Strategic Growth Specialist Enrollment & Market Expansion

Strategic Growth Specialist for Enrollment & Market Expansion

Doane University is a historic liberal arts college with campuses in Crete and Lincoln, Nebraska, and we are looking for a builder to help shape our future. Two positions are available, one reporting to the Director of Student Recruitment in the Office of Admission on the Crete Campus and one reporting to the Director of Student Recruitment in Enrollment Services on the Lincoln Campus.

Doane offers a comprehensive benefits package that supports you professionally and personally, including paid time off, health and retirement benefits, professional development opportunities, and free undergraduate and discounted graduate tuition. Visit our benefits page to learn more.

As a Strategic Growth Specialist, you play a key role in driving institutional sustainability by identifying new student markets and actively executing recruitment strategies to fill them. Moving beyond traditional athletics and performing arts streams, this role requires proactive strategy and innovative thinking to uncover underrepresented student segments, establish new sourcing pipelines, and directly recruit prospects.

The ideal candidate will leverage market data to locate new student streams while acting as a compelling brand ambassador who can articulate and sell the immense value of a liberal arts education.

• Grow enrollment for non-athletic/non-performing arts programs.
• Increase diversity of student populations (geographic, socioeconomic, academic interests).
• Improve inquiry-to-enrollment conversion rates.
• Expand new recruitment channels and partnerships.

• Bachelor’s degree plus at least 3 years of experience.
• Independently uncovering and actively recruiting new pipelines.
• Successfully converting passive prospects into active applicants.
• Using data to target and capture underrepresented audience segments.
• Building high-trust partnerships with community stakeholders.
• Execute strategic plans using innovative methods.
• Use market research and data analysis to achieve goals.
• Communicate through stories that resonate with the target audience.
• Strong relationship building and partnership development.
• Effective project management and execution.
• Adaptability in resource-constrained environments.

• Master’s degree with emphasis in higher education, business, marketing, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of successful student recruitment in a liberal arts or small college environment.
• Proven track record of leveraging a CRM (e.g., Slate, Salesforce) to manage recruitment funnels, track outreach metrics, and optimize applicant pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability to translate demographic and higher education enrollment trends into actionable outreach strategies.

Travel Required:

Yes.

Mobility and flexibility to conduct targeted field recruitment, requiring travel to tap into newly identified geographic territories and demographic hubs. Must be willing to connect with prospective students outside standard office hours.

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary work, primarily indoor.

Doane University actively works to create and sustain a welcoming learning community for all members to fulfill their potential, feel valued, and make meaningful contributions to the University. We are an equal-opportunity employer and seek candidates who reflect the diversity of our society. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Doane University does not provide employment visa sponsorship for this position.

Salary: $53,000 - $58,000.