Director of Open Enrollment Program

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is pioneering a new model of higher education for a global world, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research and to advancing cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. Drawing on the strengths of the NYU global network, it offers an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education to students from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and around the world, with a distinctive focus on intercultural understanding and leadership. It supports innovative research and graduate education programs that push forward the frontiers of knowledge and respond in powerful and interdisciplinary ways to vital global and local challenges.

Position Summary

Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Director of Open Enrollment Programs, Executive and Professional Education reporting to the Vice Provost, Executive & Professional Education.

The Director of Open Enrollment Programs provides strategic leadership for the development, growth, and academic oversight of NYU Abu Dhabi’s portfolio of open enrollment offerings across three key verticals: Community Learning, Professional Micro-Credentials, and High School Programs. Reporting to the Vice Provost of Executive and Professional Education, the role is responsible for designing and expanding a market-responsive portfolio that supports NYUAD’s academic mission while addressing regional workforce development, youth enrichment, and lifelong learning priorities. The Director oversees portfolio strategy, program development, financial performance, and operational excellence, positioning NYUAD as a regional leader in professional education and pre-university learning. Working closely with academic leadership, faculty, and external partners, the Director ensures programs are aligned with emerging market needs while maintaining academic integrity and institutional standards across the UAE, GCC, MENA region, and India.

Key Responsibilities:

Portfolio Strategy & Growth

Lead the development and execution of a multi-year growth strategy for open enrollment programs across community learning, micro-credentials, and high school program verticals

Collaborate with OEPE marketing, admissions, and business development teams to drive lead generation, conversion, and regional brand visibility

Program Leadership & Academic Quality

Lead market-informed program development and expansion in partnership with NYUAD faculty, NYU SPS New York, and global academic units

Recruit, onboard, and manage academic and scholar-practitioner faculty and instructors in alignment with NYU academic standards

Ensure academic integrity, safeguarding, regulatory compliance, and institutional approvals for all programs

Revenue & Financial Performance

Hold P&L responsibility for the open enrollment portfolio and oversee financial performance and sustainability

Manage enrollment targets, margin optimization, and financial forecasting to support program growth

Operational Excellence

Provide strategic oversight of end-to-end program delivery across all open enrollment program verticals

Create a high-quality learner experience across programs

Ensure compliance requirements are met, particularly for programs involving minors

Lead continuous improvement initiatives across program operations

Work with the Program Delivery team to identify and hire academic and seasonal staff required for program delivery

Qualifications

Required Education

Master's Degree or higher from an accredited institution

Required Experience

10+ years of progressive leadership experience in continuing education, executive education, or professional education

University-based or higher education program management

Demonstrated experience building and scaling open enrollment or certificate portfolios

Proven P&L responsibility and revenue growth leadership

Experience managing multi-stakeholder academic partnerships

Strong understanding of youth education, workforce development, and lifelong learning markets

Knowledge of:

Open enrollment and continuing education business models

Youth education, pre-college pathways, and academic enrichment

Professional micro-credential and workforce credentialing markets

Higher education governance and quality assurance frameworks

Skills:

Strategic portfolio design and market positioning

Financial modeling, pricing strategy, and margin management

Partnership development and stakeholder management

Program launch, scaling, and lifecycle management

Executive-level communication and presentation

Abilities:

Lead cross-functional academic, marketing, admissions, and operations teams

Operate in a complex global university environment

Build high-trust relationships with faculty and external partners

Drive growth while maintaining academic excellence and compliance

Preferred Education

Doctoral Degree or terminal degree

Certified Professional in Learning & Performance (CPLP)

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Certified Continuing Education Professional (CCEP)

Safeguarding / Child Protection Certification (for youth programs)

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

UAE education regulation, youth safeguarding frameworks, and accreditation environments

Regional workforce priorities and national development agendas

Global micro-credential frameworks and digital credentialing ecosystems

Skills:

International market entry and regional expansion

Institutional partnership negotiation

Thought leadership and brand positioning

Abilities:

Operate at executive and ministerial levels

Represent NYUAD at global education forums and regional summits

Other Information About NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity. This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.