Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions

The mission of The University of Bridgeport is to promote academic excellence, personal responsibility, and commitment to service. Distinctive curricula in an international, culturally diverse supportive learning environment prepare graduates for life and leadership in an increasingly interconnected world.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions reports directly to the Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Enrollment Management and is a key leader within the Enrollment Management division. This position is responsible for growing domestic graduate enrollment at the University of Bridgeport by building and converting a strong applicant pipeline, developing new recruitment markets and partnerships, and leading a team of Graduate Admissions Counselors to achieve individual and team enrollment goals.

The ideal candidate is a results-driven recruiter and an engaged people focused leader. Someone who personally carries a recruitment territory, coaches counselors to performance, uses data to manage the funnel, and partners with academic departments to bring the right students into the programs.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Supervise, train, and develop a team of Graduate Admissions Counselors, including onboarding, daily coaching, and annual performance evaluations.

• Establish and assign individual inquiry, application, admit, deposit, and enrollment goals for each counselor, aligned to program-level and divisional enrollment targets.

• Monitor counselor activity and conversion metrics weekly; conduct regular one-on-one goal reviews and implement performance improvement plans when goals are not being met.

• Model a high-performance, student-centered service culture with clear expectations, timely follow-up, and professional standards for every prospective student interaction.

• Serve as a member of the Enrollment Management leadership team and act on behalf of the AVP as needed.

Recruitment & Business Development

• Manage a personal recruitment portfolio with individual enrollment goals, carrying a caseload while leading the team.

• Identify, build, and grow new sources of graduate enrollment, including corporate and employer partnerships, healthcare and school district relationships, community organizations, and articulation pathways with regional colleges and universities.

• Develop and execute strategies to generate inquiries and convert them to applicants, admitted students, deposits, and enrolled students, with particular focus on reducing melt.

• Represent UB at corporate visits, graduate and career fairs, information sessions, and on-campus and virtual recruitment events.

• Advise prospective graduate students on program fit, admission requirements, and next steps toward enrollment.

Strategy, Marketing & Data

• Help develop and implement the annual graduate recruitment, marketing, and communication plan for each graduate program offered at the Bridgeport campus.

• Partner with Marketing to coordinate messaging that highlights program differentiators and to identify the channels that deliver the strongest return on investment.

• Produce weekly funnel reports by program and counselor, forecast enrollment against goal, and use data to make strategic recruitment decisions.

• Track the effectiveness of outreach campaigns and recruitment events, including cost per inquiry, cost per application, and conversion rates.

• Work with the University Webmaster to keep graduate admissions and program web content current, accurate, and compelling.

Operations & Academic Partnership

• Oversee timely and accurate processing of graduate applications, from file preparation and completion through evaluation, decision, and final file reconciliation.

• Serve as the primary admissions liaison to graduate program directors and faculty on admission standards, application review timelines, recruitment events, and program-level enrollment goals.

• Ensure counselors maintain accurate and complete records in the CRM and student information system.

• Carry out special projects and other duties as assigned by the AVP of Enrollment Management

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution required; Master’s degree preferred.

• 3–5 years of progressive experience in college or university admissions, graduate recruitment, or a comparable goal-driven sales or business development role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• At least 2 years of supervisory or team leadership experience preferred, including coaching staff to measurable goals.

• Demonstrated record of meeting or exceeding recruitment, enrollment, or revenue goals.

• Experience building external partnerships with employers, school districts, healthcare organizations, or other institutions.

• Proficiency with CRM platforms and student information systems; experience using funnel data and dashboards to manage performance.

• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

• Strong presentation, interpersonal, and written communication skills.

• Detail-oriented, organized, and able to prioritize multiple tasks in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.

• Competency in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Physical and Mental Requirements:

Vision requirements (Especially relevant if driving is required by the job)

___     Close vision (i.e. clear vision at 20 inches or less)

___      Distance vision (i.e. clear vision at 20 feet or more)

___      Color vision (i.e. ability to identify and distinguish colors)

___      Peripheral vision (i.e. ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or left and right while the eyes are fixed on a given point)

___      Depth perception (i.e. three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances and spatial relationships)

_X__      No special vision requirements

(This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between The University of Bridgeport and employee. It is used as a guide for personnel actions and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.)

The University of Bridgeport provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. The University of Bridgeport complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training