Director of Graduate Admission Operations – Enrollment Management

Director Of Graduate Admission Operations

At Carnegie Mellon University, "My heart is in the work" is more than a slogan — it's a reflection of who we are. CMU is seeking an inaugural Director of Graduate Admission Operations who will bring this passion and dedication to the sphere of graduate enrollment at the institution. The Director of Graduate Admission Operations will help advance the university's dynamic graduate portfolio in order to attract, admit, and enroll exceptional graduate students in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.

In this role, the director will provide expert leadership and coordination of a dynamic academic network in the areas of new student enrollment planning, admission policy development, operations strategy, and technology oversight in support of achieving Carnegie Mellon University's graduate enrollment goals.

Core responsibilities include:

• Serve as a strategic enrollment planning partner to a network of graduate colleges and programs, supporting the Colleges' enrollment goal-setting process, helping to align goals with institutional priorities, and creating awareness around trends and market movement that impact student enrollment. Collaborate closely with academic leadership to develop data-driven enrollment targets, monitor admission progress, and make recommendations to adjust strategies in response to market conditions and changing priorities.
• Lead the development, implementation, and stewardship of university-wide graduate admission policy and practice, promoting transparency, equity, regulatory compliance, and a high-quality applicant experience across graduate programs. The Director will document, consensus-build, and, where appropriate, harmonize admission policy/practice as it relates to application form development/management, fee structures, system support, record retention, international credential evaluation, English language proficiency, etc., while ensuring academic autonomy and individuality is preserved.
• Serve as steward and subject matter expert for the university's central admissions platform, managing daily oversight of development, implementation, optimization, and governance, ensuring the system meets the diverse needs of stakeholders while maintaining data accuracy and security. In close collaboration with academic leaders, the role will work to reduce redundancy, streamline workflows, and enable real-time visibility into application data, trends, and outcomes, as well as other analytics that inform recruitment and selection strategies, and College- and university-level planning.
  
  As SME for the system's functionality, the director will create a platform development plan that expands and matures the graduate admission instance, maximizing capacities that support Colleges'/programs' effective recruitment, review, yield, and enrollment processes.
• Build and coordinate a university-wide community of practice for graduate admission and enrollment management. Convene stakeholders, facilitate knowledge sharing, and promote effective policies, practices, and tools that support programs in achieving their enrollment and academic goals while respecting their disciplinary autonomy. Through effective collaboration with graduate stakeholders, the director will increase institutional agility, enabling the university to respond nimbly to emerging trends, including changes in the domestic market, international student mobility, new program development, and other competitive pressures.

You should demonstrate:

• Ability to build relationships, collaborate, and work well with faculty, academic leaders, campus administrators, and balance multiple stakeholder needs and requirements
• Ability to build consensus in decision-making and execute on decisions
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational and decision-making skills
• Curiosity and interest in building dynamic and sustainable operational frameworks

Qualifications:

• Master's degree
• At least 10+ years experience in admission, enrollment management, or other closely aligned higher education administrative function
• Experience in decentralized university structures and shared governance…