Assistant Dean of JD Admissions

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Assistant Dean of JD Admissions

Job Profile Title

Director D, Student Services, Admissions

Job Description Summary

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished law schools. The School offers a unique approach, incorporating cross-disciplinary legal education, a distinctly collaborative environment, and an innovative curriculum to enrich student learning. The small and highly interdisciplinary faculty achieves scholarly excellence while emphasizing a shared effort to advance understanding of the law. The result is an intellectual community that bridges traditional boundaries and disciplines within a renowned internal culture of collegiality, making the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School an extraordinarily supportive academic community for all its members.

The Assistant Dean of JD Admissions articulates and implements a vision of existing and potential opportunities to recruit exceptionally talented students to The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s JD program. The Assistant Dean of JD Admissions (“Assistant Dean”) develops recruitment and matriculation strategies that demonstrate imagination and creativity, using the Law School’s distinctive strengths to attract and enroll JD classes of 240-250 students annually.

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Strategic Enrollment and working closely with the Dean, faculty, and JD Admissions staff colleagues, the Assistant Dean manages a staff of talented admissions colleagues and collaborates with the Assistant Dean of Financial Aid to build and enroll exceptional classes to the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Job Description

Strategic

• Collaborating with the Dean, the Associate Dean for Enrollment Strategy, and faculty, describe long- and short-term JD recruitment and matriculation goals and explicit strategies to achieve them.
• Making innovative use of research and technologies in the recruitment and matriculation processes, model and recommend goals in JD admissions.
• Collaborating with the Assistant Dean for Financial Aid, contribute to inventive institutional financial aid strategies in support of enrollment goals.

Communication and Marketing

• Working closely with the Senior Associate Dean and the Communications Department, use novel and inventive ideas on the most successful communications techniques to interest and enroll academically talented JD candidates.
• Understand a host of law school evaluation mechanisms and their impact on the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s positioning in the competitive landscape.
• Collaborate with Law School departments on data projects and information sharing to ensure effective communication of Penn Carey Law strengths across the board.

Operational

• Oversee the effectuation of and participate in a variety of strategies, in-person and virtual, to communicate the uniqueness of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School to prospective students and other audiences.
• Devise and implement systems for efficient and effective file-reading.
• Render decisions on admissions to the University of Pennsylvania JD class.
• Participate in strategy setting and decision making around scholarship programs and their implementation.
• Develop and implement matriculation strategies that represent the best of Penn Carey Law’s community.
• Collaborate with Law School departments (Registrar’s Office, Student Affairs, and others) on seating the class; participate in incoming class Orientations.

Representational

• Represent the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School to external and internal audiences; serve as a key public representative of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, communicating the distinctive educational opportunities at the Law School not only to prospective students but to potential partners, alumni, and national organizations such as the Law School Admissions Council.
• Identify and build appropriate relationships with important stakeholders and potential contributors to the Law School’s goals.
• Communicate the distinctive educational opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School to undergraduate institutions, pre-law advisors, and national and international organizations.
• Prepare reports on all JD Enrollment Strategy activities and plans; present to various stakeholders, including faculty, the Board of Overseers, and others upon request.

Managerial

• Develop and implement staffing plans to address the recruitment, applicant assessment, and matriculation strategies and processes required to meet the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s ambitious goals.
• Inspire, energize, and direct a highly talented team.
• Develop and implement a plan to hire exceptional part-time admissions readers and seasonal employees.
• Develop and administer a budget for all JD admissions processes and programs ($500,000 plus); recommend salaries and increases for all JD admissions staff.

Other duties as assigned

Candidate Qualifications:

The successful candidate will hold an advanced degree, J.D. preferred, and have a minimum of seven to ten years of increasing administrative responsibility in a creative enterprise. Experience in high level admissions and/or financial aid required. Understanding of and ability to articulate the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s strengths in the most competitive arena of law school recruiting. Knowledge of database management, reporting systems, assessment tools, and predictive modeling related to the admission of academically motivated students to law school. Demonstrated understanding of effective communication and marketing strategies; demonstrated commitment to diversity and a sensitivity to applicants from different cultural, ethnic, geographic, and experiential backgrounds. We seek candidates who have established track records as collaborators in the workplace, within the immediate department and within the larger institution, as well as records as strong and motivational managers. Demonstrative creative bent and ability to represent the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School proudly in all manner of public and internal forums. 

Targeted Annual Pay Range: $130,000.00 – $150,000.00

This Targeted Pay Range is only applicable to this job posting. All salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and job profile.

Job Location – City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Law School

Pay Range

$90,860.00 – $150,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile. 

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn’s exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you’ll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 

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