Director of Graduate Admissions

: Job no: 521627 Position Type: Staff Full Time Campus: UMass Boston Department: Graduate Admissions Pay Grade: No Pay Grade Date opened: 04 Dec 2025 Eastern Standard Time Applications close: 01 Jan 2024 Eastern Standard Time

General Summary:

The Director of Admissions at UMass Boston will be responsible for implementing and leading a data informed.

admission and recruitment plan for 36 graduate Certificates, 46 master's and 34 doctoral programs. The director will report to the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management and work closely with many campus constituents including Office of Graduate Studies, Marketing and Engagement, Academic Affairs (College Deans, Department Chairs, and Program Directors), Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning and the Office of Global Programs. The director will be a communicator, a collaborator, and an innovator in the field of graduate admissions.

Examples of Duties:

RECRUITMENT & ENROLLMENT

Develop and execute a customer service-oriented strategy for qualifying leads, communicating with prospective students, cultivating strong applicant relationships, and tracking recruitment performance from inquiry through to registration

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Develop and execute a strategic recruitment plan that leverages best- and innovative practices and policies to achieve program-specific enrollment targets
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Assists departments in developing and evaluating their own effectiveness in outreach and recruitment activities, making recommendations for refinements as necessary
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Responsible for timely, accurate, consistent, and clear responses to inquiries from prospective students, applicants, and admitted students
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Identify target markets needing additional attention to increase applications, completion of applications and collecting deposits
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Use data-driven models to segment applicant populations, maximize yields, identify potential growth areas for existing and planned academic programs, and provide accurate forward-looking enrollment projections
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ENROLLMENT MARKETING

Continuously update and execute a comprehensive segmented admissions communication plan

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Collaborate with Enrollment Management Marketing and central Marketing and Engagement to develop recruitment materials that target specific audiences and help enroll new students
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COLLABORATION & RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING

Plan, budget, and manage productive relationships with third-party vendors of recruitment services and technologies

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Work with Graduate Program Directors regarding admission policy/standards, troubleshooting, general communication, and reporting to ensure a smooth process for all applicants
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Develop relationships with appropriate colleges, businesses, international partners, and organizations to generate applications and enrolled students
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Represent Graduate Admissions on University committees, task forces and special assignments as required
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PROCESSING & OPERATIONS

Establish and implement policies, procedures, and standards for efficient and effective operation of the graduate admission process

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Collaborates with Admissions Operation team to help application materials flow efficiently; works collaboratively with campus partners to implement an effective and timely workflow for program reviews of admissions files
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Oversees the development of training materials and presentations for departments, faculty readers, and office staff that employ best practices for the implementation of holistic admissions review
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FORECASTING, PLANNING & REPORTING

Support the achievement of comprehensive, multi-year enrollment goals to achieve academic, financial, and program objectives

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Adopts a continuous improvement mindset in reference to the admissions process. During each admissions cycle, performs analyses of the process/systems, identifies problems, and develops effective solutions. After each cycle, evaluates the results and implements improvements, with the goal of minimizing problems over time
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Examine trends including economic, political, and demographic forces which can impact the program's enrollment goals
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Maintain knowledge of best practices and innovative contemporary enrollment practices, including the use of cutting-edge technologies and effective marketing strategies for graduate students
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Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports to track productivity of applications, admitted students, deposited students, and registered students
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Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree, master's preferre

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5-7 years of experience in university admissions, recruitment, or enrollment management
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Strong record of successful outcomes in the development and achievement of enrollment goals
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Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating enrollment management strategies that support the college's mission and market-driven program priorities
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Collaborative leadership style, including the ability to navigate and leverage decentralized yet interconnected nature of departmental and administrative offices in regard to graduate admissions
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Knowledge of organizational development strategies and practice. Political acumen that supports productive relationships with faculty and other campus leaders while managing change in process and protocols
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Strong technical, organizational, and data management skills, with experience adapting and advancing the use of technology, including customer relationship management, data analysis, and business intelligence
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Proven ability to motivate, inspire, collaborate, drive change, and make tough decisions, with demonstrated experience effectively supervising the work and directing the actions of others
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Strong, demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms
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Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present dynamically to a variety of constituencies
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Ability to manage diverse tasks with frequent interruptions and to meet deadlines with competing demands
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Exceptional listening and comprehension skills, with a strong interpersonal skills and experience working across organizational boundaries to achieve objectives
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Supervisory experience necessary and demonstrated ability to manage and lead a high-functioning admissions and recruitment team
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Experience working with a university marketing team to develop marketing strategies to increase lead generation for adult and graduate learners
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Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.