(Hybrid) College Recruitment Specialist - College of Business and Economics

The Department of Undergraduate Programs in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a College Recruitment Specialist.

About the Opportunity

This position is responsible for leading the strategic undergraduate student recruitment initiatives for the Chambers College. The incumbent will be responsible for the formation, implementation and assessment of recruitment strategies to attract undergraduate students for the BS in Business Administration, BS in Economics, BS in Supply Chain Management Science, BS in Applied AI and Data Analytics and BA in Economics programs; conduct institutional research, analyze data and identify best practices utilized by peer and aspirant peer AACSB business schools; and, attract students with competitive academic profiles and increase the conversion of freshmen and first time transfers in the admit pool.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What you'll do:

Recruiting

• Lead initiatives to develop, Identify, plan and implement strategic recruiting initiatives for the College's undergraduate programs.
• Plan, organize, and direct on campus student information fairs in coordination with University sponsored events. Coordinate key faculty, staff, and student participation in on campus recruiting and yield events.
• Plan, implement, and evaluate anti-melt strategies, including Adventure WV, Robbins Center incoming FTF study abroad activities, and summer information sessions with FTF faculty.
• Conduct personalized on campus visits with prospective students and families. Coordinate with the WVU Visitors Center and College faculty to schedule guest visitations in undergraduate business and economics classes.
• Develop an annual recruitment travel schedule that includes in-state and non-resident markets based on data analysis.
• Travel within the state and around the region to meet with high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing a baccalaureate degree in business administration, supply chain management science, applied AI and data analytics or economics.
• Track, monitor and communicate with applicants, admits, and deposits using the WVU CRM systems.
• Serve as the College's liaison for the WVU Key Recruiters Council and Strategic Outreach Council and collaborate with the WVU Office of Admissions to plan and implement on campus yield events.
• Assist students with the University application process and make referrals to academic and student service support units when necessary (e.g. Office of Financial Aid, Housing and Residence Life, Office of Accessibility Services, etc.)
• Manage the recruitment budget by planning travel and coordinating the purchasing of recruiting materials, such as road pieces and viewbook and managing inventory.
• Assess strategic recruitment initiatives and reallocate resources to designated pools of students when it is apparent new student yield will not meet pre-determined enrollment goals.
• Direct the allocation of approximately $100k in scholarships annually to incoming first-time freshmen and first-time transfers to support the College's goals of recruitment while maintaining strong stewardship toward numerous external stakeholders (donors).
• Communicate with and disseminate information to prospective students, applicants, and admits in an effort to connect them with the College prior to matriculation. This includes promotion of scholarships, summer programming, and the College's Living Learning Community.
• Collaborate with and advise academic department chairs to determine strategic, major-specific recruitment initiatives based on industry trends.
• Collaborate with representatives of the Office of Admissions and counterparts from other academic units to determine best practices for recruiting first time freshmen and first- time transfer students.
• Oversee the recruitment, selection, and activities of the College's volunteer Student Ambassador Program (20-25 members).
• Participate in New Student Orientation by assisting freshmen and transfer students with course registration and supporting the Academic Advising team.
• Advise prospective WVU students on the criteria for application and admission to the College. Explain the metrics for determining academic progress, articulate the expectations of student performance, and identify outcomes for failing to demonstrate such progress/performance.
• Academic Day Point Person. Collaborate with BCOR 191 lead to host Chambers-specific event during Welcome Week for all freshmen.

Communication, Marketing, and Outreach

• Develop and implement a communications plan that includes multiple modalities and is customized to segment (inquiries, applicants, admits, deposits, freshmen, transfers, parents).
  
• Serve as a connector between the Strategic Communications Team and Undergraduate Programs team, bringing perspective and insights from our key recruitment audience to shape marketing assets and messaging.
  
• Collaborate with Strategic Communications to develop compelling deliverables (digital, print, social). Ensure materials are regularly updated for accuracy and that supplies are ready for each season and throughout the recruitment cycle as needed.
  
• Direct content for an annual recruitment video and collaborate with the Strategic Communication team to execute the project.
  
• Identifying a broad range of UG students who exemplify the kind of Chambers College student we are "for" to utilize in recruitment marketing content and working with Strat Comm on how to best utilize them.
  
• Advise the Milan Puskar Dean on high-caliber student audiences for note writing campaigns and other forms of personalized recruitment outreach.
  
• Adventure WV liaison. Coordinate with Adventure WV staff to determine trip dates and capacity. Attend parts of Chambers-specific Adventure WV summer trips, secure faculty/staff participation when appropriate, and collaborate with Becker AeSC staff to host a College-specific follow up activity for the cohort during the fall semester.
  
• Monitor communication methods to determine which ones are most effective in recruiting undergraduate students.

Research and Assessment

• Build assessment into all recruitment initiatives (e.g., email communications, travel), analyzing results of activities and adjusting recruitment strategies as needed. Track regional, national, and international trends in enrollment management and projected demographics. Track data specific to Business programs to identify applicant/matriculant patterns.
  
• Research and map community and technical colleges in the state and surrounding region that have large percentages of students who transfer to four-year institutions, including those earning associate degrees, with the intent of completing a baccalaureate degree.
  
• Research and map high schools in the state and surrounding region with large percentages of graduates who continue to post-secondary institutions, targeting high schools with graduates matriculating to professional programs such as business.
  
• Create and administer an assessment tool for determining if recruitment initiatives are effective and make recommendations for changes in activities and events sponsored by the College and University.
  
• Perform analyses to determine commonalities among students who matriculate and identify what academic and socioeconomic profiles influence their decision to matriculate to the College.
  
• Acquire feedback on admitted students who do not matriculate to the University and/or College and provide feedback on what measures if any can be taken to improve yield rates among non-matriculating freshmen and transfers.

Other duties as assigned

• Assist with College events such as commencement, convocation, and other undergraduate program ceremonies.
  
• Serve on University and College committees, task forces, and work groups as recommended by the director of recruitment and retention.

• Bachelor's degree in related field.
• A minimum of two (2) years of Corporate and/or personal sales, or college admissions/recruiting or marketing/social media.
• A minimum of one (1) year of prior experience working with traditional and non-traditional students (i.e. recruitment, advising, admissions) in secondary education, vocational school or higher education.
• Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience will be considered.
  
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent presentational and public speaking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to think creatively and comprise effective recruitment and yield strategies.
• Personal selling and customer service skills.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task by managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Competency in integrated promotions, personal selling and persuasion.
• Ability to conduct institutional research, data analysis and benchmarking.
• Proficiency in data mining applications and enrollment trends in regional and national higher education institutions.
• Demonstrated ability to implement assessment models and compare and contrast results with strategic recruitment plan.
• Ability to effectively forecast recruitment costs, including travel, promotional literature, and other incidental expenditures.
• Utilization of various social media for the purpose of connecting prospective and admitted students to College.
• Proficiency in using applications such as the Microsoft Suite required.
• Proficiency in using applications such as Prezi, MailChimp, TargetX (Salesforce) preferred.
• Knowledge of federal financial aid application processes and deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.

• Valid US Driver's License
• Resume
• Cover Letter

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We invite all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or Veteran status.