Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions - Darden School of Business

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business seeks a visionary, strategic, globally‑minded leader to serve as Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions. Working directly with the Dean, Dean's Office, faculty program leadership, and reporting to the Senior Associate Dean for Student Engagement, this individual will lead a high‑performing team in attracting, evaluating, and enrolling exceptional students across all Darden degree formats, including full‑time MBA, Executive MBA, part‑time MBA, PhD, and the M.S. in Business Analytics in partnership with the McIntire School of Commerce.

This is a pivotal moment for Darden at a time when the school is experiencing great momentum. Darden has reached record enrollments, recently launched a part‑time MBA, and expanded its Executive MBA at its Washington, D.C., Metro grounds. With record rankings as the No. 1 global public full‑time MBA program, record‑setting success with $632 M in philanthropic impact in its recently concluded capital campaign, and record scholarship resources available to top talent, Darden continues to innovate in a competitive global admissions landscape.

More than 30% of the Darden full‑time MBA student body comes from outside of the U.S., and students across all formats are expected to bring global mindsets and perspectives, requiring acumen in leading an international recruitment strategy and experience engaging varied global markets to identify top talent. The Senior Assistant Dean will play a central role in shaping the future of Darden admissions by championing an applicant‑centric and technology‑engaged culture in admissions.

The Senior Assistant Dean will serve as a strategic and operational leader, responsible for shaping and executing a comprehensive admissions strategy that reflects Darden's distinctive transformational learning experience, culture, values, priorities, and leading global position.

• Strategic Leadership and Vision The Senior Assistant Dean will set and execute a bold, forward‑looking admissions strategy for all degree formats that aligns with Darden's mission and academic priorities. This includes shaping the composition of incoming classes across all formats to reflect excellence, breadth of background and thought, and alignment with Darden's distinctive educational approach and position as a top ten global business school.
  
  This role requires a deep understanding of the competitive graduate business education landscape and the agility to adapt strategies to maintain Darden's differentiated position among top 10 global business schools. The Senior Assistant Dean will provide strategic leadership to members of the Communications and Marketing Center of Excellence that supports overall admissions marketing and outreach strategies to build a well‑qualified top of the funnel for all programs.
  
  The Senior Assistant Dean will bring leadership and insight on the evolving graduate business education landscape to inform the school's strategy in pursuit of excellence.
• Team Development and Operational Excellence The Senior Assistant Dean will sustain and develop a high‑performing admissions team of around 15 people, fostering a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement. They will oversee application review processes, manage operational budgets, and ensure compliance with confidentiality and regulatory standards.
• Technology, Data, and Innovation The Senior Assistant Dean will play a key role in fostering a culture that thoughtfully integrates data and technology into the admissions process. This includes guiding the team in using analytics to inform decision‑making, exploring opportunities to streamline and enhance operations with technology, and continuously improving the applicant experience through digital tools. In close partnership with enterprise technology and digital transformation leaders, the Senior Assistant Dean will look for opportunities for continuous improvement in the admissions operating model, positioning digital solutions as valuable enablers of applicant‑centricity, effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation.
• Scholarship Strategy and Financial Stewardship …