Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions - Professional Graduate Programs, Smeal Colleg

Assistant Director of Recruiting and Admissions

Office of Professional Graduate Programs – Smeal College of Business, Penn State University.

Penn State’s Smeal College of Business seeks a dynamic, results‑oriented, collaborative professional to serve as Assistant Director of Recruiting and Admissions for its residential one‑year specialty master’s programs. This highly visible, fast‑paced role focuses on strategic recruitment, frequent travel, event planning, and high‑volume prospective student engagement.

• Lead recruitment efforts for Smeal’s specialty master’s programs, emphasizing domestic travel, campus recruitment at University Park and Commonwealth campuses, classroom and club presentations, career fairs, and external university visits.
• Plan and execute engaging presentations, events, and information sessions—virtually and in person—including regular on‑campus visits and periodic travel to major U.S. cities and international locations.
• Support digital recruitment initiatives by creating targeted content for email, social media, digital advertising, and web‑based channels, collaborating with marketing and program teams to increase awareness, engagement, and lead generation.
• Serve as the primary contact for prospective students throughout the recruitment and admissions cycle, providing personalised guidance via email, phone, Zoom, and in‑person meetings.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders—faculty, staff, alumni, and partners on Penn State campuses and surrounding colleges—to expand recruitment pipelines.
• Manage application follow‑up and yield communications, ensuring timely engagement through Salesforce CRM, GRADS ATS, and other systems.
• Monitor and analyse recruitment data and CRM metrics to evaluate campaign effectiveness, identify engagement trends, and recommend improvements.
• Provide operational and logistical support for admissions processing, onboarding, and international student documentation, aligning with University policies and timelines.
• Evaluate applications and credentials to determine admissions decisions, financial aid eligibility, visa documentation needs, and transfer credit approvals.
• Collaborate across departments and programs—including marketing and communications—to ensure consistent messaging and an excellent prospective student experience across digital and in‑person channels.
• Support and occasionally lead evening and weekend events, including open houses, webinars, and partner events.

• Familiarity with graduate business education environments—for example, exposure to specialised master’s programs, cohort‑based learning, or student engagement within a business school setting.
• Comparable experience engaging with prospective students or academic communities.

• Experience, preferably in graduate admissions, higher education, recruiting, or a related field.
• Success in public speaking, relationship building, event coordination, and student supervision.
• Comfort with frequent travel—25–40% domestic and occasional international—mandated by evening and weekend availability.
• Knowledge of digital recruitment strategies, including CRM‑driven campaigns, social media outreach, webinar promotion, email marketing, and basic analytics.
• Must maintain a regular on‑campus presence at University Park; occasional remote work is possible.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt style to varied audiences.
• Strong organisational skills and self‑management of multiple priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and CRM tools; experience with Penn State systems such as Salesforce, LionPATH, and GRADS is advantageous.
• Valid Driver’s License.

Bachelor’s Degree with 3+ years of relevant experience; or equivalent education and experience accepted.

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