Strategy Manager Jobs in Missouri

Description

The Enrollment Strategy Manager serves as the lead authority for operationalizing and executing undergraduate enrollment strategy, with primary responsibility for ensuring alignment across processes, technologies, and external partnerships. This role exercises independent judgment and discretion in translating strategic priorities into actionable plans, determining implementation approaches, and driving execution across Admissions and Financial Aid. The Enrollment Strategy Manager works with the Assistant Vice Provost for Admissions and Financial Aid to implement and direct enrollment strategies across the UG Admissions division.

This position is accountable for decision-making on vendor strategy, cross-functional coordination, and performance optimization, ensuring enrollment initiatives are effectively implemented and continuously improved to achieve divisional goals set by the AVP for Admissions and Financial Aid. While functional leaders maintain direct oversight of their respective areas, this role is responsible for resolving operational gaps and directing coordinated execution efforts across units.

Examples of Duties

Vendor & Technology Partnership Strategy and Optimization (30%)

• Serves as the primary decision-maker for UG Admissions enrollment-related vendors, platforms, and technology partnerships.
• Exercises independent discretion in evaluating vendor capabilities, determining optimal system configurations, and ensuring alignment with divisional enrollment strategy and priorities.
• Directs cross-functional collaboration with admissions operations, financial aid, and the Office of Technology to establish system utilization standards, prioritize enhancements, and resolve operational inefficiencies.
• Leads vendor onboarding, implementation planning, optimization efforts, renewal evaluations, and performance assessments, making data-informed decisions regarding vendor effectiveness and continued engagement.
• Identifies gaps, redundancies, and opportunities within the enrollment technology ecosystem and initiates and implements improvements or consolidation strategies.

Strategic Alignment and Execution of Enrollment Initiatives (30%)

• Exercises decision-making authority in establishing priorities, timelines, and coordinated actions across freshman recruitment, transfer recruitment, marketing, campus visits, admissions operations, and financial aid.
• Directs alignment efforts across functional areas by setting expectations, facilitating accountability, and resolving competing priorities to ensure cohesive execution.
• Facilitates ongoing strategy alignment discussions and determines necessary adjustments to implementation approaches to maintain consistency with divisional objectives.
• Identifies misalignment between strategy, tactics, and outcomes and implements corrective actions to improve effectiveness and results.

Partnership Strategy and Management (20%)

• Identifies, evaluates, and advances new strategic partnerships that support enrollment growth, access, yield, and student success.
• Assesses partnership opportunities for strategic alignment, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and impact, and determines recommendations for institutional engagement.
• Serves as the primary relationship manager for external partners, establishing performance expectations, monitoring outcomes, and ensuring accountability.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders to direct partnership implementation and evaluate effectiveness, making adjustments as needed to optimize results.
• Supports contract review and renewal processes and contributes to decision-making regarding continuation, modification, or termination of partnerships based on performance and strategic fit.

Performance Monitoring, Analysis, and Strategic Adjustment (20%)

• Exercises analytical judgment in monitoring key performance indicators across the enrollment funnel, including inquiry generation, applications, admits, yield, melt, and financial aid leveraging.
• Evaluates progress of strategic initiatives and vendor-supported efforts against the AVP of Admissions and Financial Aid’s defined benchmarks and determines necessary adjustments to improve performance.
• Identifies trends, risks, and opportunities and makes data-informed decisions to refine strategies and implementation efforts.
• Supports the AVP of Admissions and Financial Aid in forecasting, scenario planning, and post-cycle analysis, applying independent discretion to inform future enrollment strategy and continuous improvement efforts.

Typical Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree required, Preferred degree in Communications, Marketing, Management, or related fields.

Experience:

• Two (2) Years of Customer Service Experience required.
• Two (2) Years Experience in Higher Education Admissions / Enrollment required.
• Experience in Admissions/Enrollment Strategy Preferred.

Special Instructions:

Full-time staff & 12-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks paid vacation per year; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

9-month faculty benefits-eligible position: Benefits include competitive salary; health, dental, vision, life insurance, AD & D, long-term disability; 3 weeks of accrued sick leave per year; 13 paid holidays; retirement; and generous education assistance for an employee, spouse and dependent children taking classes at UCM.

Part-time benefits-eligible positions: Benefits include generous education assistance for the employee.

Temporary, adjunct, student employment, or graduate assistant positions: Benefits are not included.

Completed UCM online application for employment required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

A review will begin immediately and continue until filled unless indicated otherwise.

NOTE: A background check is required for the selected candidate of all staff, faculty, adjunct, and temporary positions and any job offer is contingent on the results of this check. Student employees and graduate assistants do not require a background check to be conducted prior to employment.

The University of Central Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our faculty and staff are the university’s most valuable asset, and our goal is to provide a robust Total Rewards Program designed to help them maintain a happy, healthy, and productive lifestyle.

Highlights from UCM's total rewards package for full-time employees include:

• 30.25% (staff) and 6% (faculty) defined retirement contribution, paid by the university;
• Voluntary Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA) programs (403(b) and 457(b)) that allow eligible employees to make additional pre-tax contributions to a retirement plan;
• Employees can earn up to full tuition (15 credit hours) for themselves per academic year. Full-time employees are also eligible for up to $175 towards non-credit courses each fiscal year. Employees can earn up to full tuition for their dependents;
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans that begin on the first of the month following your date of hire. Basic dental and vision insurance paid at 100% by the university;
• Available Health and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts;
• University-paid basic life insurance (including accidental death and dismemberment) and short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage;
• Generous leave accruals that begin accruing on your start date, plus 14 paid holidays per year.
• The UCM Childcare Center on the Warrensburg campus can provide faculty, staff, and students quality care for their children ages six weeks to 10 years.
• The Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) is free for all employees and is located on the Warrensburg campus.
• An Employee Assistance Program is available to all employees and their immediate family members to help assist with personal challenges you may face in your daily life;
• UCM offers an Employee Discount Program through Working Advantage.

To learn more about the wonderful benefits available as a University of Central Missouri employee, visit our benefits page!