5. Oversee unit and program budgets and provide strategic guidance to direct reports as they set and manage their budgets.

6. Lead and facilitate efforts among the various programs and staff to coordinate activities, share information, minimize duplication of effort, and maximize effectiveness.

7. Temporarily fill in for admissions team vacancies and actively participate in the planning and execution of recruitment & welcome events. Occasional travel may be required.

Strategic & Functional Oversight

1. Lead efforts to recruit and enroll diverse cohorts of students and support diversity, inclusion and equity initiatives within Sanford.

2. Lead strategic planning and analysis of recruitment, admissions, marketing, and enrollment data to identify opportunities for growth and adjustment and identify new pools of prospective applicants and enrollees.

3. Develop and maintain knowledge of the competitive environment for public-policy-related professional graduate programs, the pool of prospective students for these programs, and Sanford’s competitors among top-ranked public policy schools; maintain awareness of peer program requirements, offerings, and key deadlines.

4. Ensure that Duke and Sanford policies and institutional mandates and requirements are applied and met.

5. Act as the final decision maker on admissions and financial aid decisions for special cases and/or borderline applicants.

Partnerships & Collaboration

1. Build on existing partnerships across Sanford, Duke, and beyond, and explore new ways to extend the Sanford brand beyond its current reach.

2. Lead recruitment planning for the school’s four graduate programs to meet enrollment goals and objectives. Coordinate recruitment, marketing & financial aid efforts to ensure alignment with school leadership objectives. Utilizes historical data & industry knowledge to form a strategic marketing & enrollment plan unique to each graduate program.

3. Provide timely updates, data and projections related to enrollment management functions, and reports on unit performance to Sanford leadership including the Dean, Associate Dean of Academic Programs, Associate Dean of Faculty, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Senior Associate Dean of Finance and Administration, faculty directors of the graduate programs, and other members of the Senior Leadership Team.

4. Partners with the Sanford Finance Director to understand and outline program goals, enrollment needs and revenue targets and how these things impact Sanford’s financial situation.

5. Coordinate enrollment management efforts and marketing plans with the Associate Dean of Communications & Marketing to ensure that program-level marketing is aligned with Sanford communications and marketing strategies and designs.

6. Represent the Sanford School on university admissions-related committees as requested.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required of personnel so classified.
Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

EDUCATION/TRAINING:
The work requires deep knowledge of recruitment, admissions, marketing, and enrollment management, as well as analytical, organizational and communications skills generally acquired through a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, business, accounting or a related field. A master’s degree or higher from a professional program or an allied discipline in management and administration is preferred.

EXPERIENCE
This position requires at least six years of experience in a college or university setting, ideally in admissions, enrollment management, or marketing at the graduate level. Experience leading teams of professionals is also required.  Additionally, experience in management and administration in a university setting, with broad knowledge of higher education issues, preferably at a graduate or professional school level is preferred.

OR ANY OTHER EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCTION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

In addition, the successful candidate will possess the following qualities/attributes:
Positive leadership, creativity, and initiative as well as problem-solving and attention to detail.
Outstanding management and leadership skills and experience overseeing a team of enrollment management professionals.
Knowledge of Slate or other enrollment management CRMs and proficiency in using these tools to support recruitment and yield processes.
Demonstrated success in identifying and recruiting diverse populations of students.
Knowledge of international student recruitment and the unique needs of these applicants.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; strong interpersonal skills, cultural-awareness, and the ability to work with diverse populations.
A focus on data-driven decision making and experience in setting up processes that identify and operationalize important metrics.
Capacity to exercise independent judgement and weigh all implications of decisions for individuals and programs.
Collaborative spirit and willingness to partner with and work with others.
Demonstrated ability to work with faculty and senior leaders to identify key priorities and craft strategic plans.

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.