Lincoln University
Position Description
Job Title: Vice President for Enrollment Management / Chief Enrollment Management Officer
Classification: Professional
Division: Office of the President
Department: Enrollment Management
Reports To: University President
FLSA Status: Salaried, Exempt
POSITION SUMMARY
As Lincoln University's inaugural Vice President for Enrollment Management, the successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to shape the University's enrollment future by building a strategic, collaborative, and results-driven enterprise that advances institutional priorities, strengthens cross-campus partnerships, and positions the University for sustained growth and long-term success.
Reporting directly to the University President and serving as a member of the President's Executive Cabinet, the Vice President for Enrollment Management (VPEM), also known as the Chief Enrollment Management Officer, provides executive leadership for the development, implementation, and assessment of Lincoln University's comprehensive enrollment strategy. The VPEM aligns recruitment, admissions, financial aid, registration, student records, and related enrollment functions with the University's mission, academic priorities, student-success objectives, and long-term financial sustainability.
The VPEM is accountable for advancing enrollment goals that support the appropriate size, academic preparation, diversity, and character of the student body while strengthening net tuition revenue, access, affordability, retention, persistence, and graduation outcomes. The position provides strategic advice to the President and senior leadership on enrollment performance, market conditions, demographic trends, competitive positioning, financial aid strategy, and risks or opportunities affecting institutional enrollment and revenue.
The VPEM provides leadership and oversight for Undergraduate Admissions, International Admissions, School of Adult & Continuing Education Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, the Office of the Registrar, and Veteran Affairs Services, as assigned by the University. The VPEM builds a collaborative, student-centered, data-informed enrollment culture and partners across Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Finance, Marketing and Communications, Institutional Research, Information Technology, Advancement, and other units to support a seamless student experience from inquiry through enrollment and continuing student progression.
The successful candidate will bring a demonstrated record of executive-level leadership, measurable enrollment results, financial and analytical acumen, organizational change management, and the ability to build productive relationships across a diverse university community. The VPEM must be committed to student access, inclusive excellence, and identifying and reducing systemic barriers that impede students' ability to enroll, persist, and graduate.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Enrollment Leadership and Institutional Planning
• Provide executive leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the University's enrollment management functions, including admissions and recruitment, financial aid and scholarships, registration and student records, international admissions, adult and continuing education admissions, and veteran affairs services, as assigned.
• Develop, lead, implement, and regularly evaluate a multi-year Strategic Enrollment Management Plan aligned with the University's mission, academic program priorities, strategic plan, student-success goals, and financial model. Translate the plan into annual enrollment targets, action plans, measurable outcomes, and clear accountability.
• Advise the President and Executive Cabinet on enrollment trends, application and admission pipelines, yield, deposits, melt, new-student and continuing-student enrollment, retention, persistence, graduation, demographic shifts, competitor activity, market demand, and enrollment-related risks and opportunities.
• Lead or participate in University-wide committees and initiatives that advance strategic priorities, institutional effectiveness, student access, affordability, retention, and financial sustainability.
Recruitment, Admissions, and Market Development
• Lead coordinated recruitment, admissions, and yield strategies for first-year, transfer, international, adult, continuing, and other student populations served by the University. Expand effective recruitment territories, school and community partnerships, transfer pathways, pipeline programs, and other approaches that respond to evolving student interests and market opportunities.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to strengthen the University's market position, enrollment messaging, brand alignment, outreach, digital recruitment, and communication of Lincoln's academic value proposition to prospective students, families, school counselors, community partners, and other audiences.
• Partner with University Advancement and alumni, community, government, and educational partners to develop scholarship support, student pipelines, articulation agreements, outreach initiatives, and other partnerships that advance enrollment and student-success priorities.
Financial Strategy, Aid Optimization, and Resource Management
• Partner with the Chief Financial Officer and Finance team to develop multi-year enrollment and net tuition revenue forecasts, assess tuition and fee strategies, model enrollment scenarios, evaluate discount rates and financial aid expenditures, and align institutional resources with enrollment objectives.
• Provide strategic oversight of financial aid and scholarship strategies, including the responsible use of institutional aid, merit and need-based assistance, scholarship resources, and aid leveraging to support affordability, access, enrollment yield, student persistence, and financial sustainability.
• Direct the development and administration of divisional budgets, staffing plans, organizational structures, policies, and procedures. Allocate personnel and financial resources strategically; monitor expenditures and outcomes; and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, service quality, and institutional results.
Student Success and Enrollment Experience
• Work collaboratively with Academic Affairs, faculty, Student Affairs, and student support units to identify barriers to enrollment and persistence; strengthen the student experience; and advance coordinated strategies that improve retention, progression, and timely degree completion. Establish shared goals while respecting the responsibilities of academic and student-support leaders.
• Ensure that enrollment processes and services are student-centered, timely, accessible, consistent, and responsive. Establish service standards and coordinated follow-up practices for students navigating inquiry, application, admission, financial aid, registration, and enrollment requirements.
Data, Technology, and Continuous Improvement
• Use enrollment analytics, market research, predictive modeling, and appropriate dashboards to assess performance and guide timely interventions. Establish key performance indicators and regular reporting cycles, evaluate results against targets, and adjust strategies based on evidence.
• Oversee the effective use, integration, and continuous improvement of enrollment technologies, including customer relationship management (CRM), student information systems, financial aid systems, communications platforms, and related reporting tools. Partner with Information Technology and other stakeholders to improve data quality, workflow, service delivery, and the prospective- and current-student experience.
• Evaluate and recommend enrollment-related software, vendors, external services, and strategic partnerships. Lead or oversee procurement, contract review, implementation, and performance assessment in coordination with the appropriate University offices.
People Leadership, Team Development, and Organizational Effectiveness
• Recruit, develop, supervise, and evaluate enrollment management leaders and staff. Establish clear performance expectations, promote professional development and succession planning, foster accountability, and build a collaborative team culture focused on service, continuous improvement, and measurable outcomes.
Compliance, Risk Management, and External Representation
• Maintain appropriate oversight of compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, reporting requirements, and institutional policies relating to admissions, student records, financial aid, privacy, accessibility, and enrollment operations. Promote sound internal controls, risk management, ethical practice, and responsible stewardship of student data.
• Represent the University in enrollment-related meetings, professional associations, conferences, community engagements, and external partnerships. Maintain awareness of higher education trends, demographic and market shifts, regulatory developments, and effective practices in enrollment management.
• Prepare and present clear, timely enrollment reports, forecasts, recommendations, and strategic updates to the President, Executive Cabinet, and other University constituencies as appropriate. Promote transparent communication and shared understanding of institutional enrollment goals and progress.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the University President.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Education and Experience: A master's degree from an accredited institution in higher education administration, business administration, public administration, or a related field is required; a terminal degree is preferred. A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in enrollment management or closely related higher education leadership is required, including substantial experience leading multiple enrollment functions and managing professional teams. Significant experience at the director, dean, associate vice president, vice president, or equivalent senior leadership level is strongly preferred.
• Strategic Enrollment Leadership: Demonstrated success developing and executing comprehensive, multi-year enrollment strategies with measurable results. Evidence of achieving enrollment goals, improving recruitment and yield, supporting retention and student success, and aligning enrollment strategy with institutional mission, academic priorities, and financial objectives.
• Financial and Business Acumen: Strong understanding of net tuition revenue, tuition and fee strategy, financial aid leveraging, scholarship allocation, discount-rate analysis, budget development, enrollment forecasting, and scenario planning. Ability to partner effectively with Finance to assess the financial implications of enrollment decisions and recommend sustainable strategies.
• Recruitment, Admissions, and Market Development: Broad knowledge of recruitment and admissions practices across relevant student populations, including first-year, transfer, international, adult and continuing education students. Demonstrated ability to assess market demand, demographic trends, competitor activity, student behavior, and emerging recruitment opportunities.
• Analytics and Decision Support: Advanced analytical and quantitative skills, including the ability to interpret complex enrollment data, establish key performance indicators, use dashboards and predictive analysis, assess recruitment and retention patterns, and convert findings into practical strategies and executive-level recommendations.
• Technology and Process Improvement: Experience with enrollment CRM platforms, student information systems, financial aid technology, digital recruitment and communication tools, and data reporting systems. Demonstrated ability to evaluate technology, improve workflows, strengthen data integrity, and lead technology-enabled process improvement.
• Executive Leadership, Team Motivation, and Change Management: Demonstrated ability to lead complex functions, set priorities, manage change, allocate resources, build and motivate high-performing teams, coach and develop leaders, establish accountability, inspire shared purpose, recognize contributions, address performance concerns constructively, and sustain continuous improvement in a dynamic higher education environment.
• Collaboration and Relationship Management: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with the President, executive leaders, deans, faculty, staff, students, families, trustees, alumni, donors, school counselors, community organizations, government representatives, and external partners. Demonstrated ability to build consensus and advance shared goals across organizational boundaries.
• Communication and Presentation: Outstanding oral, written, listening, negotiation, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex enrollment and financial information clearly, prepare executive-level reports, and present recommendations to diverse audiences.
• Compliance and Ethical Stewardship: Knowledge of the regulatory and policy environment relevant to admissions, financial aid, student records, privacy, accessibility, and enrollment operations, or the demonstrated ability to lead compliance efforts with appropriate subject-matter experts. Commitment to confidentiality, ethical conduct, sound judgment, and responsible stewardship of institutional and student resources.
• University Values Alignment: Demonstrated commitment to and consistent modeling of Lincoln University's core values of Respect, Responsibility, and Results. The successful candidate must foster a culture of respectful communication, inclusive collaboration, and dignity; demonstrate responsibility through ethical leadership, accountability, transparency, and sound stewardship of University resources; and achieve results through clear goals, evidence-informed decisions, continuous improvement, and measurable outcomes that advance the University's mission.
• Personal Qualities and Mission Alignment: High integrity, emotional intelligence, sound judgment, resilience, discretion, initiative, and a collaborative and solutions-oriented leadership style. Demonstrated commitment to student-centered service,
