Associate Vice President of Admissions and Strategic Initiatives
Position Title: Associate Vice President of Admissions and Strategic Initiatives
# of Openings: 1
Department/Program: Admissions 62100
Work Location: Hybrid On-Site/Remote
Campus Location: Arapahoe Campus
Reports to: VP of Development, Enrollment, and Student Success
FLSA Classification: Exempt/Salaried
FTE: 100% (40 hrs/week)
Compensation: $97,700 - $115,000 depending on experience
Application Deadline: 5/25/25
Job Summary
The Associate Vice President (AVP) of Admissions and Strategic Initiatives leads the Office of Admissions efforts and communications by prioritizing work in line with organizational priorities. The AVP serves as the “number two” to the Vice President of Development, Enrollment and Student Success (DESS) and is responsible for coordinating stakeholder support, managing technical projects, communicating the roadmap and outcomes of projects, creating meaningful and action-oriented reporting, and facilitating the operations for strategic initiatives to improve upon the tools, projects, and resources necessary for reaching enrollment goals and ensuring excellent student experience. The AVP serves as the lead Operations staff member for the divison of DESS. In addition, the Associate Vice President of Admissions and Strategic Initiatives is responsible preparing data related to key performance indicators from all departments in DESS.
Job Duties & Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership
• Develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive admissions strategies, policies, and procedures consistent with Naropa’s overall mission, and strategic plans.
• Collaborate with the VP for DESS to develop and implement both long-term strategy and shorter-term tactics supporting Development, Enrollment, Student Success, and Marketing. Translate vision to action enabling independent decision-making when appropriate.
• Create and oversee the vision for operations, technology, and assessment within 14 distinct departments.
• Collaborate with faculty, administrators, and other stakeholders to develop high-impact programs and initiatives to meet University admissions goals and enhance students’ educational experience contributing to the overall health of the University.
• Direct research and collect data to inform decision-making related to prospective student and student experience, and overall health of the University.
• Co-organize (with VP of DESS) and deliver key data for use in University decision making by the Board of Trustees, Executive Leadership Council, and University administrators.
• Ensure the University’s policies and procedures related to enrollment are student-centered and aligned with best practices in higher education.
• Monitor and analyze enrollment and retention trends, and applicant and student demographics to make data-driven decisions for optimizing recruitment and retention efforts and achieving enrollment targets.
• Utilize data analysis tools and techniques to evaluate and enhance admissions and DESS operations, including predicting enrollment trends, forecasting yield rates, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure recruitment objectives, goals, budgets, policies, practices, and actions produce successful student recruitment results, consistent with Naropa’s overall mission, and strategic and master plans.
• Manage and own key projects as needed.
• Serve in place of VP of DESS when needed.
Technology Management
• Collaborate with VP of DESS and the Marketing staff to determine areas of focus for Marketing initiatives.
• Lead exploration of emergent technologies and create and promote related policies.
• Support engagement and efficiency of administrators and staff through implementation of technological improvements in University systems.
• Identify areas of risk and opportunity within DESS, as well as inter-divisionally and develop strategies and tactics to improve and monitor.
• Work with external firms/partners to create, update, and maintain system performance, reporting, and effectiveness.
Student Support and Relationship Management Project Supervision
• Provide guidance to the team, including admissions representatives, advisors, development officers, and support staff, to ensure efficient operations and achievement of objectives.
• Lead and manage student and alumnx support technology developing sound processes to ensure a unified communication platform supporting tasks related to student success and University fundraising.
• Oversee admissions, and collaborate with student affairs, campus and online operations, financial aid office and the registrar to develop and execute meaningful strategies for retention, records, and registration to support qualified students.
• Serve as primary support, advisor, and project manager to the VP of DESS positioning the functional areas to focus on their unique role as strategists, stewards, and leaders in the field.
• Develop and implement strategies and systems to ensure a high degree of responsiveness to external and internal stakeholders.
Minimum Requirements:
• Masters degree, and/or combination of equivalent education and experience, or 4 additional years of relevant experience.
• 10+ years of higher education administration experience and supervisory experience
• Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to deliver timely, relevant, mission-critical information in a clear and concise manner.
• Track record of building strong, professional relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders at all levels and across a variety of contexts, including external consultants.
• Exceptional professional judgment, a high level of trust, and an ability to challenge and an ability to challenge conventions when necessary.
• An entrepreneurial and flexible orientation, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to maneuver effectively in the face of rapidly evolving priorities and work streams.
• A demonstrated ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, lead projects, meet multiple concurrent deadlines, and prioritize.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills combined with superb organizational skills and attention to detail.
• All job candidates must demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding of and appreciation for the values of Naropa University and the capacity to demonstrate an integration and embodiment of these values as evidenced in work, communication, collaboration styles, and other general workplace behaviors.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience supporting teams and comfort with serving as a thought partner on broad, strategic initiatives and managing technical partners and oversight with excellent skills in reporting outcomes tied to key performance indicators.
• In depth experience with managing third party system implementations. Including but not limited to CRMs (SalesForce, Datawarehouse, CMS (wordpress, omni update) information systems, Microsoft office Suite, and more.
Physical Requirements & Environmental Conditions
During regular daily activities, employee must be able to do the following with or without reasonable accommodation: lift up to 25 lbs, stand, walk, sit, handle/finger, bend at the waist, reach above shoulder level and interruptions/distractions.
Naropa recognizes the following holidays throughout the year: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Fall Break, 4th Thursday and Friday in November, and Winter Break, the last two weeks in December encompassing the Christmas holiday as well as New Year’s.
Naropa’s health and welfare benefits include the following: medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, employer-paid short-term and long-term disability, employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment, an employer-sponsored pre-tax retirement savings plan, which includes up to 2.5% employer matching, and a variety of voluntary, employee-paid supplemental insurance plans.
A comprehensive benefits package is available to full-time employees who work a minimum of 30 hours each week. Employees who work 20 – 29 hours each week are eligible for only the employer-paid short-term & long-term disability, employer-paid life insurance & accidental death and dismemberment, and the retirement plan, which includes up to 2.5% employer matching.
Employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week are eligible to participate in Naropa’s retirement plan only, which includes up to 2.5% employer matching.
All regular full-time and part-time faculty and staff, including student workers, accrue sick leave benefits. Full-time and part-time staff positions accrue vacation and personal time. All leave accrual rates vary based on the position, hours worked, and years of service.
The University recognizes the importance of including its employees in its organizational mission and values and welcomes employees into the classroom to “touch the magic.” Specifically, regular employees are provided generous tuition remission opportunities for themselves and their family members.
Naropa University participates in the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program (CIC-TEP). CIC-TEP is a network of CIC colleges and universities willing to accept, tuition-free, students from families of full-time employees of other CIC participating institutions (full-time as designated by the employer/institution). Additional information can be found here: https://www.cic.edu/member-services/tuition-exchange-program.
Naropa University is an equal opportunity, non-discriminatory employer and Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual and relationship violence. This law applies to all students, faculty, and staff.