Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions in Spokane, Washington at Whitworth University

The Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions supports institutional enrollment goals through strategic recruitment, admissions management, and engagement with prospective students.

Working collaboratively with admissions personnel, academic leaders, admissions committees, and enrollment partners, the Assistant Director supports the admissions cycle from inquiry through enrollment, strengthens applicant pipelines, and provides a welcoming, responsive, and mission-centered experience for prospective students.

The position is responsible for implementing recruitment strategies, managing applicant engagement, supporting admissions processes, and contributing to enrollment goals. Performance is evaluated based on the effective execution of recruitment and admissions responsibilities, responsiveness to data and established enrollment metrics, timely service, strong cross-functional collaboration, and alignment with institutional enrollment priorities.
Admissions, Recruitment & Enrollment | 40%

• Implement graduate recruitment and outreach strategies to achieve enrollment goals.
• Coordinate the full admissions process, including application review, interview scheduling, admissions communications, and decision workflows.
• Develop, update, and distribute recruitment and admissions communications in collaboration with marketing, including recruitment materials, website content, email campaigns, social media, and promotional stories highlighting student success.
• Coordinate and participate in recruitment activities, including graduate fairs, community outreach, networking events, information sessions, open houses, interview days, and orientation programs.
• Plan and execute admissions and recruitment events, coordinating logistics with faculty and campus partners to create an exceptional prospective student experience.
• Build and maintain relationships with prospective students, families, alumni, advisors, community partners, and other external stakeholders to increase program awareness and enrollment.
• Represent the university at professional organizations, advisory boards, community events, and recruitment activities, including occasional evening and weekend events.

Enrollment Operations & Data Management | 30%

• Maintain accurate and complete prospective student records in Slate CRM, ensuring data integrity throughout the recruitment and admissions lifecycle.
• Monitor inquiry, applicant, admit, and enrollment pipelines; identify trends and provide regular reports to support strategic enrollment planning.
• Track key performance indicators, including conversion rates, enrollment outcomes, communication effectiveness, and recruitment activities.
• Document all prospective student interactions and admissions activities in accordance with Graduate Enrollment Services standards.
• Utilize data and market intelligence to identify opportunities for process improvement and enrollment growth.
• Ensure compliance with established service level agreements (SLAs), admissions procedures, and institutional policies.

Student Onboarding & Transition | 20%

• Collaborate with campus partners, including department academic advisors, Financial Aid, Registrar, Student Accounts, Information Technology, Library, Housing, International Education, and other student support offices, to facilitate a seamless enrollment experience.
• Facilitate a warm handoff of newly enrolled students to the assigned academic advisor or academic support team, ensuring continuity of service and a successful transition into the program.

Collaboration & Service | 10%

• Deliver exceptional customer service by providing prompt, professional, and personalized communication to prospective and admitted students.
• Meet Graduate Enrollment Services response time standards for phone calls, emails, chat inquiries, and application processing.
• Collaborate with Graduate Enrollment Services, academic leadership, faculty, and campus partners to continuously improve recruitment, admissions, onboarding, and enrollment processes.
• Contribute data, recommendations, and operational insights to support strategic enrollment planning and continuous improvement.
• Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

• Associate’s degree. Whitworth considers candidates with a wide range of educational backgrounds and values the skills and knowledge candidates bring through diverse educational and professional pathways.
• One to three years of experience in admissions, higher education, marketing, student services, or a related field. Relevant transferable experience from other settings will also be considered.
• Personal commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith and learning.
• Commitment to the educational mission of Whitworth University as a comprehensive Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.

Core Competencies

• Communicates clearly, compassionately, and effectively with diverse students and audiences.
• Effectively manages logistics, competing priorities, and overlapping timelines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and the ability to learn and effectively use CRM and other institutional systems.
• Develops collaborative and productive relationships with internal and external partners.
• Demonstrates initiative, manages multiple priorities, and works effectively with minimal supervision.
• Exercises discretion and handles confidential and sensitive information responsibly.
• Supports and advances the university’s mission and values through daily work and interactions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in admissions, recruitment, marketing, or student services within higher education.
• Experience using Slate CRM or a similar customer relationship management system.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating projects, events, or recruitment activities.
• Bachelors degree.

Schedule
Full-time (1.0 FTE) | 12 months | 40 hours per week
Whitworth office hours are 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday – Friday

Whitworth University is a Christian liberal arts university. Our shared mission is to provide our diverse students with an education of mind and heart, equipping them to honor God, follow Christ, and serve humanity. We seek candidates who are willing to engage with the university’s mission and integrate their Christian faith into their work.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, faith statement, and contact information for at least three professional references. A background check and sexual misconduct check will be required of the successful candidate.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and maintain valid work authorization throughout the duration of employment, including those on OPT. Whitworth University does not offer visa sponsorship for this position.