Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, in partnership with the search firm Scott Healy & Associates, invites applications and nominations for the position of Vice President for Enrollment. The Vice President reports directly to the President and is a critically important part of the College’s Leadership Team. The VP participates in institution-wide strategic planning and policy development for enrollment management. The VP is responsible for the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the institution’s strategic enrollment initiatives and outcomes while providing vision and leadership to the institution in all areas of enrollment management. The successful candidate will partner with all College stakeholders including the Board of Trustees, Senior Leadership Team, academic leadership and faculty, students, alumni and colleagues to achieve strategic enrollment goals.
Saint Joseph’s College of Maine: Saint Joseph’s College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college for men and women of all faiths and ages. The 400 acre campus, on the shores of Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine, is in view of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.
Saint Joseph’s was founded by the Portland Regional Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas in 1912. Today it is Maine’s only Catholic College and grants degrees in fulfillment of the educational ideals of the Sisters of Mercy. With more than 100 years as a foundation, Saint Joseph’s College is determined to meet today’s and tomorrow’s opportunities for service to the local, state, national and global communities.
The College enrolls 750 full-time students on campus, 1,500 undergraduate online students, and about 1,200 online graduate students. It supports 22 Division III sports for men and women and about 50% of the students participate. SJCME offers 50 academic majors in which Nursing, Business, Biology, Teacher Education, Exercise Science, and Criminal Justice are the most popular. With a student faculty ratio of 11:1, all students enjoy a close and supportive relationship with faculty and staff.
The College Community and Standish, ME: Standish, Maine, is a village of about 10,000 people located 15 miles west of Portland, the largest city in the state. Its bucolic, rural setting is augmented by one of the country’s most celebrated small cities. Forbes magazine calls Portland one of the 15 Best Cities for Young Adults.” Bon Appetit magazine has ranked Portland as the “Restaurant City of the Year,” and People magazine ranks Portland as the #1 “Foodie City in America.”
Outdoor opportunities abound, whether it’s summer kayaking and canoeing on the state’s second largest lake, contiguous to campus, or downhill skiing just 30 minutes away at Shawnee Peak. The city of Portland hosts numerous museums, fine and performing arts venues, and downtown tourist attractions, as well as being home to three professional sports franchises, the Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox), Mariners (Boston Bruins) and Celtics (Boston Celtics). Excellent restaurants, are offered to all who live in and around the community of Standish, Maine.
The Position: The VP will oversee and be responsible for the leadership, management, and direct supervision of the offices of On Campus and On-line Admissions, and Student Financial Aid. These offices provide leadership in designing the institution’s enrollment and marketing/ communication strategies and are expected to make sophisticated high-quality data-driven, evidence-based enrollment decisions, and utilize best practices in enrollment management. This occurs while inspiring others throughout campus to work and serve collaboratively in achieving enrollment goals while improving retention and graduation rates.
The VP must be innovative and adept at promoting current academic and student-centered programs, as well as bringing forth recommendations for new recruitment and enrollment initiatives, marketing and communication strategies, financial aid leveraging strategies, retention, tuition net revenue strategies, and academic programs that match the College’s mission, resources, and market demand. Being an excellent listener will greatly enhance all enrollment outcomes. Having an entrepreneurial spirit and at the same time, deeply collaborative throughout campus, will serve the VP well.
Qualifications: To be considered for the position of Vice President for Enrollment the ideal candidate should have the following:
At least 8 years of experience in enrollment management and marketing/communication, preferably within higher education or related areas with multiple revenue streams;
Master’s Degree;
Considerable experience in data-driven enrollment operations that result in sustained growth in enrollment, diversity, academic quality, and increased retention and graduation rates;
Track record of developing and implementing marketing strategies to drive increases in enrollment and increase awareness of an institution’s programs and mission;
Experience with developing financial aid leveraging and appropriate discounting to achieve new student enrollment, increase retention and graduation rates;
Experience positioning an organization both internally and externally and raising its profile, through various media, with its current constituents as well as with new ones;
Working knowledge of current methodologies in enrollment management, admissions processes, institutional marketing strategies, and strategic media relations;
Entrepreneurial spirit while at the same time, deeply collaborative;
Experience with Salesforce is preferred;
Experience with online, adult, and traditional on-campus freshmen and transfer admissions operations and outcomes will be extremely valuable;
Appreciation and experience with collegiate athletics;
A strong understanding of marketing research skills and financial aid leveraging;
Experience in implementing and improving a comprehensive enrollment and marketing/communication plan;
The ability to work with Deans, faculty, alumni, currently enrolled students, the administration, the Board of Trustees, and other partners in bringing together an Institution-wide enrollment management structure and environment.
Application and Nomination Process: All correspondence about this search can be directed to the College’s search consultant:
Applicants must apply electronically by a word document and include:
Cover letter outlining experiences and success in the areas indicated in The Position;
A complete and up to date Resume;
Names of 3 professional References with title, institutional affiliation, email address and direct phone numbers. (No references will be contacted without written permission from the candidate.)
Applications submitted by May 15, 2023, will receive priority consideration. An anticipated start date for the selected candidate is this fall, but no later than January of 2024. The search process will remain open until the position is filled.
