Job Title: Student Recruitment Specialist
Location: 910 W. Van Buren, Ste. 315, Chicago, IL 60607
Reports To: Deputy Chief of Engagement
Salary: Starting at $64,000 commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Full Time
Start Date: August 15th, 2024

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

Position Overview:

The Student Recruitment Specialist will be a key force in implementing student recruitment and enrollment strategies within the community to help ensure goals are met for Distinctive Schools’ nine campuses. The primary focus will be interacting with the community and helping promote our schools through tactics such as family outreach, event planning, digital marketing, and more.

The ideal candidate is energetic, forward-thinking, and detail-oriented. Results orientation and strong interpersonal skills are a must, as is an ability to work enthusiastically in a constantly changing environment and balance multiple priorities and competing deadlines.

Responsibilities:

Recruitment and Enrollment Implementation 25%

• Support the Enrollment team in executing tactical strategies, policies, and practices to ensure adherence to state and local enrollment regulations

• Alongside campus leads, execute strategies to engage students and families and drive interest in applying to DS campuses through a variety of channels and processes including planning events, partnering with area schools, engaging with family-focused community organizations, and creating marketing and outreach campaigns.

• Support the design and execution of a plan for reaching goals by prioritizing and balancing multiple projects at once, ensuring adherence to all benchmarks and timelines

  • Execute short-term initiatives aimed at enhancing student enrollment, and implement long-term projects to establish a robust infrastructure for effective change management

• Assist in building OR maintaining a library of comprehensive school- and family-facing enrollment resources

• Support the coordination of ongoing and day-to-day enrollment-related projects and tasks, including project planning, scheduling, tracking data, and compiling feedback

• Support the Engagement Team in cross-functional collaboration, including conducting school visits, focus groups and/or feedback tours to gather front-line staff and family input around student enrollment enhancements, policies, and procedures

• Help campuses respond to family inquiries around enrollment processes

• Design effective school strategies around retention, including processes and incentives around re-enrollment and family intent to return

Community Outreach and Partnership Building 65%

• Work diligently to build and nurture relationships with youth and family-centric community partners with the goal of connecting with families and driving interest in DS schools. This team member will have quantifiable goals around tangible community touchpoints

• Design and deliver dynamic presentations at area schools, family gatherings, and community meetings. – This team member will have quantifiable goals around the number of community presentations facilitated for youth, families, partners, etc

• Serve as an ambassador of Distinctive Schools through regular and visible presence within the community and at community events

• Represent Distinctive Schools at events and festivals, including coordination assistance and day-of support for off-site recruitment events

• Provide active support for the planning and facilitation of on-site open houses and other family engagement events

Process Improvement and Data Management 10%

• Interest and Application Tracking – This team member will have quantifiable goals around application collection and bringing new families into the DS recruitment? enrollment pipeline

• Track and analyze recruitment and enrollment data, using insights to drive recommendations and guidance for the adaptation of recruitment and enrollment strategies

• Manage and implement backend systems to help lead innovative recruitment efforts

Requirements or Qualifications (minimum)

Education

Associate’s Degree

Qualifications

• Fully supports the Distinctive Schools Mission and Vision

• Truly believes that the majority of our students can reach grade level proficiency

• Previous work in the area of student recruitment and admissions

• Technology demands:

  • Proficient with cloud based software solutions (such as GoogleSuite)

  • Ability to learn digital tools and and programs as needed for the position

• Travel: Ability to move between schools and facilitate visits to school neighborhood organizations and community partners - in car and on foot. Estimate roughly 70% of time will be spend in the community

Physical demands

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 50% sitting, 30% walking, and 20% standing.

Benefits

• 25+ Paid holidays & 15 days PTO annually

• 12 weeks family paid leave

• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)

• 403b match

  • Fully match up to 3%

  • 50% match up to 5%

• Professional development including tuition reimbursement

• Gym and wellness discounts

• And more

Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.

Distinctive Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

Distinctive Schools is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Distinctive Schools will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact talent@distinctiveschools.org or call 773.828.4191