Department: President's Office

Contract type: Full-time

Job location: Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia

Application deadline: 05/30/2026

Description

The American University of Armenia seeks qualified candidates for the full-time position of a Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services (VPESS). VPESS is a newly created executive leadership role responsible for shaping and leading a comprehensive, university-wide enrollment strategy that integrates student recruitment and retention, enrollment management, admissions, financial aid, and student success. Reporting to the President as a member of the University’s Executive Team, the VPESS provides strategic vision, operational oversight, and collaborative leadership to ensure the University achieves sustainable enrollment growth while supporting student success, retention, and graduation. In particular, the VPESS will work in close cooperation with the Provost and Vice President for Research, ensuring a smooth and seamless coordination of their shared academic responsibilities.

The VPESS will oversee undergraduate, graduate, and international enrollment, registrar functions, and key student services (student affairs, international student services, writing and math consulting, career services, and student counselling).  They will also work closely with the VP of Finance to provide direction to our Financial Aid functions.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a multi-year horizon, data-informed enrollment management plan aligned with the University’s mission, strategy, academic offerings, and financial sustainability. Use enrollment data and market analysis to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Serve as the University’s chief strategist on enrollment, retention, and student success. Establish metrics and dashboards to monitor recruitment, yield, retention, and student satisfaction. Lead forecasting and planning processes to ensure enrollment targets are met.
• Provide leadership and accountability for enrollment forecasting, modeling, and reporting to the President and the Executive Team.
• Lead undergraduate and graduate recruitment efforts across local, regional, and international markets.
• Manage admissions policies and processes to ensure fairness, transparency, and academic quality.
• Collaborate with the Provost, VP for Research, academic leadership, and faculty, to meet the needs of the academic functioning of the University.
• Working closely with the VP for Finance / CFO, oversee the financial aid strategy, including scholarships and discounting, to balance access, diversity, and financial sustainability.
• Ensure coordinated communications and marketing strategies to reach prospective and current students. 

 Operational Oversight - Directly supervise and integrate the following functional areas:

• Oversee graduate and undergraduate recruitment and admission.
• Oversee and support international admission, recruitment, enrollment, and services for international students.
• Oversee academic records, course registration, and degree audits, with a focus on retention.
• Oversee student engagement and success programs.
• Engage collaboratively with faculty and staff to enhance the student lifecycle from recruitment through graduation.Supervise offices of Admissions, Registrar, and Student Affairs providing strategic leadership and oversight on day-to-day operations.

Student Success and Retention

• Provide leadership for student services, including advising, orientation, retention, wellness, housing, counselling, and co-curricular programs.
• Monitor retention, persistence, and graduation rates, and implement initiatives to improve student outcomes.
• Ensure seamless collaboration across student affairs, registrar, financial aid, and campus life services.
• Promote a holistic student experience that integrates academic and non-academic support.
• Foster a campus culture that supports student engagement, leadership, and well-being.
• Oversee student development programs.
• Develop and implement policies that support student success and institutional integrity.

External Relations

• Represent the University with external partners, government agencies, feeder schools, and global partners to advance recruitment efforts.
• Build strong partnerships with employers and community organizations to enhance pipelines into academic programs that enhance geographic diversity and align with institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with the VP for Advancement and the VP for Finance on enrollment-related fundraising initiatives, particularly student scholarships, including international scholarships.
• Represent the University in international recruitment forums and outreach initiatives.

Role Characteristics

• Leadership Style: The position is viewed as a collaborative and people-centered leadership role characterized by approachability, fairness, and diplomacy, that encourages open dialogue and builds trust through respectful communication, values diverse perspectives, and fosters a positive, inclusive environment.  This role requires a globally minded, collaborative, and student-centered leader who can attract a diverse international student body while fostering an inclusive, supportive campus environment grounded in the values of Western higher education. The selected candidate will effectively motivate and guide teams toward shared goals while maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability.
• Collaboration: A core component of the role is facilitating communication and collaboration between academic support units, academic leaders, faculty, and administration to achieve institutional objectives, creating a supportive team culture where individuals feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute.
• Reporting: The VPESS works under the direction of the President and is a high-ranking official within the University’s executive leadership structure.

Qualifications:

• Master’s (or domain-dependent terminal) degree required; doctorate preferred
• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in enrollment management, admissions, student success, or a related field, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role
• Demonstrated record of developing and executing enrollment strategies that achieve measurable results in recruitment, retention, and student success
• Strong knowledge of CRM Onboarding and management, financial aid leveraging, admissions practices, student retention models, and data analytics
• Experience leading diverse teams across multiple functional areas
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and change-management skills

Additional Information

Requirements: This position requires the successful candidate to reside in Armenia. It will require interaction with the Armenian government, the U.S. Embassy, schools, and universities.

Compensation: AUA offers competitive compensation and benefits packages.

Submission: Review of applications will begin on May 30, and will continue thereafter until the position is filled. To apply for this position, please send a letter of interest, a CV, a statement of academic and managerial philosophy, and a list of five references (PDF format is preferred) to VPESSsearch@aua.am. 

AUA is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active non-discrimination program within the institution

 

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