Executive Director of Admissions Job Description: Alfred State College seeks a dynamic, relationship-centered, and forward-thinking Executive Director of Admissions to provide strategic leadership for undergraduate admissions and recruitment. Reporting to the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Executive Director will lead a talented admissions team responsible for attracting, recruiting, admitting, and enrolling students who will thrive at Alfred State. The successful candidate will build upon recent enrollment momentum while helping the College evolve its recruitment strategy for a changing higher education marketplace. The Executive Director will preserve and strengthen Alfred State's longstanding relationships with high school counselors and other educational partners while expanding the College's reach in priority markets. Particular attention will be given to sustaining strong traditional undergraduate recruitment in New York State while increasing enrollment among out-of-state students, transfer students, online learners, and adult and professional learners. The ideal candidate will be a relationship-driven, data-informed leader who combines strategic thinking with strong operational execution, embraces technology and innovation, develops people, and works collaboratively across the institution to achieve enrollment goals. Leadership Portfolio Enrollment Strategy, Analytics, and Market Development • Provide leadership and direction for undergraduate admissions and recruitment in alignment with institutional enrollment goals. • Partner with the Vice President for Enrollment Management to develop annual and multi-year recruitment strategies based on enrollment trends, market conditions, demographic changes, institutional priorities, and academic program opportunities. • Use application, admission, deposit, yield, melt, visit, territory, event, and enrollment data to evaluate performance, identify opportunities, and adjust strategy throughout the recruitment cycle. • Lead traditional first-year recruitment while strengthening strategies for out-of-state students, transfer students, online learners, adult and professional learners, and other priority populations. • Develop and regularly evaluate recruitment territories using enrollment outcomes, market potential, staff capacity, travel costs, and return on investment. • Collaborate with academic leadership to identify programs with enrollment growth potential and develop targeted recruitment strategies. • Maintain a working knowledge of financial aid, scholarships, affordability, and financial aid leveraging strategies and their impact on recruitment and yield. Relationship Development and Recruitment • Preserve, strengthen, and expand Alfred State's relationships with high school counselors throughout New York State and beyond. • Build productive relationships with community college partners, school districts, BOCES, industry partners, community organizations, students, and families. • Ensure the Admissions Office maintains a visible, responsive, and student-centered presence in the communities and markets it serves. Staff Leadership and Development • Recruit, supervise, mentor, and develop admissions professionals while fostering a goal-oriented, data-informed culture of accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and student-centered service. • Coach admissions counselors in effective student and family engagement, including relationship building, questioning and discovery techniques, telephone and virtual communication, follow-up strategy, program positioning, addressing concerns, and communicating the value of an Alfred State education. • Establish consistent recruitment best practices and develop staff understanding of territory performance, conversion patterns, enrollment metrics, and institutional goals. • Support staff development through coaching, professional development, meaningful delegation, and opportunities for increased responsibility. Technology, Communications, and Enrollment Operations • Champion sophisticated use of Slate CRM as a recruitment, communication, marketing automation, territory management, and enrollment intelligence platform. • Partner with Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications, and technology staff to improve data architecture, communication plans, segmentation, automation, personalization, and prospective student engagement. • Identify opportunities to use artificial intelligence, digital communication tools, workflow automation, and other emerging technologies to improve responsiveness, accuracy, productivity, and recruitment effectiveness. • Provide executive oversight of admissions operations to ensure timely, accurate, consistent, and student-centered application review and processing. • Ensure effective management of admission decisions, program capacity, waitlists, special populations, and related admissions processes. Events, Yield, and Campus Collaboration • Provide strategic leadership for campus visits, Open Houses, admitted student programs, regional recruitment events, counselor programs, and other enrollment events. • Use recruitment events intentionally as conversion and yield strategies, with clear objectives, outcome tracking, and continuous improvement. • Build strong partnerships with Academic Affairs, Marketing and Communications, Student Records and Financial Services, Student Affairs, EOP, ASAP/ACE, Athletics, and other campus stakeholders. • Participate actively in enrollment, onboarding, retention, and student success initiatives, recognizing recruitment and retention as connected parts of the student lifecycle. Requirements: Required Qualifications • Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of progressive professional experience in college admissions, enrollment management, student recruitment, or a closely related field. • Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience. • Demonstrated ability to develop and execute recruitment strategies with a proven record of achieving enrollment goals, improving key recruitment metrics, or contributing to sustained enrollment growth. • Experience using enrollment data and recruitment metrics to inform strategy and decision-making. • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with demonstrated success building relationships with students, families, school counselors, colleagues, and external partners. • Experience working with CRM or enrollment technology systems. • Ability to manage multiple priorities, lead through change, and make informed decisions in a fast-moving, results-oriented environment. Preferred Qualifications • Master's degree in higher education, enrollment management, business, marketing, communications, student affairs, or a related field. • Significant leadership experience within a college or university admissions operation. • Advanced experience with Slate CRM, including recruitment communications, automation, reporting, queries, territories, or related functionality. • Experience developing and managing recruitment territories using enrollment performance, market analysis, and return-on-investment measures. • Experience with out-of-state recruitment, transfer enrollment, online enrollment, adult learner recruitment, or other emerging enrollment populations. • Experience developing or leading campus visit, recruitment, and yield programs. • Working knowledge of financial aid, institutional scholarships, and enrollment leveraging strategies. • Experience partnering with academic programs or faculty on program-specific enrollment strategies. • Experience using digital engagement, marketing automation, artificial intelligence, or emerging technologies within recruitment and enrollment operations. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. If you currently need sponsorship or will need it in the future to maintain employment authorization, you do not meet eligibility requirements. Additionally, please note that Alfred State College is not an E-Verify employer. Additional Information: The salary for this position starts at $105,000 and is commensurate with education and experience. Employees are also offered EXCEPTIONAL BENEFITS! We offer extensive healthcare and retirement options, including the opportunity for a pension. Furthermore, we prioritize a harmonious integration of work, personal life, and academic endeavors to support your overall work-life balance and effectiveness. Benefits options include: Health Insurance: • Cost effective health insurance premiums with 73% to 88% covered by the employer. • PPO or HMO option for personalized healthcare solutions. • Exceptional fertility benefits available. • Accumulated sick leave can cover a health insurance premium in retirement. Dental and Vision: • No cost dental and vision benefits for employees and eligible dependents. Educational Support: • Tuition benefits to invest in your continuous learning and professional development. Paid Time Off: • New employees are eligible for up to an impressive 22 vacation and 13 paid sick days per year, increasing with years of service. • Up to 13 paid holidays annually • Paid parental leave Retirement Plans: • Various retirement options, including a defined benefits (pension) plan. With the pension, retired employees receive a defined monthly income for the rest of their life. • Additional pre- and post- tax voluntary retirement savings options are available. Our comprehensive compensation and benefits package are designed to exceed your expectations, affirming our dedication to your overall well-being and professional growth.