Director, Diversity Recruitment - Undergraduate Admissions

University of Tennessee 

Knoxville, TN

 

Director, Diversity Recruitment - Undergraduate Admissions

 

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, (UTK) invites applications and nominations for a Director of Diversity Recruitment.  The director must be champion of diversity, equity and inclusion and lead with a spirit of humanity, generosity, and empathy.

 

The University and Region

UTK  is the state’s flagship, land-grant university.  We are a Research 1 university with 11 colleges and more than 30,000 students.  With new leadership at the system, university, and college levels, UTK is poised for dramatic positive change focused on solving some of the most audacious, pressing problems our country and world face today. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem surrounded by eight gorgeous lakes, with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene including internationally recognized festivals, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of diverse cultural and outdoor activities. UTK is located within easy driving distance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Atlanta, Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Louisville and Cincinnati. It is only a day’s drive to Memphis, Chicago, and Washington D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a population of more than 850,000 people. 

 

The Division

The Enrollment Management (EM) division comprises more than 150 full-time staff who serve our students through the following departments and functions: Undergraduate Admissions, International Recruitment, Transfer Center, One Stop Student Services, Financial Aid and Scholarships, University Registrar, EM Communications, and Research & Analytics. The Office of Enrollment Management is committed to our Vision, Mission and  Values. We are passionate about fulfilling our land-grant mission of accessible education and making an impact that will transform lives through the student experience. 

 

The Position

Reporting directly to the Associate Vice Provost (AVP) for Enrollment Management and Executive Director for Undergraduate Admissions, the Director of Diversity Recruitment will set strategic direction, primary leadership, and vision for diversity recruitment, regarding all facets of recruitment in support of achieving institutional enrollment goals for undergraduate students. This position serves as a key liaison with all academic and administrative offices to assist in the recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds. This position will strategically focus on diversity efforts in the broadest sense (racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, geographic, first-gen, socioeconomic, rural, etc.). Collaborating with the Associate Director for Freshman Recruitment, the director will provide strategic leadership and goal setting for programing/initiatives that impact diversity recruitment and enrollment and implement market driven strategies among the admissions recruitment staff. The position will supervise three (3) professional staff, including two (2) admissions counselors and a coordinator

 

The Director will develop a strategy and vision around community-based organizations and access programs. The strategy will be focused on creating partnerships that not only impact students and their local communities, but also create enrollment pathways to the University. The Director will collaborate closely with internal campus partners to align and develop a community partnership strategy. The Director must prioritize initiatives, manage resources- including developing and overseeing budget, establish benchmarks to assess success, and ultimately drive enrollments from diverse populations and unrepresented students to the University. 

 

The Director serves as a member of the AVP’s Senior Staff, providing leadership to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, including influencing decision making, broad strategies, utilization of staffing and operational resources and goal obtainment.

 

The Director is charged with designing and implementing comprehensive freshman recruitment strategy , identifying new and innovative approaches to recruitment for all markets. The successful candidate will incorporate data-driven decision making and personalized recruitment efforts,  which include communication strategies, events, campus and community partnerships, and building and maintaining successful relationships with high school counselors.

 

 

Required Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree. 

• A minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible work experience including three (3) years of experience in higher education or related field (high school counseling, recruitment, sales or marketing) overseeing recruitment management functions as well as hiring, coaching and managing a team.

• Strategic planning experience (examples include territory management, report building and maintenance, and the use of data driven decision making for planning and strategy development)

• Leadership & managerial experience – specifically leading a team of staff, motivating top performance, encouraging creativity, reinforcing organizational and institutional vision as team contributes to broad department and university goals.

• Demonstrated experience in relationship building and territory management.

• Experience working with diverse populations

 

Preferred Education and Experience: 

• Master’s degree. 

• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education overseeing recruitment management functions as well as hiring, coaching, and managing a team. 

• Experience using CRM's, enterprise databases, web-based content management systems.

• Knowledge of enrollment management operations including transfer recruitment, admissions, and the enrollment cycle. 

 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Must be adaptable, strategic, analytical, creative problem solver, and organized self-starter who is able to think unconventionally. 

• Ability to deliver polished results. Highly developed communication, organization, and presentation skills.

• Ability to meet critical deadlines, effectively collaborate with internal and external stakeholders. 

• Ability to provide proactive solutions to complex recruitment challenges. 

• Must handle confidential information in a discreet manner. Proven ability to supervise a team and evaluate the work of others. 

• Ability to communicate and work with a variety of people of varying backgrounds; ability to counsel students and their families. 

• Excellent computer skills, including MS Office proficiency. Ability to adapt to changing technologies, processes and procedures. 

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize a wide variety of job duties based on business value.

• Ability to read and evaluate applications for admission and provide direction for admissions staff.

• Ability to travel to key territories for student recruitment, high school visits, events, counselor outreach.

 

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of CRM lead/prospect management systems. 

• Knowledge of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville policies, procedures, and processes.

 

Applicants should submit a cover letter detailing relevant experience along with a resume and the name, e-mail address, and telephone number of three (3) to five (5) professional references. A valid driver’s license is required.

 

Apply Online:

http://50.73.55.13/counter.php?id=191213

 

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.