About Emma Willard School
Emma Willard School has been a pioneer in girls’ education for 206 years. Located on 137-acre campus on Mount Ida, above the city of Troy, New York the School is built on a remarkable history, a responsibility that has propelled it forward as the standard-bearer for girls' education. Today, that responsibility includes an unwavering commitment to balancing academic rigor and wellness programming and a laser focus on both racial and gender equity.
Founded in 1814, Emma Willard School continues to proudly foster in each student a love of learning, the habits of an intellectual life; and the character, moral strength, and qualities of leadership to serve and shape her world. Emma granted $4.5 million in financial aid to 46% of its diverse community of 357 students, 227 boarding and 130 day. Emma students currently hail from 21 states, and over 30 countries.
Job Summary
Emma Willard School, an independent girls boarding and day school serving students in grades 9–12 and a postgraduate year, seeks a Head of Enrollment Management (HEM) to begin work July 1, 2021. The successful candidate will build upon the School’s outstanding reputation and strong admission and enrollment management program. The HEM implements strategies and practices to ensure that the School achieves both enrollment and revenue goals, set annually and in partnership with the Head of School and Board of
Trustees.
Reporting to the Head of School and serving on the senior leadership team, the HEM provides input on all school-wide decisions. She/he leads a “deeply personalized” admission and enrollment process, which includes a robust and longstanding summer program, and plays a vital role in the school community, expanding the community’s understanding of enrollment management through implementation of positive engagement, recruitment, and retention practices. The HEM provides input to drive decisions in support of new marketing, academic, and student life programs and develops productive partnerships with internal school-wide departments and key external referral sources (parents, alumnae, consultants, etc.) to achieve annual enrollment goals and implement growth strategies to meet future enrollment targets.
The HEM will work closely with the Communications Office to effectively market the School and to embed the new strategic vision into marketing materials and efforts. A key pillar of the strategic vision is a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The HEM will work to build on a process that prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion in both recruitment and retention efforts. S/He plays a vital role in the Emma Willard community and serves as a model of Emma’s culture and core values.
The Head of Enrollment Management is a full-time, 12-month senior administrative position with seven weeks of paid time off.
Job Responsibilities
1. Serve on the senior leadership team of Emma Willard School and provide input on all decisions related to academic, student life, enrollment, communications, and mission and vision- related programming.
2. Lead the enrollment management process of attracting, enrolling, and retaining mission-fit students; develop and implement a data-driven, market-sensitive, goal-oriented enrollment plan to reach targeted regional, national, and international audiences for grades 9–12 and summer program enrollment.
3. Establish an admission process that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
4. Partner with the Communications Office to develop strategic marketing ideas.
5. Formulate annual Admission and Enrollment Action Plans with measurable goals and objectives.
6. Steward relationships with on campus partners and develop connections with current and prospective families; engage advancement, alumnae relations, faculty, senior administrators, and the head of school’s office as appropriate; develop and execute an all-school enrollment management model.
7. Communicate institutional timelines for enrollment and parent processes ensuring that decisions are made and communicated both externally and internally in a brand and mission appropriate manner.
8. Serve on the financial aid committee, and partner with the CFO in implementation of pricing, projections, and financial aid strategies.
9. Maintain sophisticated data models and statistical information regarding
the School’s enrollment trends and utilizes them in decision-making about enrollment strategy, resource use, and planning efforts.
10. Understand and inform the Admission staff and community about research and demographics and admission and enrollment trends, ensuring that changes and challenges are anticipated, understood, and addressed.
11. Work closely with the Dean of Students and Assistant Head of School on issues relating to student life.
12. Represent Emma Willard School at public events, on and off campus.
13. Encourage relationships with feeder schools, counselors, and consultants. including regular visits with Heads of School and placement counselors.
14. Enhance the School’s good standing in relevant professional organizations.
15. Extend beyond the responsibilities of a job description when the need arises and assists the Head of School with all other duties as assigned.
Applying for the Position
Successful candidates should possess a minimum of five years experience of progressively responsible admission, enrollment, marketing, and financial aid experience in an independent school or college, have a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and a strong commitment to a 9-12 independent, boarding and girls’ school education. In addition, candidates should possess superior communication and public relations skills, both written and spoken; be facile with data, comfortable thinking strategically, and possess superior interpersonal, organizational, and managerial skills; and display high energy, flexibility, warmth, and a sense of humor.
A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree is preferred.
Emma Willard School has retained The Baker Group, the premier independent school enrollment management consulting firm, to assist in the recruitment of its next Head of Enrollment Management.
Interested candidates are asked to submit in an electronic file, their resume, a one to two-page cover letter, and names and contact information of three references directed to Christine H. Baker at: cbaker@thebakergrp.com.
Please submit materials by February 16, 2021