"Assistant Director, Experiential Marketing - Admissions"

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 Assistant Director, Experiential Marketing reporting to the Associate Director, Admissions Marketing & Events.

The Assistant Director, Experiential Marketing is responsible for strategic planning, oversight, and execution of the full undergraduate admissions events portfolio. This includes on-campus, virtual, and off-campus events that engage prospective students and families, enhance the applicant experience, and strengthen NYU Abu Dhabi’s global reputation. Reporting to the Associate Director, Admissions Marketing & Events, this role works collaboratively with the Enrollment Management Marketing & Communications team based in New York and the Undergraduate Admissions team in Abu Dhabi to support NYUAD’s strategic enrollment goals.

The role oversees the events team, manages budgets, evaluates vendor partnerships, and ensures best-in-class execution. Additionally, the role requires lateral management of peers and colleagues across the University who partner on events without a direct reporting line to the Assistant Director. This role sits on a cross-functional marketing and events team and, as such, will be involved in marketing initiatives related to events, including collateral preparation, digital updates, and communications, with the support and guidance of the dedicated marketing staff. While the primary focus is events, the Assistant Director may provide strategic guidance or support for marketing initiatives related to events when required.

The Assistant Director, Experiential Marketing, is expected to work on evenings and weekends, and travel for work on occasion. As a member of the Undergraduate Admissions Team, the incumbent is expected to participate and contribute to the office’s daily operations as needed.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Events Leadership

• Define and implement a comprehensive events strategy aligned with institutional priorities
• Oversee event planning, budgeting, vendor management, risk assessment, and staff deployment
• Set standards for highquality attendee experiences

Team Oversight & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and manage the events team, student volunteers, and temporary staff
• Coordinate with admissions, marketing, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and smooth execution of initiative

Performance Tracking & Analytics

• Establish KPIs for events, including attendance, engagement, satisfaction, and ROI
• Deliver post-event reports with actionable insights and recommendations for continuous improvement

Marketing Alignment & Support

• Provide strategic guidance and support to marketing teams on event-related campaigns and collateral
• Ensure brand consistency and messaging across all event communications

Market & Competitor Research

• Conduct ongoing research on competitor events, industry trends, and best practices to inform strategy and maintain NYU Abu Dhabi’s competitive edge

Required Education:

Bachelors Degree in Marketing, Communications, Events Management, Business, or a related field

Required Experience:

• 5+ years in marketing or experiential event management, ideally in higher education or recruitment contexts
• Strong strategic and project management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple initiatives simultaneously
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends for key events

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree in Marketing or Communications

Preferred Experience:

• Experience managing teams and external vendors
• Knowledge of digital marketing, campaign analytics, and integrated marketing strategies
• Fluency in Arabic is an advantage
• Strategic thinker with results-driven approach
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Leadership skills to manage and motivate a team effectively
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and manage multiple priorities
• Commitment to providing outstanding applicant and stakeholder experiences

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.