Assistant Vice-President, Student Recruitment and Marketing

Job Summary

Reporting to the Vice-President, Strategic Engagement, the Assistant Vice-President, Student Recruitment & Marketing (AVP SRM) provides executive leadership for Dalhousie’s recruitment, admissions, and marketing enterprise at a pivotal moment in the university’s evolution. The AVP SRM is accountable for institutional recruitment outcomes and leads recruitment strategy and execution, marketing and digital engagement, admissions operations, data and analytics, and creative services. This role is central to shaping a modern, data-driven, and experience-centered recruitment and marketing system aligned with Dalhousie’s long-term ambitions.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and accountability for institutional recruitment, admissions, and marketing outcomes across regional, national, and international markets.
• Design and lead an integrated, end-to-end recruitment and marketing system spanning strategy, digital engagement, admissions operations, analytics, and creative services.
• Establish and embed disciplined, data-led decision-making, including forecasting, audience segmentation, Client Relationship Management (CRM)-enabled personalization, and cost-of-acquisition management.
• Modernize admissions as a high-volume, high-impact conversion and experience function that reflects Dalhousie’s strategic ambitions and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Steward the Dalhousie brand as expressed through recruitment marketing, ensuring coherence, accountability, and alignment with institutional values and positioning.
• Build leadership capacity, foster an inclusive and high-performing culture, and support sustained change across the Student Recruitment & Marketing portfolio.

Note

Due to the senior leadership and institution-shaping nature of this role, the successful candidate is expected to work primarily on campus in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with flexibility as appropriate based on operational requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience with accountability for complex, performance-driven outcomes in areas such as recruitment, marketing, enrolment management, or adjacent experience-centered sectors.
• Demonstrated expertise in modern marketing and engagement practices, including brand strategy, demand generation, digital channels, audience segmentation, and CRM-enabled personalization.
• Strong quantitative orientation, with experience using analytics, forecasting, experimentation, and unit-cost discipline to guide strategy and investment.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and support diverse teams, including coaching senior leaders and sustaining performance through periods of change.
• Leadership maturity and judgement to operate effectively in a matrixed, values-driven, and publicly accountable environment.
• A service-centered mindset, recognizing recruitment and admissions as integrated experiences that shape institutional reputation, trust, and choice.

Assets

• Direct experience in student recruitment, enrolment management, admissions, or postsecondary marketing environments.
• Experience translating best practices from adjacent sectors consumer, services, hospitality) into complex, mission-driven organizations.
• Experience leveraging automation, emerging technologies, or AI to improve productivity and focus human effort on high-value work.
• Demonstrated success in building research and insight capabilities to inform value propositions, campaigns, and strategic decision-making.

Job Competencies

Like all senior leaders at Dalhousie, the AVP, SRM will be expected to demonstrate the and competencies that make up the Dalhousie Competencies. Of particular interest to the committee will be the following competencies:

• Thinking and Acting Strategically
• Relationship Building
• Resource and Process Management
• Accountability for Performance and Results
• Change and Innovation
• People Development

Additional Information

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.

Application Consideration

If you are motivated by the opportunity to shape the future of student recruitment and marketing at a leading Canadian university, we invite you to apply.

A complete application will include a cover letter and resume outlining your interest in the role and how your experience aligns with the responsibilities and qualifications described above. To be fully considered for this role, please submit your application before June 24, 2026.

Applications from current university employees and external candidates are assessed concurrently. Current university employees will be given special consideration.

We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or People and Culture.

Diversity Statement

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above.