Director of Admission and Financial Aid (Admission & Recruitment Leader)

This position supports Kelley Direct Programs at the Kelley School of Business. Kelley Direct (KD) is the home of top-ranked online graduate business degrees including the Kelley Direct Online MBA, four MBA/MS dual degrees, and new programs in development.

The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University (IU) is a comprehensive provider of top-tier business education with a full portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive programs on campuses in Bloomington and Indianapolis, and online worldwide. The Kelley School has been creating career momentum for 100 years, going from 70 students in 1920 to an enrollment of more than 15,000 students today. Our innovative curriculum is built on personal development, teamwork, and experiential learning with an emphasis on global and social responsibility. Our success is reflected in our reputation among academic peers, our career placement statistics, and the accomplishments of more than 133,000 living alumni around the globe.

Job Summary

This position will report to the Executive Director of KD and their performance will be measured on unit KPIs relating to program rankings, high-quality applicant profile, and yield.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Works as a member of the leadership team to develop and oversee the strategic direction of Kelley Direct programs and specifically the admissions, rankings, data analytics and scholarship functions of the KD program office.
• Plays an integral role in establishing and guiding an overall strategy to achieve program goals.
• Utilizes a data-driven approach to decision making and strategy, with a focus on positioning the program to remain highly ranked within an increasingly competitive graduate business education market.
• Sets recruiting and admissions goals in consultation with senior leadership; presents data-driven insights to inform policy and long-term enrollment planning.
• Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and institutional regulations related to admissions and financial aid.
• Analyzes admissions, financial aid, and ranking-related data to identify trends and inform strategic decisions.
• Uses data analytics to evaluate application trends, conversion rates, and yield projections; delivers regular reports on key admissions, scholarship and enrollment metrics.
• Develops predictive models and dashboards to support decision-making and optimize admissions processes.
• Partners with institutional research, marketing, and academic leaders to turn data insights into actionable recruitment strategies.
• Oversees admissions/CRM and financial aid systems to ensure workflow efficiency, accurate reporting, data integrity, and security.
• Serves on the program's strategic leadership team, collaborating with executive and faculty leadership to drive innovation and high-level strategy.
• Leads the recruiting and admissions team; designs and assesses recruitment initiatives to improve engagement and meet/exceed enrollment targets.
• Develops professional development plans to enhance team capabilities and elevate the program's reputation.
• Directs the creation and execution of policies for admissions, recruiting, and merit-based tuition discounts.
• Coordinates with IU and Kelley units (e.g., Graduate School, Veterans Services, International Services, Registrar, Bursar, Financial Assistance) to design a seamless admissions experience.
• Oversees scholarship strategy to ensure optimal allocation of resources to top applicants.
• Establishes and monitors conversion and yield strategies to boost matriculation.
• Works with leadership to ensure a smooth transition from admission through orientation, onboarding, registration, and advising.
• Collaborates on resource allocation decisions with the Executive Director.

General Responsibilities

• Provides highest level of operational leadership and coordination of assigned staff members to define admissions and recruitment methodologies and standards; provides direction and guidance on high priority admissions and recruitment projects/initiatives.
• Establishes short-term business plans and long-term operational objectives, including managing project timelines/deliverables and developing resource plans for multi-project/multi-phase admissions and recruitment initiatives.
• Conducts a variety of personnel actions to include, but not limited to hiring, promotion, performance management, and dismissal.
• Manages high level assignments and allocation of admissions and recruitment resources, including negotiating and coordinating initiatives that involve staff in other departments/areas/teams; may coordinate large-scale admissions and recruitment projects with a wide audience in support of academic initiatives.
• Makes budgetary recommendations/proposals based on resource needs and ensures cost containment.
• Researches and stays up-to-date on new industry admissions and recruitment standards, technologies, policies, and procedures; responsible for the implementation of new protocols/procedures to address business needs.
• Works collaboratively with other admissions and recruitment leaders across departments in recommending standards, best practices, and related policies/procedures.
• Prepares management reports and summaries for senior administration, executive, steering and advisory committees; acts as advisor to executive committees; serves on various university committees, communities of practice, and task forces related to admissions and recruitment.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, public policy, or a related field

Preferred

• Master's degree

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Preferred

• Salesforce CRM or other customer relationship management certification/experience.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 4 years in admissions, enrollment management, higher education student affairs, business, or a related field
• 1 year of management experience in relevant field

Preferred

• 3 years of management experience in a related field

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient communication skills
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism
• Demonstrated time management and priority setting skills
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills
• Effectively coaches and delivers constructive feedback
• Instills commitment to organizational goals
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision-making skills
• Effective conflict management skills
• Builds and manages effective teams
• Ability to inspire and develop staff
• Develops and delivers effective presentations
• Ability to represent the company with external constituents
• Commitment to working with people of diverse backgrounds
• Interprets federal, state, and institutional rules and regulations

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Work Location

This position is eligible to work a hybrid schedule (mix between remote and in-person work), subject to change in the future based on university policy and business needs.

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure .

Job Classification

Career Level: Sr. Operational

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Student Services

Job Family: Admissions & Recruitment
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Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information .

Campus Safety and Security

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online . You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at iups@iu.edu or by visiting IUPD.

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