Assistant to the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Enrollment Management and Marketing

Assistant to the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Enrollment Management and Marketing Job Description: Empire State University seeks a highly organized, collaborative, and solutions-oriented professional to serve as Assistant to the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Enrollment Management and Marketing. This position provides project management and executive-level support for a complex portfolio of university-wide initiatives that advance enrollment growth, student access, institutional effectiveness, and the student experience. Reporting directly to the Vice President, the Assistant serves as a central resource for project planning, coordination, and implementation across Enrollment Management, Admissions, Financial Aid, the Registrar's Office, Marketing, and Partnerships. The position works closely with divisional leadership and university stakeholders to align activities with institutional priorities and facilitate collaboration across functional areas. The primary responsibility of this position is to manage projects and strategic initiatives from initial planning through implementation. The Assistant translates strategic priorities into actionable work plans; establishes timelines, milestones, and deliverables; monitors progress; and facilitates timely communication among project participants. The position also identifies interdependencies, anticipates potential obstacles, brings emerging issues forward for resolution, and supports accountability for project outcomes. In addition to these responsibilities, the Assistant provides executive-level support to the Vice President, helping organize priorities, coordinate follow-up activities, and maintain continuity across strategic and operational matters. Success in this role requires sound judgment, attention to detail, discretion, and the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining productive relationships with colleagues throughout the university. Through involvement in strategic planning and operational implementation, the Assistant plays an integral role in ensuring that divisional priorities are effectively coordinated, clearly communicated, and successfully executed. Duties and Responsibilities Project and Initiative Management - Serve as project manager for strategic and operational initiatives led by the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing. - Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestones, deliverables, executive summaries and accountability structures. - Coordinate projects that span Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar, Marketing, Partnerships, and other university offices. - Facilitate project meetings, develop agendas, document decisions and action items, and ensure appropriate follow-up. - Monitor progress against established timelines and proactively identify risks, dependencies, barriers, and decisions requiring escalation. - Help translate strategic priorities into actionable work plans with clearly defined responsibilities and expected outcomes. - Maintain documentation and institutional records associated with key divisional projects and initiatives. - Support continuous improvement by helping teams document lessons learned, identify process gaps, and develop recommendations. Strategic and Cross-Functional Coordination - Serve as a key liaison among departments within Enrollment Management and Marketing and with university partners involved in divisional initiatives. - Support the implementation and monitoring of divisional and university strategic priorities related to enrollment, recruitment, marketing, registrar, admissions, financial aid, and partnerships. - Help identify connections, dependencies, and potential conflicts among projects occurring across the division. - Coordinate information and materials needed for leadership discussions and decision-making. - Assist in tracking commitments, decisions, and next steps resulting from senior leadership meetings. - Support coordination with academic and administrative units when projects require university-wide participation or approval. Executive Support to the Vice President - Provide strategic administrative support to the Vice President, including preparation for meetings, presentations, Cabinet discussions, and university initiatives. - Help prioritize and organize matters requiring the Vice President's attention, decision, or follow-up. - Coordinate briefing materials and background information so the Vice President is appropriately prepared for meetings and decisions. - Follow up on commitments and assignments made by the Vice President and help ensure timely completion. - Handle sensitive and confidential information with a high degree of discretion and professionalism. - Serve as a trusted resource for the Vice President and divisional leadership team. Planning, Reporting, and Operational Support - Assist with annual and multi-year planning activities across Enrollment Management and Marketing. - Coordinate divisional reporting, including the collection and organization of information from multiple departments. - Support performance tracking for strategic priorities, projects, and key initiatives. - Support coordination of divisional budget planning and tracking in partnership with appropriate university offices. Requirements: Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. - Demonstrated experience managing projects, initiatives, or complex operational work involving multiple stakeholders. - Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and projects simultaneously. - Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. - Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organizational and functional boundaries. - Ability to independently move projects forward while recognizing when issues require leadership involvement. - Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills. - Demonstrated ability to prepare clear, concise, executive-level communications and reports. - High degree of professionalism, judgment, discretion, and attention to detail. - Proficiency with contemporary office, collaboration, and project-management technologies. Preferred Qualifications - Master's degree from an accredited institution. - Experience in higher education, enrollment management, student services, marketing, or a related environment. - Experience supporting senior executives or senior leadership teams. - Experience managing cross-functional projects involving multiple departments. - Familiarity with enrollment management functions such as admissions, financial aid, registrar operations, marketing, CRM systems, recruitment, or external partnerships. - Experience preparing dashboards, executive reports, presentations, or other decision-support materials. Special Information - This position is eligible for remote work. However, incumbent employees are expected to travel periodically to university locations throughout New York State, to support institutional operations, attend meetings, and participate in campus events. - May require occasional evening and/or weekend obligations in accordance with university needs. - Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position. Additional Information: Rank/Salary: Management-Confidential / $80,000-$85,000, dependent on experience and qualifications. We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff. Application Instructions: Applications Due By: Applications accepted until position is filled. If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit the following documents, which are required for consideration by clicking on the APPLY NOW button: - Resume - Cover letter - Name and contact information of three professional reference See the FAQ for using our online system. Please contact us if you need assistance applying through this website. Returning Applicants - Please click here to login to your Empire State University Employment Account to check your completed application or to update your account.