Executive Director

Executive Director

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Announcement

 Details 

Open Date  | 04/13/2026
Requisition Number  | PRN44725B
Job Title  | Executive Director
Working Title  | Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives and Operations, SESS
Career Progression Track  | UGR
Track Level  |
FLSA Code  | Executive
Patient Sensitive Job Code?  | No
Standard Hours per Week  | 40
Full Time or Part Time?  | Full Time
Shift  | Day
Work Schedule Summary  | Full-time, standard business hours; occasional evening/weekend work as needed.
VP Area  | Academic Affairs
Department  | 02404 - SVP Strategic Enrollment
Location  | Campus
City  | Salt Lake City, UT
Type of Recruitment  | External Posting
Pay Rate Range  | $130,000
Close Date  | 06/13/2026
Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time)  |

Job Summary 
Provides strategic and operational leadership supporting the Senior Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment and Student Success. Expands the operational capacity of the Vice Provost’s office by coordinating cross-portfolio initiatives and ensuring timely execution of strategic priorities across Enrollment Management, Undergraduate Studies, University Connected Learning, and partnerships involving the Office of Global Engagement. Serves as the primary operational integrator across these areas, represents the Vice Provost’s office in designated institutional forums, and coordinates initiatives related to enrollment growth, student persistence, graduation outcomes, online learning expansion, and global engagement. Serves as a strategic advisor and operational proxy to the Senior Vice Provost, extending executive decision-making capacity across the Strategic Enrollment and Student Success portfolio. Owns intake, triage, and prioritization of issues requiring executive attention; structures decision frameworks; and ensures alignment of initiatives with institutional strategy, financial sustainability, and student success outcomes.

Responsibilities   
Serve as operational integrator across Enrollment Management, Undergraduate Studies, University Connected Learning, and Office of Global Engagement partnerships. Coordinate and advance strategic initiatives that span multiple units within the Strategic Enrollment and Student Success portfolio. Represent the Senior Vice Provost in institutional meetings, committees, and working groups as designated. Develop implementation plans, timelines, and accountability structures for cross-unit initiatives. Ensure strategic initiatives move from planning to execution and remain aligned with institutional priorities. Prepare executive briefing materials, analyses, and recommendations for leadership decision-making. Drives cross-functional execution across admissions, financial aid, advising, student communications, and technology platforms; resolves barriers and enforces timelines. Identify operational gaps, redundancies, and opportunities for improved alignment across EM, US, UCL, and OGE activities. Establishes performance frameworks with measurable KPIs tied to enrollment, persistence, and graduation outcomes; holds initiative owners accountable for results. Support strategic planning, initiative prioritization, and operational coordination across the Strategic Enrollment and Student Success portfolio. Operates with discretion in high-visibility, politically complex environments. Owns decision intake, triage, and routing for issues requiring Senior Vice Provost attention; ensures appropriate escalation and resolution pathways. Acts with delegated authority of the Senior Vice Provost on designated initiatives and operational decisions; ensures follow-through and accountability. Ensures execution of decisions made in executive forums (Provost, UMT, ULC, SEP governance bodies). Designs, implements, and enforces governance structures across student-facing systems, communications, and enrollment operations. Aligns governance across councils and working groups (e.g., communications, technology, student success) to reduce fragmentation and duplication. Supports portfolio-level resource allocation, aligning staffing, technology, and financial investments to enrollment growth, retention, and revenue outcomes. Partners with finance and unit leaders to evaluate ROI and sustainability of major initiatives. Identifies tradeoffs across competing priorities and recommends resource reallocation to maximize institutional impact. Integrates planning across Enrollment Management, Undergraduate Studies, University Connected Learning, and Global Engagement. Represents the Senior Vice Provost in high-stakes institutional settings with authority and accountability. Synthesizes complex operational and strategic information into clear materials for executive audiences. Supports crisis response, issue management, and executive messaging as needed. Aligns communications strategy with institutional priorities and student experience goals.

Minimum Qualifications 
Master’s degree in Business Administration or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience); ten years of progressively more responsible experience; demonstrated skills in leadership, management, financial planning, quality improvement and service delivery within assigned area; and demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills.

Department Preferred Qualifications: Master’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPA, or equivalent) strongly preferred. Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in complex, matrixed organizations. Demonstrated experience supporting a cabinet-level executive or equivalent senior leader. Proven ability to drive enterprise-scale initiatives with measurable operational, financial, or student success outcomes. Strong analytical capability, including experience with data-driven decision making, financial analysis, or strategic planning. Demonstrated success operating in high-visibility, politically complex environments requiring discretion and sound judgment. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of executive-level briefings and recommendations.

Preferences 
Experience working within a research university or similarly complex organization Experience in enrollment management, student success, online education, or academic administration Experience coordinating initiatives across multiple institutional units; strong executive communications skills; and the ability to manage sensitive, high-visibility projects with discretion and sound judgment. Experience leading cross-functional operations in complex, multi-unit organizations. Demonstrated success driving enterprise-scale initiatives with measurable outcomes.

Type  | Benefited Staff
Special Instructions Summary  |
Additional Information  | The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.

Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non‑Discrimination page.

Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.edu

https://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/ This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members, a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period.

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 University Human Resource Management 
 250 East 200 South, Suite 125 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
 Contact us: (801) 581-2169 By Email: employment@utah.edu