Executive Advisor, Recruitment and Advising

This position directly supports Pepperdine University's mission and strategic plan by advancing its commitment to transforming students' lives through education. The Executive Advisor for Executive Programs serves as a strategic enrollment professional who guides prospective students through the admissions journey while cultivating relationships that strengthen the Pepperdine Graziadio community. This position reports to the Director of Recruitment & Advising.

The Executive Advisor is responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of executive-level graduate programs, including the Master of Science in Organization Development (MSOD), Executive MBA (EMBA), President and Key Executive MBA (PKE), and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). Additional programs within the Pepperdine Graziadio portfolio may be assigned as institutional priorities evolve.

Working collaboratively with faculty, program directors, alumni, corporate partners, marketing, and other university stakeholders, the Executive Advisor develops and executes recruitment strategies that generate qualified applicants and achieve enrollment goals. Responsibilities include cultivating prospective students through personalized advising, business development, community engagement, strategic outreach, lead nurturing, and pipeline management. The Executive Advisor serves as a trusted admissions counselor and brand ambassador, delivering a high-touch recruitment experience while building relationships that support the long-term growth and reputation of Pepperdine Graziadio.

Duties

• Provide oversight of the recruitment and enrollment process for Pepperdine Graziadio's executive programs by developing and executing targeted recruitment strategies and personalized outreach campaigns.
• Cultivate prospective students through consistent, high-touch communication, including email, text messaging, phone, and virtual meetings, to advance enrollment, academic, and institutional objectives.
• Develop and execute strategies to expand the prospect pipeline by identifying and cultivating new recruitment channels through corporate, community, and professional partnerships.
• Build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with key internal and external stakeholders (including prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, employers, and community partners) to generate referrals and enhance program visibility.
• Represent Pepperdine Graziadio at recruitment events, industry conferences, networking functions, and information sessions to engage prospective students and cultivate qualified leads.
• Collaborate closely with Academic Directors and Program Chairs throughout the recruitment and enrollment lifecycle to ensure a coordinated and personalized prospective student experience.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and current recruitment and applicant data within the University's CRM system to ensure data integrity and support effective enrollment operations.
• Monitor and analyze key enrollment metrics, including pipeline activity, lead generation initiatives, conversion rates, yield, and enrollment trends.
• Prepare and present reports that inform recruitment strategy, identify opportunities for process improvement, and provide insights into the competitive landscape and market conditions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Uphold University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum of four years of successful higher education student recruitment or corporate sales experience.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, including written and verbal skills, presentations, and teamwork.
• Effective organization and time-management skills.
• Excellent customer relationship management skills.
• Results-oriented.
• Basic knowledge of office equipment and strong functional knowledge of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Preferred:

• MBA.
• 5+ years of proven success in corporate sales or higher education student recruitment.
• Established contacts within the local business community.
• In-depth knowledge of graduate level programs.
• Successful consultative sales or student recruitment experience.
• Previous experience with Salesforce CRM and/or PeopleSoft.

This is a Regular, Exempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $72,384 - $78,000 per year

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, and staff represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine is permitted under applicable law and reserves the right to seek, hire, and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists who support Pepperdine's Christian mission.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Individuals will be required to disclose any criminal convictions on a designated form after receiving a conditional offer of employment; failure to disclose accurate information may result in withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.