Vice President of Enrollment & Student Affairs

Vice President of Enrollment & Student Affairs

Location: Kuwait, position requires relocation.

Note: position is open to unaccompanied candidates only.

Position Summary

The Vice President for Enrollment & Student Affairs (VP-ESA) is a senior executive leader responsible for developing and executing the University’s comprehensive strategy for student recruitment, admissions, enrollment management, student success, and campus life. The role provides institutional leadership across the entire student lifecycle—from prospective student outreach through graduation—ensuring alignment with academic priorities, regulatory requirements in Kuwait, accreditation standards, and financial sustainability goals.

The VP-ESA serves as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team and collaborates closely with academic leadership, finance, marketing, and administrative units to achieve enrollment targets, enhance student experience, improve retention and graduation rates, and strengthen institutional reputation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Enrollment Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive enrollment strategy aligned with the University’s mission, growth plans, and financial model
• Establish annual enrollment targets (undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and international students) and monitor performance against KPIs
• Lead market analysis, forecasting, and data-driven decision-making to optimize recruitment outcomes
• Oversee recruitment pipelines, yield strategies, and conversion initiatives

Admissions & Recruitment

• Direct all admissions operations, policies, and procedures
• Ensure fair, transparent, and compliant admission processes aligned with Kuwait regulatory bodies and accreditation requirements
• Expand domestic and international recruitment initiatives, partnerships, and outreach programs
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications on branding, campaigns, and digital recruitment strategies

Registration, Scheduling & Academic Coordination

• Provide governance oversight for student registration, course scheduling, and enrollment systems
• Coordinate closely with academic departments to align course offerings with student demand and degree progression requirements
• Monitor credit loads, program capacity, and classroom utilization to ensure efficient operations

Student Affairs & Campus Experience

• Provide executive leadership for student life functions, including orientation, student engagement, counseling, housing (if applicable), clubs, athletics, and student support services
• Foster a safe, inclusive, and supportive campus environment that promotes student wellbeing and success
• Oversee student conduct processes and ensure compliance with institutional policies

Retention, Persistence & Graduation

• Develop institution-wide strategies to improve student retention, persistence, and on-time graduation
• Monitor academic progress, early alert systems, and intervention programs
• Ensure accurate tracking of credit accumulation and fulfillment of graduation requirements

Compliance, Governance & Accreditation

• Ensure compliance with Kuwait Ministry of Higher Education regulations, Private Universities Council (PUC) requirements, and relevant accreditation standards
• Oversee policies related to student records, privacy, and academic integrity
• Support institutional reporting requirements and audits

Financial Stewardship

• Align enrollment planning with tuition revenue projections and financial sustainability goals
• Collaborate with Finance on scholarship policies, discount strategies, and revenue forecasting
• Monitor cost effectiveness of recruitment initiatives

Data, Analytics & Technology

• Promote the use of enrollment analytics, dashboards, and predictive modeling
• Oversee student information systems related to admissions, registration, and academic progress
• Ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, and decision support capabilities

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and evaluate directors and staff across Enrollment and Student Affairs units
• Foster cross-functional collaboration between academic and administrative departments
• Represent the University externally with schools, government agencies, partners, and community organizations

Qualifications

Required

• PhD or terminal degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum 10–15 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in enrollment management, student affairs, or academic administration within higher education
• Demonstrated success in achieving enrollment growth and improving retention outcomes
• Strong knowledge of academic governance, policies, and regulatory compliance
• Experience managing large teams and complex operations
• Excellent strategic planning, analytical, and financial management skills
• Outstanding communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement abilities

Preferred

• Doctoral degree in Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field
• Experience in international or Middle Eastern higher education environments
• Familiarity with accreditation processes and government regulatory frameworks in Kuwait or GCC countries
• Background in financial modeling or business strategy