The Director of Admissions is a strategic thinker and leads the recruitment, enrollment, and retention of students for The Vanguard  School. This full-time, non-exempt 12-month senior administrative position focuses on relationship building and personalized engagement with prospective students and families. The Director is an enthusiastic and dynamic individual who is goal-oriented and customer service-oriented, helping families through the whole admission process. The Director of Admissions promotes the school's commitment to exceptional attention to individual students, helping them connect to learning, find a community, and build confidence.  

• Critical to this role is managing the admissions process from inquiry through enrollment. Primary contact for prospective families -coordinate tours, interviews, and notifications, which aim to provide an enriching and informative experience, leading to the completion of an application.
• Engage alumni and current families in recruitment efforts
• Stay current with boarding school and neurodiverse research and trends
• Warmly and knowledgeably welcome and engage with prospective families in person, on the telephone, Zoom, and in written communication in a way that increases the family’s connectivity with the School to increase inquiries, school visits, applications, and enrollment. 
• Develop and maintain education consultant connections and partnerships 
• Oversee the Boarding Student Orientation and Registration Days
• Representation of Vanguard at various events such as fairs,  school visits, virtual information sessions, domestic and international traveling, parent and alumni meetings
• Oversee admissions content on the school website and promotional materials 
• Develop with the Head of School and CFO the processes, procedures, and enrollment goals at the beginning of each new admissions recruitment season 
• Develop and implement a comprehensive data-driven admissions and enrollment plan to meet enrollment goals in partnership with school leadership, enrollment targets, and priorities
• Collaborate on tuition assistance programs and financial aid processes, including Step Up for Students Family Empowerment Florida Scholarship funding program
• Serve as a mentor to Admissions Tour Guides to help the student grow in their role
• Responsible for producing monthly reports on enrollment data and inquiries   
• Serve on the Senior Administration Team
• Manage and maintain the database to ensure accurate data for all applicants is accessible to stakeholders on campus. 
• Manage the communication of all onboarding information from acceptance letters to registration information to academic and health portal logins for new families throughout the spring and summer months
• Report to the Board of Directors and committees at all board meetings 
• Help support relationships and meaningful partnerships with students, staff, and parents. 
• Professional appearance - dress in a respectful and professional manner.

• Support forward-thinking advancement of the admissions department that grows enrollment and advances Vanguard's reputation. 
• Ability to work independently and in a group and to communicate with parents, students, faculty, and staff effectively
• Strong work ethic, adaptability, generous spirit, and confident working with families.
• Commitment to and alignment with the School's mission and vision.  
• Support the school team, including administration, faculty, and residential life. 

• Enhance existing relationships while building new relationships with educational consultants, schools, families, and students.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities
• Energetic, highly energetic, self-motivated, and a team player

• Models the words, behaviors, and values deemed appropriate for a member of the Vanguard community.
• Recognizes individual student progress and accomplishments 
• Perform other tasks as required and/or assigned by the President/Head of School
• Show progress in professional improvement.
• Attend school events outside of school hours as requested.

Additional Job Requirements

• Alignment and enthusiasm for the philosophy and mission of The Vanguard School.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer-service-oriented approach 
• Genuine engagement with all levels of the The Vanguard School community
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
• Detail-oriented and excellent organizational skills

• Passionate advocate for students.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Culturally responsive and committed to diversity and inclusion.

About The Vanguard School

The Vanguard School is a private, non-profit, co-educational, boarding and day school for students in grades 6-12 who experience learning disabilities. These disabilities include dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADD, ADHD, and high-functioning autism. For over 50 years Vanguard has provided an individualized education to these students in small classroom settings that average 6-10 students per class. Vanguard also provides a full range of activities and sports and aspires that all students will go on to higher education and independent education. Vanguard School is located on a beautiful 77 acre campus in sunny Central Florida between vibrant cities Orlando and Tampa.

Connections working at The Vanguard School