Careers at Baker

Job Summary

The Executive Director of Graduate & Online Enrollment provides strategic leadership for all graduate and online student recruitment at Baker University. This role serves as the enrollment leadership counterpart to the Executive Director of Enrollment Management, who leads recruitment for the university's on-campus, traditional student population, with the Executive Director of Graduate & Online Enrollment holding equivalent scope and authority for the university's graduate and online populations.

Reporting to the Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, the Executive Director builds, manages, and develops the Graduate & Online Recruitment team and leads the development and execution of strategic recruitment plans that grow enrollment across graduate and online programs. The Executive Director works closely with Marketing to shape strategic marketing plans tailored to graduate and online audiences, and partners with the Office of Advancement to identify and cultivate strategic partnerships, with employers, school districts, corporations, and community organizations, that create new enrollment pipelines.

As a key member of the Enrollment and Marketing leadership team, the Executive Director partners closely with the Executive Director of Enrollment Management to ensure a unified, coordinated enrollment strategy across all student populations.

This role requires a collaborative, entrepreneurial leader who can build and lead a high-performing recruitment team, translate market insight into strategy, and work effectively across Marketing and Advancement to grow enrollment in Baker University's graduate and online programs.

Job Duties

1. Strategic Enrollment Leadership & Recruitment Strategy

• With the Vice President, establish annual recruitment goals and enrollment forecasts for graduate and online programs aligned with institutional strategic priorities.
• Develop and implement comprehensive, multi-channel recruitment strategies to grow graduate and online program enrollment across the Graduate School of Education (GSOE) and the School of Professional and Graduate Studies (SPGS).
• Monitor recruitment funnel performance including inquiries, applications, admits, and deposits, adjusting strategies to improve conversion outcomes.
• Oversee the management of prospective student pipelines and ensure consistent, personalized engagement throughout the recruitment process.
• Ensure recruitment staff utilize the university's Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to track interactions and manage prospective student communications.
• Analyze recruitment data and conversion metrics to identify opportunities for improvement and growth.
• Identify emerging market opportunities and collaborate with academic leadership to align program growth with workforce and community needs.
• Remain current with national trends in graduate enrollment, online education, and adult learner recruitment.

2. Team Leadership & Management

• Build, lead, and manage the Graduate & Online Recruitment team, including hiring, onboarding, and staffing decisions as the team grows to meet enrollment goals.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, strategic direction, and performance management for recruitment staff.
• Mentor and develop staff through coaching, training, and performance feedback.
• Establish clear expectations, recruitment goals, and performance standards aligned with institutional enrollment objectives.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and results-driven recruitment across the graduate and online enrollment team.

3. Marketing Strategy & Collaboration

• Work closely with Marketing to develop and execute a strategic marketing plan tailored to graduate, online, and adult-learner audiences.
• Partner with Marketing to align messaging, branding, and campaigns with graduate and online enrollment priorities and target audiences.
• Provide market and prospective-student insight to inform marketing content, channel strategy, and campaign performance.
• Review recruitment and marketing performance data jointly with Marketing to continuously refine outreach strategy.

4. Strategic Partnerships (in Collaboration with Advancement)

• Partner with the Office of Advancement to identify, cultivate, and develop strategic partnerships with employers, school districts, corporations, and community organizations that create new graduate and online enrollment pipelines.
• Provide recruitment and enrollment expertise to support Advancement-led partnership conversations, cohort programs, and employer-sponsored education initiatives.
• Track and evaluate the enrollment outcomes of partnerships developed in collaboration with Advancement, sharing results with the Vice President.
• Represent the Enrollment and Marketing office in partnership discussions led by Advancement, as needed.

5. Reporting, Budget & Operations

• Monitor and analyze enrollment trends including inquiry sources, application flow, program demand, retention, and completion patterns.
• Prepare regular enrollment reports and updates for the Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing and university leadership.
• Develop and manage the recruitment team's operating budget.
• Ensure compliance with university reporting standards and support activities related to accreditation and institutional effectiveness.

6. Collaboration & Campus Partnerships

• Collaborate closely with Deans, Program Directors, faculty, and academic leadership to support program promotion and enrollment growth.
• Partner with the Executive Director of Enrollment Management to align messaging, share best practices, and ensure a seamless prospective-student experience across traditional, graduate, and online populations.
• Serve as a key member of the Enrollment and Marketing leadership team and contribute to the university's broader enrollment strategy.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree and a minimum of five years of experience in enrollment management, recruitment, admissions, or related fields, including at least two years in a supervisory or team leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated success building, managing, and developing a high-performing recruitment or sales team.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with marketing, communications, or advancement/development functions.
• Strong communication, analytical, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to analyze data and translate insights into effective recruitment strategy.
• Ability to travel to recruitment events, conferences, and partner sites as needed.
• Experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and lead tracking tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven or more years of experience in enrollment management, graduate recruitment, or higher education administration.
• Experience working with adult learners, professional education, or non-traditional student populations.
• Experience partnering with an advancement, development, or corporate/community relations function.
• Experience working in a private higher education environment.
• Demonstrated ability to scale a recruitment team and function to meet growing enrollment goals.

To Apply: 

Submit an online application with a cover letter, resume, and three references at bakeru.edu/application-for-employment or email employment@bakerU.edu.