Executive Director of Enrollment Management | Office of Enrollment Management

About This Role

The Executive Director of Enrollment Management (EDEM) is responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives to promote American University of Sharjah (AUS), advance its mission, and position it as a premier institution of choice for qualified local and international students.

The EDEM provides leadership and oversight for key enrollment functions, including:

• Undergraduate (UG) and graduate (GR) student recruitment and admissions
• The University Testing Center
• The external sponsorships program
• The Welcome Center
• The Contact Center

Collaborating closely with internal stakeholders, the EDEM ensures alignment with the university’s strategic objectives. This includes conducting periodic assessments, research, and analyses of the higher education landscape to inform data-driven enrollment strategies and meet institutional targets. Additionally, the EDEM prepares annual enrollment projections to support budget planning.

Externally, the EDEM fosters strategic partnerships with Ministries of Education/Higher Education, government agencies, sponsoring entities, high schools, and higher education institutions within and beyond the UAE to strengthen AUS’s enrollment pipeline and reputation.

Job Responsibilities

• Oversee the development and implementation of the Office of Enrollment Management (OEM) Multi-Year Strategic Plan.
• Track inquiries, leads, yields, and application trends to guide decision-making and improve efficiency.
• Serve on various committees to formulate leveraging strategies, including those related to student success, recruitment and retention, financial grants and scholarships, and a university capacity task force.
• Supervise the planning and execution of the new student orientation program.
• Prepare and maintain the departmental budget, ensuring alignment with institutional strategic enrollment goals and objectives.
• Analyze admission standards and requirements and recommend adjustments for approval by senior leadership.
• Develop print and online informational and promotional materials.
• Serve as the final arbiter on admissions decisions in accordance with established policies.
• Advocate for fair admission policies and ensure equitable treatment of all applicants regardless of background.
• Develop grade concordance tables and matrices for different secondary education systems.
• Establish and monitor the application of academic credential evaluation and assessment standards.
• Monitor the effectiveness of internal admissions processes and policies to ensure they meet key performance indicators.
• Liaise with Ministries of Education and local education councils.
• Develop data-driven, multi-year enrollment projection scenarios to establish capacity parameters and budgetary requirements.
• Monitor and assess the growth of the external student sponsorship program and strengthen relationships with sponsoring organizations.
• Represent the university at media events and on- and off-campus recruitment functions.
• Develop a recruitment and new-student communications plan, guiding prospects from initial inquiry through matriculation.
• Develop and implement, in consultation with the recruitment team, an annual comprehensive recruitment campaign plan.
• Co-manage, with the Strategic Communications and Marketing department, the development of communication plans and the implementation of promotional tools for recruitment campaigns (e.g., social media, advertising).
• Engage colleges/schools, faculty, alumni, and various AUS departments in recruitment efforts to achieve enrollment goals.
• Establish partnership agreements with select high schools locally and internationally to attract highly qualified applicants.
• Lead the integration of automation and artificial intelligence solutions to enhance enrollment operations, improve applicant experience, increase efficiency, and transition key processes from manual to data-driven digital workflows.

Qualifications And Skills Required

• Master’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Mass Communication, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Proficiency in written and spoken Arabic is considered an asset.
• Strong understanding of the higher education landscape, including emerging trends, regulatory frameworks, and best practices in enrollment management.
• Solid background in developing and implementing admissions policies, academic credential evaluation standards, and related governance frameworks.
• Comprehensive knowledge of diverse high school education systems, grading models, student recruitment strategies, and yield management practices.
• Up-to-date expertise in leveraging digital marketing, social media, branding strategies, and evolving demographic trends to support enrollment growth.
• Understanding of the relationship between enrollment strategies and student retention, persistence, and graduation outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop accurate enrollment projections and execute long-term enrollment strategies aligned with institutional goals.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
• Effective and focused leader with a proven ability to build and motivate high-performing teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building capabilities.
• Proven ability to manage budgets efficiently and optimize resource allocation.
• Proficiency in enrollment management systems, data analytics and visualization tools, and marketing automation platforms.
• Strong crisis management and change management capabilities.
• Visionary, innovative, and adaptable leadership style.
• Persuasive, collaborative, and culturally sensitive.
• Strong problem-solving skills with sound judgment.
• Demonstrates integrity, transparency, fairness, and ethical leadership
• Expert in enrollment data analysis, predictive modeling, CRM tools, and admissions software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in Higher Education Administration and Management.

How To Apply

• Interested applicants should fill out the form.
• AUS alumni are encouraged to apply. Applicants who do not meet specified requirements will not be shortlisted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• AUS is an equal opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regard to race, color, age, gender, religion, national origin, disability or marital status. Opportunities for employment are based solely upon one’s qualifications.