Assistant Director of Admissions

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Admissions serves as a primary contact for prospective students and their families, advisors, and other individuals and organizations involved in the Pennsylvania College of Optometry selection process at the graduate level. Key responsibilities include all aspects of the graduate school recruitment and admission process: helping to identify prospects, managing the application funnel, generating and processing applications from leads, and internal and external relationship management throughout the entire application cycle, across multiple departments at the College and University. The Assistant Director interacts with prospective students and their families during individual meetings, information sessions and campus events (both in person and virtually) to build relationships, answer questions, and explain the benefits of a Pennsylvania College of Optometry and Drexel University graduate education. The Assistant Director counsels prospective students and applicants through the admissions and enrollment process at Drexel. The Assistant Director is responsible for recruiting prospective students both nationally and internationally through attendance at and travel to college fairs, conferences, professional organization events, high schools and community events, employer partner-organizations and virtual fairs within a designated program vertical. There will be an expectation to travel often during peak travel season, which may include longer stretches of time on the road periodically.

The Assistant Director also serves as the primary contact for the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and will work closely with various campus partners reviewing programing, communications, and recruiting strategies. In addition, the successful candidate will participate in recruitment events which may include evening and weekend hours, and as needed provide support for large-scale University events.

The Assistant Director position will primarily serve and be based in Drexel University’s Elkins Park campus.

This position is grant-funded; employment is contingent upon the continued availability of those funds.   

Essential Functions

• Assisting in planning and implementing the student recruitment plan for specific admissions programs or projects; this will include outreach and communication with international student populations as well as domestic
• Conduct presentations (in-person and virtual) and represent the University at career/college fairs.
• Plan and execute admissions functions related to on-campus events for the recruitment and admission of students (e.g., open houses, group visitation programs, accepted student days, orientation).
• Coordinating external and internal recruiting efforts for Pennsylvania College of Optometry; Assuming responsibility for planning, coordinating and supervising specific programs or projects, as assigned
• Corresponding and/or meeting with prospective students, applicants, their families, and others seeking information on admission standards, academic and non-academic programs and student activities; travel as necessary for receptions, forums and presentations to enhance recruitment efforts
• Prepare, evaluate and manage admissions files, utilizing a student information database, centralized application service portal, and document management systems.
• Participate in the candidate on-campus interview process for all programs located at the Elkins Park campus.
• Create new and maintain established relationships with undergraduate counselors and advisors to maintain and enhance the image of all programs offered at the University as well as to assist the University in achieving a diverse student body.
• Corresponding and/ or meeting regularly with campus partners for strategic alignment of College/ School goals and Enrollment Management
• Managing individual budget and logistics around travel and event planning
• Evaluating post event data for effectiveness and future planning and presenting findings to campus constituents
• Working within multiple record keeping systems to ensure accurate and up to date information on prospects, applicants, and event metrics.
• Attend selected activities sponsored by the Office of Admissions, the University and/or its Colleges and student organizations. 
• Assist in preparing admissions data reports necessary for institutional assessment. 

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in or the equivalent combination of education and work experience.
  • (Please review the Equivalency Chart for additional information.)
• Minimum of 2-3 years experience in higher education, preferably in admissions

Preferred Qualifications

• Candidate should have a demonstrated understanding of graduate student motivations and adult learning models. 
• Excellent customer service record, and exceptional communication skills required.
• Candidate should expect to travel both locally and nationally, as well as support our efforts at virtual events.
• Experience using a CRM, such as Slate or Salesforce, and Central Application Services is a plus. In addition, experience supporting international student populations is preferred.

Physical Demands

• Typically sitting at a desk/table
• Lifting demands ≤ 25lbs

Location

• Salus Campus - Elkins Park

Additional Information
This position is classified as Exempt, grade J. Compensation for this grade ranges from $47,490.to $X71,230 per year  . Please note that the offered rate for this position typically aligns with the minimum to midrange of this grade, but it can vary based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, department budget, and an internal equity review.

Applicants are encouraged to explore the Professional Staff salary structure and Compensation Guidelines & Policies for more details on Drexel’s compensation framework. For information about benefits, please review Drexel’s Benefits Brochure.

Special Instructions to the Applicant

A review of applicants will begin once a suitable candidate pool is identified.