Dean of Admissions

Full Job Description

Reporting to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, the Dean of Admissions is responsible for developing, managing and evaluating comprehensive undergraduate recruitment and enrollment initiatives to support the university’s mission. As chief admissions officer, the incumbent provides visionary leadership to the university’s ongoing conversations about enrollment growth and implements a strategic, systematic approach to the areas of data analysis, recruitment, admissions technology, and institutional financial aid polices and marketing practices.

• Provides executive-level leadership for undergraduate admissions recruitment and engagement strategies, ensuring a student-centered approach throughout the recruitment and admissions funnel.
• Oversees recruitment and engagement efforts designed to support enrollment growth, yield and persistence.
• Collaborates with academic colleges, faculty leadership and campus partners to align recruitment strategies with academic priorities, program demand and institutional goals.
• Partners with Athletics, Orientation, Records and Registration, Financial Aid and other campus units to develop and implement efficient, technology-enabled recruitment and enrollment processes.
• Oversees admissions and enrollment processes for student athletes, ensuring NCAA compliance and serving as a certifying official.
• Oversees admissions processes for special programs, including Honors, LEAP, Eagle STEM, Bridge programs and pre-college partnerships.
• Serves as a member of institutional enrollment and data governance committees, including the GRADE Group.
• Provides executive oversight of the Technolutions Slate CRM and related admissions systems to support strategic recruitment, engagement and enrollment strategies.
• Manages data integration and integrity across Slate, Banner, Banner Document Management and third-party platforms.
• Oversees system security, user access, reporting, automation, training, troubleshooting and continuous process improvement.
• Analyzes admissions data and generates reports and dashboards to monitor key performance indicators and support strategic decision-making.
• Remains current on industry trends, regulatory changes and emerging technologies related to admissions operations and enrollment management.
• Oversees all undergraduate admissions and enrollment processes, including first-year, transfer, second undergraduate, readmission, transient, dual enrollment, international and domestic students.
• Reviews admissions decisions to ensure compliance with institutional, state and federal policies.
• Manages the development, review and annual updates of admissions applications and decision communications across Slate and Common Application platforms.
• Oversees South Carolina residency determination, including annual updates to residency forms, communications and compliance with state law.
• Develops and implements merit-based scholarship awarding and notification processes for incoming students.
• Determines eligibility for institutional merit awards and South Carolina HOPE, LIFE and Palmetto Fellows scholarships in coordination with third-party vendors and the Office of Financial Aid.
• Oversees scholarship communications, appeal processes, data reconciliation and award notifications using Slate and related systems.
• Oversees the development, implementation and management of the admissions budget, ensuring alignment with enrollment priorities and institutional goals.
• Monitors expenditures, supports resource allocation decisions and collaborates with divisional leadership to ensure fiscal responsibility and operational effectiveness.
• Provides budgetary insight to support recruitment initiatives, technology investments, staffing and strategic planning.
• Leads, supervises and develops admissions operations and recruitment staff.
• Oversees training related to admissions procedures, recruitment practices, decision review, scholarship administration, data integrity and system usage.
• Establishes performance expectations and supports staff development to ensure operational excellence and strategic alignment.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Seven years of administrative and leadership experience in Admissions, including three years in a supervisory role.
• Working knowledge of all aspects of enrollment management, including predictive modeling, geo-demography, web-based recruitment, social media and other technological applications, and financial aid leveraging strategies.
• Knowledge of recruitment/admissions best practices.
• Exceptional customer service skills and attention to detail.
• Proven managerial skills, including the ability to hire, train, mentor, motivate and evaluate staff.
• Ability to think critically and provide strategic guidance on enrollment- and retention-related matters.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.
• Must bring a strong and collaborative approach to managing relationships within complex environments.
• Sufficient technical skills to master required software.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated proficiency with Slate CRM, including application development, multi-channel communications management, deployment to diverse student populations and data reporting.
• Experience interpreting South Carolina laws and regulations governing admissions practices and residency determinations.

Additional Information

Travel/Overtime Requirements: Occasional evening and weekend hours and overnight travel.

Telecommuting: Employees are not eligible for telecommuting/remote work during their 12-month probationary period. After that time, certain positions may be eligible for telecommuting/remote work at the discretion of the supervisor and in accordance with Winthrop policies.

To apply go to https://winthrop.peopleadmin.com/postings/21248.