Dean of Enrollment

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Head of School and serving on the senior leadership team, the Dean of Enrollment oversees all aspects of admissions, domestic and international recruitment, retention, outreach, and financial aid. The Dean of Enrollment will lead the admissions staff and the admissions process from inquiry through enrollment.

The Ideal Candidate

Verde Valley School seeks an energetic and enthusiastic individual with demonstrated success in sales, customer service, and marketing. The ideal candidate will demonstrate 5-7 years of successful admissions, recruitment, retention, and financial aid work at a boarding school. They have outstanding written, verbal, and presenting skills, enjoy working in a fast-paced, team-focused environment, exhibit positive energy, and have a good sense of humor. They are highly organized and approachable.

The  Dean of Enrollment will develop external outreach initiatives and cultivate relationships with prospective families worldwide, inform them of the VVS mission and principles, academic and residential life curriculum and culture, and guide them through the school’s admissions, financial aid, and re-enrollment processes.

The Dean of Enrollment will play a vital role in the VVS community, live on campus, and be a member of the leadership team. The ideal candidate will have experience in both domestic and international travel and innovative recruitment marketing ideas.

The Dean of Enrollment must possess a bachelor’s degree and preferably a master’s degree. They should thrive in a collaborative environment and be adept at creating life balance in a busy boarding school.

• Sets annual enrollment and admission goals by the Board of Trustees and Head of School.
• Oversees and administers the annual financial aid budget. Sets annual scholarship goals, administers the Native American Scholarship, and determines the budget in conjunction with the CFO and Head of School.
• Manages new student enrollment and the re-enrollment of current students by working in close connection with staff, families, and school leadership.
• Understands and informs the Leadership Team, admission staff, and community about research, demographics, and other relevant enrollment trends, ensuring that changes and challenges are anticipated, understood, and addressed.
• Responsible for managing admissions staff, the admission funnel process, and the school’s effort to attract, enroll, and retain a diverse and dynamic student population.
• Develops and implements enrollment and admission plans with clearly stated goals and objectives (headcount and net-tuition revenue).
• Develops new and maintains existing relationships with educational consultants, agents, feeder schools, and other centers of influence that generate additional prospective students/families.
• Formulates forward-thinking, strategic application, admission, and enrollment policies.
• Ensures internal constituents understand and embrace a customer service orientation intended for all families from the prospect to the enrolled phase.
• Attends Board of Trustees meetings and is involved in long-range and strategic planning.
• Maintains statistical and trend data related to admission and enrollment. Presents statistical and trend information to the Leadership Team, Board of Trustees, and faculty.
• Fosters high ethical standards, integrity, and respect for students, colleagues, alumni/ae, and parents throughout the admissions process and beyond.
• Actively participates in the life of the VVS Community, including one weeknight dorm duty and weekend dorm duty every 5 weeks.
• Develop and oversee a robust Admissions Ambassadors program to engage current VVS students in the admissions process.
• In partnership with the Head of School, develop a strategic recruitment and communication plan to reach targeted audiences, including identifying and implementing best-practice web-based technologies and referral networks.
• Liaises with Director of Student Support Services, Dean of Academics, and Dean of Students throughout applicants’ admissions process to ensure appropriate fit, and adequate support for all matriculating students.
• Supervises Admission staff in a manner that will maximize individual talents and encourages professional growth by providing highly visible, accessible, communicative, and supportive leadership and mentorship to the office, and training new staff members.
• Achieves annual enrollment goals and implements growth strategies to meet future enrollment targets.
• In collaboration with Advancement Office and Social Media Manager reviews and refines external marketing materials.
• Participates in the responsibilities of the senior administrative team and other school activities as time and the travel schedule reasonably allow.
• Travels both domestically and internationally throughout the academic year.
• Position is a 12-month exempt administrative position with administrative vacation time.
• Salary commensurate with experience.

 Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Dean of Enrollment with an immediate start.  Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at zack@dovetailedsourcing.com, and Ashlyn Chillemi, Senior Recruiter, at ashlyn@dovetailedsourcing.com.               

About Verde Valley School

Verde Valley School is a small, independent, boarding and day school serving grades 9-12. The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program is our main curriculum, and the student body is composed of both students from around the world and throughout the United States. VVS’s guiding principles include academic excellence, intercultural understanding and service to others. Please visit our website for more information at www.vvsaz.org.

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