Associate Director of Diversity Recruitment

Opening Details

This is an exciting moment to be joining the Office of Admission at Williams. As we prepare to bid farewell to four other terrific colleagues who are heading off to graduate school and retirement, we look forward to growing our dynamic, hard-working and diverse team that is passionate about recruiting and enrolling exceptional students from a wide range of backgrounds and that has a lot of fun together.

The college is pleased to announce an opening for the position of Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment in the Office of Admission. This is a full-time, year-round, regular appointment reporting to the Director of Admission. The Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment is a senior member of a 28-member admission and student financial services team and is responsible for strategic planning and oversight of the college’s efforts to identify, recruit, evaluate and enroll students who are underrepresented in higher education, including first-generation college students, low-income students and Black, indigenous and POC students, and leads colleagues in implementing all aspects of this work.


Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to: cultivating and maintaining relationships with college and guidance counselors from high schools and community-based organizations; overseeing three annual visitation programs for more than 350 high-achieving students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds; facilitating the college’s partnership with QuestBridge; overseeing a $200K budget; serving as a liaison to the Office of Financial Aid and Dean of the College’s Office; representing the Office of Admission on college committees focused on diversity, equity and inclusion; and working with current students, staff, faculty and alumni to organize and facilitate recruitment events both on and off-campus.

As a result of the college’s longstanding commitment to access, today, 16 percent are first-generation college students, 21 percent are Pell Grant recipients, and 38 percent are U.S. students of color. More than half of all students receive financial aid and among aided families, the average cost is about $16,000. Many pay nothing at all, and indebtedness rates at graduation are among the nation’s lowest. The Office of Admission seeks a colleague who will identify innovative ways to help us build upon this strong foundation. Our expectation is that the successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation and religion, and we encourage candidates to highlight relevant experiences in their cover letter.

In addition to the core responsibilities mentioned above, the Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment participates in all aspects of the admission process, including: meeting with prospective students, leading public presentations, recruitment travel*, reviewing and evaluating applications for admission and serving as a full-voting member of the Admission Committee. They work closely with the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid and the Director of Admission and have responsibility for the training, mentoring and supervision of junior admission officers. We are committed to utilizing the specific strengths, experiences, and interests of our new colleague to provide the greatest opportunities for professional growth and advance the ambitious goals of the office.


Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of successful experience in higher education admission is required; experience recruiting students underrepresented in higher education is preferred
• Familiarity with the nature and aims of a selective liberal arts college
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, a highly collaborative approach to day-to-day work and exceptional oral and written communication skills
• Cultural competency and enthusiasm for interacting with students and families from a wide range of backgrounds is essential
• Significant travel* and some evening and weekend work is required; willingness to work extended hours during peak periods
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Foreign language skills are highly desirable
• A valid driver’s license with a satisfactory record is also required

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive community and strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply. For optimal consideration please submit your cover letter and resume by April 25, 2021. Review of resumes will begin on April 26, 2021 and continue until the position is filled. Pay starts in the mid $70,000’s, commensurate with experience. Job Group 2-D.

*Business travel at the college has been suspended in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. We do not yet know when it will resume, but when it does, it will be an expected component of the Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment’s job responsibilities.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via phone at (413) 597-4247 or email at hr@williams.edu.


Conditions of Employment

Employment at Williams is contingent on the verification of background information submitted by the applicant, including the completion of a criminal record check, and education when applicable.


Equal Employment Opportunity

Beyond meeting fully its legal obligations for non-discrimination, Williams College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can live, learn and thrive.

Williams is a coeducational liberal arts institution located in the Berkshires of northwestern Massachusetts with access to Albany, Boston, Burlington (VT), New York City, and Montreal. Distinguished by a reputation for outstanding and inclusive teaching and scholarship, academic excellence, and exceptional alumni loyalty, the college is committed to building and supporting a diverse learning community of approximately 2,200 undergraduates.