Career Center

Director of Enrollment

The Taft School

Watertown, CT

THE SEARCH

The Taft School (Taft), one of the nation’s premier college-preparatory boarding and day schools, seeks an entrepreneurial, data-driven, strategic, enrollment leader to serve as its next Director of Enrollment ("Director”). The Director will build upon the incredible legacy of outgoing admissions director, Peter Frew ’75, who has worked in Taft Admissions since 1985 and has led Taft in enrolling exceptional, competitive, and diverse classes since 2010. Inheriting a committed team and joining a devoted community, the incoming Director will steer Taft through its next successful chapter, deftly melding the art and science of enrollment, honoring the full lifecycle of a student’s journey, and stewarding the tremendous responsibility of selecting Taft’s next generation.

The Taft School was founded in 1890 by Horace D. Taft who believed that character, above all else, determined success in life. Nearly 135 years later, Taft students, or Tafties as they are colloquially known, continue to live out the School’s motto of “Not to be served, but to serve” both in and out of the classroom. Taft’s 580 students enjoy a beautiful and Collegiate Gothic campus, exceptional faculty, rigorous academic curriculum, and art and athletic programs that compete on a national scale. After Taft, they are regularly admitted to the nation’s most prestigious institutions.

Taft’s appeal is strong, as evidenced by its 1,700 annual applications and 16 percent acceptance rate. The campus attracts a mix of boarding and day students and prioritizes enrolling diverse classes: 24 percent of students identify as domestic students of color; 18 percent are international students hailing from 60 different countries; and 35 percent of the student body receives financial aid. As of June 2023, Taft boasts an endowment of $300 million, one of the top 15 boarding school endowments in the nation. The School’s strong tradition of alumni giving, with 35 percent of alumni donating annually, ensures its ability to sustain excellence for the coming generations. Additionally, more than 90% of Taft’s current parents contribute annually to the Parents’ Fund.

Reporting directly to the Head of School and leading the 20-member Office of Admission and Financial Aid, the Director of Enrollment is responsible for maintaining and strengthening Taft’s position in the independent school marketplace by enrolling and retaining stellar students and by serving as one of the school’s most visible ambassadors.

Through the next decades of demographic shifts and increased competition for exceptional boarding students, Taft must continue to support and uphold its place in the national and international market. To achieve this, the Director will develop and grow data-driven systems and procedures to guide Taft’s full enrollment cycle; help Taft to tell its story accurately, creatively, and with excellence; collaborate across Taft to support student success; and lead a talented Admissions team to build and sustain a pipeline of students who excel in all aspects of student life and will be great contributors to Taft’s culture.

Taft has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in the recruitment of the Director of Enrollment. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and applications may be directed to the search firm as indicated below. The target salary range for this role is $185,000 to $205,000 and will be commensurate with experience.

Carrie Alexander, Diana Carmona, and Nathaniel Rodriguez Sosa of Isaacson, Miller

https://www.imsearch.com/open-searches/taft-school/director-enrollment

The Taft School is fully accredited by The New England Association of Colleges and Schools. The Taft School is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer in accordance with regulations adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. It is the policy of The Taft School to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to age, gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, actual or perceived disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran's status, genetic predisposition, or any other class protected by law.