Prairie State College

Director of Recruitment & Admissions

Prairie State College$70K — $103K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in higher education, enrollment management, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in admissions, recruitment, or enrollment management.
  • Proven leadership skills with staff supervision experience.
  • Experience in developing and implementing data-driven recruitment strategies.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills for diverse audiences.
  • Willingness to travel and work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

  • Lead recruitment and admissions operations to achieve enrollment goals.
  • Supervise Welcome Center staff and establish performance expectations.
  • Develop and implement comprehensive recruitment plans aligned with college goals.
  • Engage in community outreach and recruitment activities with various stakeholders.
  • Utilize data to monitor and improve student enrollment processes.
  • Collaborate with departments for a coordinated student entry experience.
  • Oversee recruitment events and manage relationships with third-party vendors.

Benefits

  • Medical, vision, and dental insurance options.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts for health expenses.
  • Life insurance provided at no cost to the employee.
  • Wellness program to promote health and well-being.
  • 403B/457B retirement savings plans available.
  • Tuition waivers for employees and tuition reimbursement programs.
Full Job Description
Posting Details

Posting Details

Posting Number
S0412P

Classification
Managerial

DBM Rating
C51

Position Number

Position Title
Director of Recruitment & Admissions

Position Type
Managerial

Status of Position
Staff - Full Time

Union
Non-Union

FLSA
Exempt

Position Summary

The Director of Recruitment and Admissions leads the College's recruitment and admissions efforts, with primary responsibility for growing enrollment and creating clear, accessible pathways into Prairie State College. The Director develops and carries out data-informed recruitment strategies, identifies target markets, builds community partnerships, and monitors the prospective student journey from initial inquiry through enrollment.

The Director also oversees the Welcome Center and supervises its two staff members, ensuring prospective students, current students, families, and visitors receive timely, accurate, welcoming, and student-centered assistance. Working collaboratively across the College, the Director strengthens recruitment outreach, improves admissions and entry processes, reduces barriers, and increases the conversion of prospective students into enrolled students.

Reporting and Supervisory Relationships

1. Direct Reporting Relationship: Reports to the Dean of Admissions & Early College Programs

2. Direct Supervisory Relationship: Supervises two Welcome Center staff members and student workers, as applicable.

Essential Responsibilities

I. Lead Recruitment, Admissions, and Welcome Center Operations
  • Provide hands-on leadership for the College's recruitment and admissions functions and maintain responsibility for achieving established recruitment and enrollment goals.
  • Oversee Welcome Center operations and supervise, coach, and evaluate its two staff members by establishing clear expectations for performance, accountability, follow-through, and student service.
  • Ensure prospective students, families, and visitors receive timely, accurate, responsive, and student-centered information about admissions, academic programs, tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and next steps.
  • Establish consistent procedures for responding to inquiries, assisting visitors, and connecting students with the appropriate College departments and resources.
  • Develop and manage the Recruitment, Admissions, and Welcome Center budget, ensuring resources are aligned with enrollment and student-service priorities.
  • Develop and lead a peer Enrollment Ambassador Program that engages current students in recruitment, outreach, campus visits, community activities, and prospective student events.

II. Develop and Execute Strategies to Grow Enrollment
  • Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive annual recruitment plan aligned with College enrollment goals and priorities.
  • Establish recruitment and enrollment goals by student population, target market, geographic area, recruitment activity, and stage of the enrollment funnel.
  • Identify priority populations and emerging markets and develop targeted strategies for adult learners, recent high school graduates, transfer students, returning students and other prospective student groups.
  • Lead recruitment outreach with prospective students, families, community organizations, employers, and other partners, maintaining an active presence at community, recruitment, and professional events.
  • Respond to changing enrollment conditions, demographic shifts, student needs, competitive factors, and market opportunities by adjusting recruitment strategies and resources as appropriate.
  • Collaborate with other college leaders to support participating high school students' transition into Prairie State College after graduation.
  • Collaborate with Enrollment Communications and Marketing and Communications to develop coordinated recruitment campaigns, messaging, digital outreach, admissions materials, and prospective student communications.
  • Plan and oversee open houses, campus visits, information sessions, recruitment programs, and other prospective student events.
  • Oversee vendor relationships with ReUp and other third-party partners that support student recruitment, re-engagement, admissions, and enrollment efforts.

III. Use Data and Technology to Improve Enrollment Outcomes
  • Monitor the prospective student funnel from inquiry through application, admission, registration, and enrollment and lead efforts to improve conversion and yield at each stage.
  • Use application, enrollment, conversion, demographic, geographic, event, and other relevant data to establish priorities, evaluate results, identify opportunities, and adjust strategies.
  • Identify points in the enrollment process where prospective students disengage or encounter barriers and implement strategies to address them.
  • Prepare reports and recommendations to support recruitment planning, enrollment forecasting, resource allocation, and continuous improvement.
  • Manage the effective and consistent use of the College's CRM and other enrollment technologies to support lead management, outreach, communications, event management, data integrity, and enrollment conversion.
  • Collaborate with Financial Aid, Records and Registration, Academic Advising, Testing Services, academic departments, and other areas to create a coordinated and responsive entry experience.
  • Recommend and implement improvements to admissions policies, procedures, communications, and practices to promote accessibility, consistency, equity, compliance, and operational effectiveness.
  • Additional duties as assigned within the scope of the department


Other Duties and Responsibilities

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements

Employee is subject to indoor work, protected from weather conditions. Work is sedentary in nature and involves exerting up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently/constantly in order to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. This position requires flexible scheduling, including evening and weekend hours.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Master's degree in higher education, enrollment management, student affairs, marketing, public administration, communications, business administration, or a related field.


  • At least five years of progressively responsible experience in admissions, student recruitment, enrollment management, student services, marketing, community outreach, or a related area.


  • Demonstrated experience leading employees, coordinating the work of others, establishing accountability, and providing coaching or performance feedback.


  • Demonstrated experience developing and implementing recruitment strategies, using data to guide decisions, and working toward measurable enrollment or organizational goals.


  • Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, technology, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse students, families, employees, and community partners.


  • Ability and willingness to travel locally and work evenings and weekends as required.


  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond to changing enrollment conditions, and follow through on commitments.


  • Commitment to providing welcoming, equitable, responsive, and student-centered service.


  • Knowledge of student privacy requirements and applicable federal and state regulations, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.


  • Ability to stay current on recruitment trends, admissions practices, enrollment technologies, demographic changes, and student expectations.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience leading recruitment or admissions efforts within a community college.


  • Experience recruiting adult learners, recent high school graduates, returning students, transfer students, or other targeted populations.


  • Experience using CRM systems, digital recruitment tools, enrollment communications, and data dashboards.


Anticipated Work Hours and Days

Salary
$70,000 - $103,215

Benefits

What We Offer
Medical

Vision

Dental

Flexible Spending Accounts

Life Insurance (at no cost to You!)

Wellness Program

403B/ 457B Retirement Savings

PSC Tuition Waivers

Tuition Reimbursement

and much more!

Posting Date
09/15/2026

Closing Date

Open Until Filled
Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

All applications must be submitted electronically on the website.

About Prairie State College

Prairie State College is a public community college in Chicago Heights, Illinois. It is the only college operated by Illinois Community College District 515.
Learn more about Prairie State College

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