Overview

At the University of Arizona, the Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions plays a vital leadership role in advancing the university’s mission to provide access to a world-class education for students across Arizona, the nation, and the globe. Reporting to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean, Admissions, the Assistant Vice President provides strategic leadership for all undergraduate admissions and early academic outreach areas. 

With a human-centered, data-informed approach, the Assistant Vice President leads a large, dynamic team responsible for driving enrollment strategies that increase the domestic and international student pipeline. This role oversees Undergraduate Admissions including Recruitment, International Admissions, Admissions Processing and Early Academic Outreach. 

The Assistant Vice President serves as a key member of the senior leadership team within Enrollment Management and works closely with academic colleges and campus partners to shape and share the university’s compelling value proposition. Particular focus is placed on representing the unique strengths of Arizona’s colleges and programs within a highly competitive and evolving higher education landscape.

This position is responsible for fostering a student-first culture that emphasizes training, coaching, innovation, and agility. The Assistant Vice President ensures that recruitment strategies and student-facing services are personalized and effectively integrated with the student lifecycle, supporting a seamless transition from prospect to enrolled student. 

Enrollment Management enrolls and supports students throughout their Wildcat experience. Our division’s mission is to ensure our high-potential students succeed at Arizona and beyond, ensuring that every enthusiastic student has the resources, support, and opportunities needed to thrive academically and personally. Through our work in admissions, scholarships and financial aid, we are committed to breaking down barriers and opening doors to an exceptional Wildcat experience.

Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership

• Guided by the University of Arizona’s land-grant mission, strategic plan, and institutional values, provide visionary leadership to the Enrollment Management team, including the Admissions Processing Unit, Undergraduate Recruitment, International Admissions and Early Academic Outreach.
• Foster a collaborative, student-centered culture that advances institutional goals for access, affordability, and academic excellence.
• Lead a cross-functional team of more than 60 professionals, both full-time and part-time, in developing and executing innovative, data-informed strategies to recruit and support a global and academically talented student body.
• Partner closely with academic colleges and administrative units to ensure college-specific enrollment goals align with institutional priorities, while maintaining consistent and brand-aligned recruitment messaging under the Arizona brand.
• Utilize data analytics and enrollment modeling to inform recruitment, yield, and discounting strategies, ensuring effective stewardship of institutional resources and maximizing net tuition revenue.
• Shape and communicate the university’s value proposition through strategic messaging on access and affordability, including financial aid optimization and scholarship strategy.
• Work with senior university leaders, faculty, and external stakeholders to develop a shared vision for each incoming class, identifying opportunities to serve underserved student populations and expand Arizona’s reach in key domestic and international markets.
• Represent the University of Arizona nationally and globally, sharing thought leadership through conferences, media engagement, and scholarly contributions in the field of enrollment management.

Collaboration, Communication and Coalition Building

• Engage faculty, staff, senior leadership, alumni, and students in collaborative efforts to support the University of Arizona’s enrollment goals, building a broad coalition of advocates across campus and beyond.
• Foster a university-wide culture of shared responsibility for recruitment and yield by cultivating meaningful partnerships that highlight the strengths of Arizona’s academic programs, research opportunities, and community.
• Champion a student-first approach by ensuring seamless, responsive, and personalized service in admissions, while leveraging technology to improve efficiency without sacrificing a high-touch experience.
• Partner with academic colleges and the Office of Admissions to ensure that every interaction—whether virtual or on-campus—reflects the university’s commitment to excellence, access, and student success.
• Work closely with Marketing and Brand Management, Enrollment Marketing, and campus partners to ensure that prospective student communications, campus visits, and events are engaging, accurate, and strategically designed to build affinity, inform decision-making, and improve yield.
• Support the development of comprehensive messaging that clearly articulates the University of Arizona’s value proposition to prospective students, families, and community stakeholders.
• Develop data-driven insights and reporting tools that inform recruitment and aid strategies, support transparency, and expand access to higher education.
• Strengthen alignment between messaging on affordability and scholarship opportunities and the university’s broader goals of accessibility.

Strategic Planning, Analysis and Benchmarking

• Provide strategic leadership for undergraduate admissions by establishing data-informed, evidence-based goals and implementing responsive tactics to meet the University of Arizona’s enrollment objectives.
• Continuously evaluate and optimize the structure, processes, and operations across enrollment functions to enhance efficiency, student-centered service, and institutional effectiveness.
• Utilize competitive benchmarking and peer analysis to ensure Arizona remains a national leader in access, affordability, and student success.
• Promote a balanced approach to service delivery that integrates personalized support with innovative technological solutions to meet the evolving needs of students and families.
• Oversee budget, staffing, technology systems, and workflow management for the division, ensuring resources are aligned with strategic priorities.
• Develop and implement targeted international enrollment strategies to attract students from various global regions, contributing to the university’s commitment to global engagement.
• Maintain agility and creativity in strategy development to ensure Arizona remains competitive in a rapidly changing enrollment landscape, balancing goals of academic excellence, student engagement, and financial sustainability.
• Regularly review progress toward strategic enrollment goals and ensure division-wide accountability through clear metrics and data-driven decision-making.
• Support a culture of continuous professional development by investing in staff growth, coaching, and innovation.
• Provide strategic oversight and coordination of graduate and online recruitment initiatives to ensure alignment with institutional goals and market opportunities.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent administrative and organizational skills.
• Excellent data-gathering, management, analysis and reporting skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 11 years of related work experience, including 7 years of managerial experience, preferably in large complex institutions or organizations, or equivalent combination of education and work experience. Requires experience in leading multiple teams, projects, programs, and/or functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal or Master's degree preferred.
• 15+ years of professional experience working with different populations, developing successful recruitment initiatives, mentoring and/or community stakeholder
• At least 10 years of related experience developing organizational strategy for undergraduate recruitment, admissions processing, and international admissions units that directly impacts decision-making at the senior executive level.
• Supervisory experience with large teams.