Partner Admissions Lead

Who We Are Our mission is simple but critical: to build pathways for adult learners to earn high-quality, workforce-aligned degrees and credentials from North Carolina’s public universities. At Project Kitty Hawk, our work reflects our company values: Collaboration – We prioritize our partners’ success and reputation, aligning every initiative with their goals, reflecting their values, and enhancing their impact. Innovation – We innovate, not replicate. As creative problem solvers, we use data-driven insights to push boundaries, continuously improve our services, develop solutions, and redefine what it means to serve nontraditional learners. Empathy – We understand the unique challenges of nontraditional learners, and are committed to supporting them with empathy, respect, and solutions that fit their needs. Integrity – We operate with transparency and accountability in everything we do. We uphold honesty, take ownership of our work, and maintain the highest standards. Teamwork – We embody the collaboration we seek. We always strive to be dependable, supportive, and solutions-oriented teammates. Together, we partner with universities in the University of North Carolina (UNC) System to produce innovative, flexible degree and credential programs in high-demand fields. Each PKH team member plays a vital role in advancing this mission and shaping the future of education for adult learners. These values will enable us to realize PKH’s vision: to make North Carolina’s public universities the top choice for adult learners and to amplify the UNC System’s role as a national leader in higher education innovation, access, and student success. By joining our team, you have an opportunity to contribute to our achievement of that vision, in the process helping to create opportunities for thousands of learners to earn their success and move up the economic ladder. At Project Kitty Hawk we hire talented people who are not only dedicated to our mission but share our belief that working together makes us stronger and more effective. In this organization you’ll find individuals with a range of interesting backgrounds and life stories; the true magic happens when those individuals come together to solve problems in service of a common goal. . The Role The Partner Admissions Lead (PAL) is the operational leader of a dedicated “Core Team” assigned to a specific Project Kitty Hawk partner institution. The PAL serves as both a people manager and a subject matter expert, combining day-to-day team leadership of Application Specialists (APS) with deep institutional knowledge of their assigned partner’s admissions processes, systems, policies, and people. The PAL is responsible for driving performance outcomes across their Core Team’s admissions funnel while representing PKH Admissions as the primary SME in partner-facing settings. This position reports to the Manager of Admissions Services. What you'll do: 1. Core Team Leadership and Performance Management Manage the day-to-day activities, priorities, and workload distribution for the APS team assigned to the partner Core Team. Own individual and team performance outcomes, monitoring key funnel metrics (contact rate, application completion, admit-to-start conversion, census attendance) and driving corrective action when targets are not met. Coach APS team members through regular one-on-ones, call reviews, pipeline audits, and performance conversations. Identify skill gaps and coordinate development plans with the Manager of Admissions Services. Identify at-risk students using the Risk Rating Assessment Rubric and direct APS engagement strategies accordingly. Review qualitative and quantitative data to recommend coaching strategies and operational adjustments that improve conversion and student progression. 2. Partner Subject Matter Expertise Develop and maintain deep expertise in the assigned partner institution’s admissions processes, systems, people, policies, and academic requirements. Develop a thorough understanding of the student journey and the admissions experience specific to the assigned partner. Contribute to and help maintain the internal knowledge base, ensuring documentation is current, accurate, and accessible to the APS team. Train APS team members on partner-specific admissions processes, providing guidance and expertise based on institutional knowledge. Ensure timely communication of process changes, updates, and partner feedback to APS team members. 3. Partner Relationship and Escalation Management Represent PKH Admissions as the primary SME in partner-facing meetings, including regular admissions, financial aid, and relevant departmental sessions. Attend and contribute to STITCH coordination sessions, escalating student issues and providing status updates when appropriate. Categorize and prioritize student issues for escalation; engage the partner institution to determine resolution and communicate outcomes to the APS team. Identify areas for operational improvements based on APS feedback, student experience trends, and partner processes, and advocate for solutions internally. Secondary Responsibilities 1. New Partner Launch Support Validate systems, workflows, and processes outlined by the launch team for assigned new partner launches. Identify risks that the launch team may have missed and escalate to the Manager of Admissions Operations and Partnership Development. Confirm workflows and SLAs match staffing capacity and capabilities. Confirm APS team members can access all required systems, tools, dashboards, and notifications prior to launch. 2. Data Integrity, Compliance, and Continuous Improvement Monitor specific metrics and analyze data to recommend strategies that improve conversion and student progression across the Core Team. Ensure team compliance with FERPA, institutional data security policies, and CRM data integrity standards. Collaborate cross-functionally with Student Success, Partnership Success, Operations, and Marketing to ensure holistic partner and student outcomes. Completes other reasonable duties as assigned from time to time, to meet the ongoing needs of the Company. What you bring: Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree required. 3+ years of experience working in higher education with adult students in an online setting, OR equivalent combination of education and experience in admissions, enrollment management, or student recruitment. Preferred: 5+ years of experience in higher education recruiting, advising, and/or admissions, with demonstrated team leadership or supervisory experience. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of the challenges and needs specific to adult learners in higher education. Knowledge of and experience with CRM, LMS, and SIS platforms and other technologies used in online higher education and student management. Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and manage the performance of individual contributors in a metrics-driven environment. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret funnel data and translate insights into actionable coaching and operational strategies. Excellent communication, organizational, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities across team leadership and partner-facing responsibilities. Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to represent PKH credibly in partner-facing settings. Knowledge of relevant academic policies and procedures. Knowledge of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Ability to exercise discretion, professionalism, and good judgment and maintain confidentiality. Ability to work in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment while balancing team management, partner engagement, and operational execution. What We Offer Project Kitty Hawk offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes full medical/dental/vision coverage, a 401K with match, and a generous time-off policy with paid volunteer time. In addition, we are committed to providing competitive salaries with the potential for performance bonus and remote working flexibility. Project Kitty Hawk is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate based on actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Project Kitty Hawk is dedicated to this policy concerning recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please contact Kelly Snow at [email protected].