Senior Director of Admissions at West Cliff University – Irvine, California

What if I told you, it is possible to find a Company that lived to educate, inspire and empower others while creating a family atmosphere that truly appreciates and respects their team? Would you apply?

What if I threw in strong Company values, outstanding benefits, and the opportunity for you to make a tangible impact and feel appreciated?

See below for a feel of what the Company culture is (REALLY) like. Hint: it's amazing.

At Westcliff, we are constantly striving to be the best while valuing each of our team members as human beings and succeeding together.

Westcliff is a leader in innovative global education. We are respected for our transformative, technologically advanced programs and initiatives with a focus on excellence, social responsibility, and diversity. Our tagline – “Educate. Inspire, Empower.” – is a summary of our Mission Statement. As it suggests, the main focus of our University is to strive to enhance the opportunities of our students and employees to enjoy success through empowerment, as a result of their education and hard work.

By joining the Westcliff team, you’ll be playing a significant role in our growth, having an opportunity to put your personal touch on Westcliff’s progress as we grow and succeed together!

Senior Director of Admissions

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Admissions provides executive leadership and strategic direction for all

admissions operations across the University. Reporting to the Vice President of Strategic

Enrollment, this role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive admissions

strategy that drives sustainable enrollment growth, optimizes conversion performance, ensures

regulatory compliance, and enhances the student experience from inquiry through matriculation.

This position oversees Assistant Directors of Admissions, Admissions Managers, Coordinators,

and Advisors, and is accountable for achieving or exceeding institutional enrollment objectives.

The Senior Director serves as a key architect of enrollment strategy, aligning admissions

operations, financial forecasting, staffing models, and performance metrics with the University’s

long-term strategic plan.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Enrollment Growth

• Develop and execute a multi-year admissions strategy aligned with institutional

enrollment targets and market expansion priorities.

• Partner with the VP of Strategic Enrollment to build data-informed enrollment forecasts,

scenario modeling, and pipeline projections.

• Lead strategic initiatives to improve inquiry-to-start conversion rates, speed-to-lead

performance, yield management, and new student onboarding outcomes.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Financial Aid, Academics, International

Programs, and Student Services to ensure alignment of messaging, processes, and

enrollment goals.

• Identify emerging market trends, competitive positioning insights, and enrollment risks;

recommend proactive strategies to mitigate enrollment volatility.

• Establish KPIs and dashboards to monitor admissions performance, including

productivity, conversion ratios, cost per start, and enrollment mix.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Oversee daily admissions operations to ensure efficiency, regulatory compliance, and

service excellence.

• Ensure adherence to all federal, state, and accreditation requirements including FERPA,

California Education Code, Title IV regulations, and institutional policies.

• Evaluate and refine admissions processes, CRM utilization, workflow automation, and

reporting structures to drive operational scalability.

• Implement data governance and documentation standards to maintain audit readiness

and regulatory integrity.

• Lead service delivery improvements focused on student experience and enrollment

velocity.

Financial Management & Budget Oversight

• Develop and manage the annual admissions operating budget in partnership with the VP

of Strategic Enrollment.

• Oversee staffing models and compensation planning aligned with enrollment forecasts

and productivity benchmarks.

• Monitor expense-to-start ratios and return on investment across admissions initiatives.

• Conduct resource allocation analysis to ensure optimal deployment of personnel and

technology investments.

• Provide regular financial reporting and enrollment performance updates to senior

leadership.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Provide executive leadership to Assistant Directors, Managers, and Admissions staff.

• Establish performance metrics and accountability standards tied to enrollment targets

and student experience outcomes.

• Lead workforce planning, succession planning, and organizational design initiatives

within the admissions function.

• Recruit, coach, and develop high-performing admissions leaders capable of scaling

operations in a growth environment.

• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, collaboration, and continuous

improvement.

Institutional Partnership & Executive Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the VP of Strategic Enrollment on admissions

performance and growth strategy.

• Present enrollment data, trends, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.

• Act as liaison across academic leadership to align admissions targets with program

capacity and faculty planning.

• Participate in institutional strategic planning initiatives as a senior enrollment leader.

Core Competencies

• Strategic enrollment management expertise

• Advanced forecasting and enrollment analytics

• Budget development and financial acumen

• CRM optimization and admissions technology leadership

• Regulatory and compliance mastery

• Executive presence and cross-functional collaboration

• Data-driven decision making

• Change leadership in high-growth environments

Leadership Expectations

The Senior Director of Admissions is expected to:

• Lead with integrity, transparency, and accountability.

• Drive measurable enrollment results while elevating the student experience.

• Influence at the executive level and navigate complex organizational structures.

• Build scalable systems that support sustainable institutional growth.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

? Have excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, and can quickly establish

credibility with senior executives and line leaders throughout the organization

? 10+ years developing and leading training efforts with direct experience in program

facilitation

? Ability to use independent thinking to overcome department and organizational

challenges

? Demonstrated your ability to partner with Administration teams to design and implement

efficient and effective learning and development programs

? Adaptable, resilient, and flexible, and have built a culture of constant improvement and

transparency as a LEADER

? Drive success and achieve results by setting goals, using measurement methods to

monitor progress toward goals, and tenaciously working to meet or exceed goals

? Analyze and interpret data and leverage those insights into critical decisions

? Lead others and help them learn to make sound decisions under conditions of

uncertainty

? Effectively change leadership behavior through influence and navigate toward results in

a complex organizational structure

? Flexible and willing to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm

? Well-informed on diversity and inclusion topics

? Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree strongly preferred.

• 10+ years progressive leadership experience in admissions, enrollment management, or

higher education operations.

• Demonstrated success leading high-volume admissions teams and exceeding

enrollment targets.

• Proven experience managing departmental budgets and enrollment forecasting models.

• Deep understanding of federal and state compliance requirements, including FERPA

and Title IV regulations.

• Experience leveraging CRM systems and data analytics to drive measurable enrollment

growth.

Limitations and Disclaimer

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position. All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with Federal and State Laws. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an at-will basis, unless otherwise contractually bound.