Details
Posted: 06-Jan-22
Location: East Providence, Rhode Island
Type: Full Time
Required Education: 4 Year Degree
Categories:
Admissions
The Gordon School is a racially diverse nursery through eighth grade coeducational independent school in East Providence, Rhode Island. Child by child, the Gordon School community cultivates successful students by inspiring joyful learning, encouraging intellectual leadership, fostering an empathic spirit and stimulating a drive for positive societal impact.
OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR
Start date: July 1, 2022
Overview
Founded in 1910 as the Open Air School by pediatrician Dr. Helen West Cooke, Gordon was Rhode Island’s first non-public, all-gender school. In 1963, the school moved to its current twelve-acre site in East Providence and remains true to its progressive roots, instilling “the true spirit of joyous work” and holding fast to the belief that “mind and heart should be educated with equal care.”
Today, Gordon is a racially and socio-economically diverse nursery through eighth grade independent school with an enrollment of 382 students, renowned nationally for a multicultural curriculum and a commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice. The mission is embraced by all members of the community and is championed in all aspects of school life, inspiring and informing daily decisions as well as long-term strategy.
Gordon’s nursery to eighth grade model best serves the educational, social, and emotional needs of children by allowing students to connect across grade levels, promoting a school-wide sense of community, cultivating leadership in children of all ages, and making key social skills like courage and compassion essential elements of the day-to-day experience.
Our curriculum focuses on developing intellectual leadership by leveraging a child’s natural imagination, creativity and inquisitive nature. Students are challenged and inspired to be active participants in their own education, and faculty and staff strive to develop deep and meaningful relationships with each child and family.
The opportunity
Over the past two years, Gordon School has taken head on the challenge of delivering a progressive educational experience in the midst of a global pandemic. While the school’s flexibility and adaptability have been crucial elements of its response, ultimately, Gordon has been successful meeting this unprecedented moment by remaining true to its mission and committed to its empathetic approach to teaching and learning.
With enrollment growing, parent enthusiasm strong, a firm financial foundation, and experienced leadership, faculty, and staff in place, Gordon is excited to launch a search for its next Admissions Director.
Housed in the Advancement Office, admissions at Gordon is a collaborative effort to recruit, enroll and retain mission-aligned families whose backgrounds, identities, and perspectives reflect the diversity that is essential to cultivating both academic excellence and an authentic place to belong. Gordon is seeking a compassionate and highly skilled professional to oversee all aspects of this important process.
The Admissions Director is an enthusiastic spokesperson for the school and is responsible for attracting and thoughtfully stewarding prospective families through a responsive and equitable admissions process from inquiry to enrollment. The person in this role will need to move seamlessly between big picture and tactical thinking to ensure that the school meets its goals to enroll students who will not only thrive at Gordon but also contribute positively to the community beyond the campus.
The Admissions Director reports to the Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement, has two to three direct reports, and is a member of the senior leadership team. This position involves multiple evening and weekend commitments.
A day in the life of Gordon’s Admissions Director
The Admissions Director position presents an exciting opportunity for a passionate and customer service-oriented professional to touch and impact every aspect of school life.
On any given day you might find the Admissions Director…
- Greeting students, parents, and caregivers at arrival and dismissal along with other members of the Leadership Team.
- Collaborating with the Diversity Committee of the Board of Trustees to assess progress on strategic enrollment goals.
- Training middle school students to lead school tours.
- Chatting with students, teachers, and caregivers at an afterschool athletic game or performance.
- Collaborating with the Communications Director and Gordon’s marketing design consultant to create admissions outreach materials.
- Presenting to schools across the nation with the Chief Financial Officer about Gordon’s Family Individualized Tuition.
- Leading a strategy session focused on short-term and long-term troubleshooting in response to local market changes that could impact admissions.
Key responsibilities
Leadership and management
- Develop and implement an admissions program that effectively models Gordon’s mission, values, and culture for all prospective students and families.
- Manage all aspects of the admissions process including welcoming, touring, and interviewing; maintain an ongoing relationship with prospective families.
- Oversee the daily functions of the Admissions Office including answering phone calls, making appointments, responding to requests for admission materials and applications, helping with office mailings, and answering questions as needed.
- Direct the scheduling, coordinating, and execution of all admissions events and outreach initiatives including:
- Open houses
- Programming for new and prospective families
- School tours, classroom visits, interviews
- New student gatherings
- New family mentor program
- New student and family onboarding process
- Manage the daily operations of the Admissions Office, including budget, database, filing, correspondence, and mailings.
- Use admissions and enrollment data to track progress to goals, identify trends, and inform planning and decision making. Understand and proactively respond to local and national trends that affect enrollment.
- Organize and lead the meetings of the Admissions Committee and Enrollment Management Team, ensuring that admission and enrollment decisions align with board-directed demographic targets, the school’s financial sustainability goals and Gordon’s ongoing commitment to diversity, access, and inclusion.
- Collaborate with the Communications Director regarding website management and development, video production, and weekly E-news for all inquiries, applicants, and newly enrolled students.
- Along with the other members of the Leadership Team, attend various school events, gatherings, and celebrations.
Partnering with faculty and students
- Enlist teacher feedback and support in the admissions process.
- Develop a deep knowledge of Gordon’s academic and social emotional curriculum and keep up to date on changes and innovations.
- Connect families with relevant faculty and staff as needed.
- Oversee the eighth grade Admission Ambassadors program.
Partnering with volunteers
- Maintain the monthly admissions and enrollment dashboard and report progress, as necessary, to the Board of Trustees on strategic objectives.
- Act as the administrative liaison to the Enrollment and Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees.
- Partner with the Gordon Community Association and Philanthropic Engagement team to leverage family engagement initiatives, community events, and marketing tools like Gordon Gear to achieve admissions objectives.
- Oversee the Admission Ambassadors volunteer program.
Partnering with the external community
- Represent and promote Gordon at external events; identify and leverage potential networking and recruitment opportunities.
- Cultivate community partnerships; establish, maintain, and grow relationships with feeder schools.
Leadership and personal qualities
- A visionary leader with the knowledge, ingenuity, fortitude, passion, and decisiveness necessary to build trusting relationships, promote Gordon School, and advance its mission.
- An enthusiastic commitment to Gordon’s multicultural curriculum and progressive pedagogical approach.
- High cultural competency and racial literacy, and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- An ability to lead and motivate collaboratively and manage assignments with excellent organization, delivery, creativity, planning, and attention to detail.
- A strong understanding of the relationships between the admissions, marketing, communication, development, and finance functions in an independent school or a similar organization.
- A professional, collaborative, team-oriented style characterized by empathy, flexibility, and grace.
- Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage multiple initiatives.
- A genuine appreciation of and respect for children; energy and enthusiasm for all aspects of school life.
- Warmth and a good sense of humor; patience and persistence; sense of curiosity and a love of learning.
- Comfort and experience presenting in front of small and large groups.
- The desire and ability to work collaboratively, to innovate, and be part of a team.
Professional qualifications
- A Bachelor’s degree, at minimum; a Master’s degree in education, communications, marketing, or a related field preferred.
- Three to five years of leadership and supervisory experience, preferably in an admissions role, that reflects a track record of cultivating positive relationships with various stakeholders.
- Experience working in diverse and culturally responsive elementary and middle schools or with organizations that serve children in this age group and their families.
- Exceptional writing, editing, and oral communication skills and demonstrated skill in communicating and engaging effectively with a wide range of constituencies.
- Demonstrated success inspiring and leading a team, including establishing goals, managing performance, and fostering professional growth.
- Experience working with Blackbaud or similar databases systems.
- Expertise in the ethical, legal, and confidentiality considerations related to admissions practices.
Compensation and benefits
This is a full-time, twelve-month exempt position and reports to the Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement. The salary for this position will be commensurate with experience. Gordon employees enjoy a competitive employee benefits program including medical, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement plan contribution, and voluntary supplemental life insurance and long-term care coverage.
Gordon School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
How to apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following materials by January 14, 2022:
- A cover letter describing why you are interested in working at Gordon and how your talents and experience are a fit for this position.
- A current résumé.
- A list of three professional references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without notifying the candidate first).
Please send your materials electronically in one email and as separate PDF documents to:
Veronica Jutras, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement at vjutras@gordonschool.org
No phone calls, please.
We strongly encourage applications from people of color, LGBTQIA+ educators, or educators from communities that are historically underrepresented in independent schools.
- A Bachelor’s degree, at minimum; a Master’s degree in education, communications, marketing, or a related field preferred.
- Three to five years of leadership and supervisory experience, preferably in an admissions role, that reflects a track record of cultivating positive relationships with various stakeholders.
- Experience working in diverse and culturally responsive elementary and middle schools or with organizations that serve children in this age group and their families.
- Exceptional writing, editing, and oral communication skills and demonstrated skill in communicating and engaging effectively with a wide range of constituencies.
- Demonstrated success inspiring and leading a team, including establishing goals, managing performance, and fostering professional growth.
- Experience working with Blackbaud or similar databases systems.
- Expertise in the ethical, legal, and confidentiality considerations related to admissions practices.