About the College

Reed College, located in the progressive, dynamic city of Portland, Oregon, was founded in 1908. It is one of the country’s leading liberal arts and sciences colleges, providing an intellectually rigorous undergraduate experience. Set on 116 acres of rolling lawn and winding lanes with over 2000 trees, Reed is devoted to the intrinsic value of intellectual pursuit and is governed by the highest standards of scholarly practice, critical thought, and creativity. The goal of the Reed education is that students learn and demonstrate rigor and independence in the habits of thought, inquiry, and expression. Read College values cultural diversity and intellectual pluralism as critical components of academic excellence. Reed College is a community dedicated to serious and open intellectual inquiry, one in which students, faculty, and staff can fully participate, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, socio-economic status, or disability. The college is seeking a dynamic Director of Admission to join the institution.

 

Identified by Loren Pope as a College that Changes Lives, the Reed education is transformative.  As an institution that has long eschewed college rankings, the director will be part of a team creating practices that illustrate the most authentic education this country has to offer.  Our admission and financial team is innovative and values distinctive and sustainable approaches to supporting students’ decision making.

 

The Position

Reporting to the Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, the Director of Admission will provide strategic leadership, vision, oversight, and coordination of the college’s undergraduate admission department. The Director is expected to lead the development of recruitment models, strategies, and policies necessary to meet the college’s annual undergraduate enrollment goals. The Director will be responsible for hiring, training, and professionally developing a team of admission professionals. This creates an exciting opportunity to work with a dedicated and talented team of admissions counselors and is a highly rewarding role.

 

The Director will be expected to:

• Collaborate with the Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid to develop and implement Reed’s long-term recruitment and enrollment strategy, using data analytics to drive decision-making;
• Lead, train, mentor, and develop a professional admission staff;
• Drive the admission team’s territory management, crafting recruitment plans that are centered on the student and territory-specific;
• Develop relationships with external and internal constituents, building partnerships with other campus offices and colleagues in the field;
• Oversee the application, evaluation and committee process to craft a diverse incoming class that will contribute to and benefit from Reed’s academic environment and community in a way that is aligned with Reed's institutional priorities;
• Work with Reed’s data analyst to determine how to leverage our Customer Relationship Management software;
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the admission and financial aid division as a partner and member of the admission and financial aid leadership team;
• Maximize department resources to recruit stellar students who exemplify the highest standards of scholarly practice and engaged citizenship;
• Meet with prospective students and their families both individually and in larger group settings such as public forums.

 

Qualifications

• Experience working as a leader in undergraduate admission department. Prior experience managing employees is required; this individual will have a great sense of enrollment strategy and familiarity with applying a wide variety of solutions to achieve varied goals;
• Sincere student focus, authenticity, and a very high aptitude for effectively communicating to a variety of communities;
• Willingness to invest in meeting institutional goals in a fashion that supports Reed’s mission and ethos;
• Past success in identifying professional talent, building teams, and developing community;
• Strong track record of collaboration and transparency and a preference for working in teams. 

 

How to Apply

Interested individuals should send a letter of application that indicates how their skills and experiences align with the stated qualifications for the position and a resume. Confidentiality will be maintained and references will not be contacted without prior approval of the candidate.

 

The packet should be sent electronically to Reed@wspelman.com. The subject line in the email should be RDA. Confidential inquiries may be made by contacting Michael Geffen at Mike@wspelman.com at 951-201-8800 or Megan Spelman at Megan@wspelman.com at 585-366-4329.

 

For full consideration, all materials should be received by January 19, 2018. Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

 

Reed College values cultural diversity and intellectual pluralism as critical components of academic excellence.  We welcome applications from members of historically underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, persons who have served in the military, and others who would bring additional dimensions of experience to our community.