Role Description

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Online Admissions serves as the strategic and operational leader of Vermont State University’s online student recruitment enterprise. This role builds scalable systems, performance infrastructure, and talent capacity to support sustainable growth while ensuring regulatory compliance, student-centered advising, and alignment with institutional priorities.

Reporting directly to the Vice President for Online Business Operations, the AVP for Online Admissions will advise on enrollment strategy and growth initiatives and lead the full online recruitment lifecycle from inquiry through matriculation.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain daily, term, and annual enrollment targets and pipeline performance metrics.
• Develop enrollment forecasts and align staffing models and recruitment capacity to projected growth.
• Establish scalable operational structures to support sustained expansion of online programs.
• Partner with marketing leadership to optimize lead flow, segmentation, and conversion strategies.
• Establish and enforce speed-to-lead and contact standards to maximize conversion outcomes.
• Monitor and manage real-time funnel metrics including contact rate, appointment rate, application rate, admit rate, and start rate.
• Implement structured performance management systems including coaching frameworks, scorecards, and productivity benchmarks.
• Leverage CRM analytics and enrollment data to drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Ensure accountability to enrollment, revenue, and institutional performance goals.
• Recruit, hire, train, and develop a high-performing team of admissions counselors and enrollment specialists.
• Create a culture of accountability, service excellence, and measurable performance outcomes.
• Provide ongoing coaching to support consultative enrollment advising and student-centered engagement.
• Oversee intake, advising, and pre-enrollment engagement processes.
• Ensure communications reflect VTSU’s mission, brand, and commitment to quality.
• Promote advising practices that support informed decision-making and successful student transitions.
• Collaborate with academic leadership, Registrar, Financial Aid, and campus admissions teams to ensure alignment.
• Ensure recruitment practices comply with institutional policies, accreditation standards, and federal/state regulations.
• Monitor admissions quality to ensure enrolled students meet institutional readiness standards.
• Serve as a senior advisor to the Vice President for Online Business Operations on enrollment strategy and growth initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Higher Education Administration, Public Administration, or related field required.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in enrollment management, admissions leadership, inside sales management, or high-volume recruitment operations (or a combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills are acquired).
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience directly managing teams with performance-based activity metrics.
• Demonstrated experience managing CRM systems and enrollment funnel analytics.
• Proven record of meeting or exceeding enrollment and/or revenue targets.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Experience in online higher education or adult learner markets.
• Experience launching or scaling online programs.
• Experience in start-up or rapid-growth environments.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Knowledge:
  • Enrollment funnel management and conversion optimization.
  • CRM systems, marketing automation, and lead distribution systems.
  • Contact center performance frameworks.
  • Higher education admissions policy and regulatory compliance.
  • Online program market trends and adult learner recruitment strategies.
• Skills:
  • Strong analytical and data interpretation skills.
  • Executive-level communication and relationship management abilities.
  • Strategic planning and operational execution capability.
  • Organizational leadership and performance management expertise.
  • Strong commitment to service excellence and compliance standards.
• Abilities:
  • Ability to lead high-performance teams in remote and distributed environments.
  • Ability to make data-informed decisions that drive measurable results.
  • Ability to build collaborative partnerships across academic and administrative units.
  • Demonstrated ability to foster inclusive environments that support diverse student populations.

Physical Requirements

• Work is primarily performed in an office environment and involves extended periods of sitting and computer use, which may result in light fatigue of the eyes, hands, or wrists due to repetitive motion.
• Occasional standing and walking may be required.
• The role requires minimal physical exertion and may involve lifting or carrying light materials of up to 15 pounds.

Working Conditions

• Work is conducted in a general office or comparable professional setting with regular interruptions and competing priorities.
• The position may require flexibility in scheduling during peak periods to meet operational demands.
• This is an FLSA-exempt, salaried position based on a standard 40-hour workweek.

Location

• This position may be based on any Vermont State University campus or performed remotely.
• If remote, the incumbent must reside in a U.S. state in which the Vermont State Colleges System is authorized and registered to conduct business.

Compensation

• The budgeted compensation for this position is $118,000-$128,000.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition Waiver to Vermont State Colleges
• Tuition Waiver to UVM* for dependent children
• Employee Assistance Program
• Long Term Disability
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Medical, Personal, and Vacation Leave