Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management

Director of Admissions & Enrollment 

Hanahau‘oli School seeks a full-time Director of Admissions & Enrollment, responsible for strategic oversight of all admissions and enrollment for the School. The Director of Admissions & Enrollment leads the planning, development, and implementation of a mission-aligned admissions and enrollment strategy. A member of the Senior Administrative staff, the Director reports directly to the Head of School and works with all members of the Hanahau‘oli community to ensure a healthy student enrollment through recruitment and retention. With a healthy student enrollment, Hanahau‘oli can fulfill its mission to nurture lifelong learners. 

School Profile 

www.hanahauoli.org 

Hanahau‘oli is an independent school with 233 students, Junior Kindergarten through 6th grade, with single classrooms for Junior Kindergarten and 6th grade, and multi-age learning spaces for K/1, 2/3 and 4/5. The school’s mission and beliefs are grounded in progressive philosophy and teaching methods. Hanahau‘oli means “joyous work,” and nurtures life-long learning in children, teachers, and parents. Since the school’s founding in 1918, Hanahau‘oli has honored the natural way children learn – through doing – by making learning exciting, challenging and enjoyable. 

Hanahau‘oli commits to nurturing the whole child, with students and adults working collaboratively to sustain a caring and safe democratic community in which all members feel valued and empowered. 

Job Summary 

The Director of Admissions & Enrollment collaborates with the Head of School, Advancement team, and faculty to attract and retain families who seek an education for their children that is aligned with Hanahau‘oli's progressive philosophy and practices. 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Collaborate with the Head of School to implement the admissions policies and procedures, and to evaluate them periodically and recommend needed changes 
• Develop and implement a mission-aligned, comprehensive recruitment (lead generation), admissions and retention strategy to meet enrollment goals and always respect the child
• Design, organize and manage all admissions events and promotions - i.e. HAIS Fair, Docent and Individual School Tours, Public Talks, New Parent Tea, Interviews etc. 
• Provide a child/family-centered, campus visit program and systematic follow-up strategy and sequence for all inquiries and applicants 
• Build authentic, trusting relationships with families (prospective, current, and former)
• Identify, select, and provide leadership and management of a team of parent volunteers
• Ensure a child-centered interview process, which includes collaborating with faculty to use effective assessment tools 
• Collaborate with the Head of School, Director of Finance, Director of Auxiliary Services and others to update and send out the enrollment packet for re-enrollment and enrollment
• Administrate database management through FACTS admissions and enrollment system of prospective, accepting and re-enrolling families
• Discuss admissions decisions with parents of applicants and offer suggestions for addressing a child’s educational needs when appropriate 
• Analyze enrollment patterns and predictions with metric-based tools and use such data to make data-driven decisions re. admissions and enrollment strategy 
• Serve on the Financial Aid Committee 
• Collaborate with the Head of School and Director of Finance to audit and update Financial Aid protocols to reflect current best practices within the independent school market
• Work closely and in relationship with the Hanahau‘oli faculty, staff, students and parents to know thoroughly and understand the School community in order to communicate the School’s unique qualities to potential families 
• Educate and motivate the involvement of all faculty and staff in the retention process
• Create mission-aligned communications and marketing materials to most effectively translate the strengths of Hanahau‘oli for prospective and current parents and align with Hanahau‘oli branding 
• Proactively increase awareness of the school by developing, promoting, and maintaining active relationships with various constituent groups (admissions directors, preschools, etc.)
• Participate in the HAIS Admissions group meetings and ongoing professional development
• Understand the ever-changing culture of independent school admissions, keeping abreast of current market-place trends and opportunities 
• Manage the admissions budget 
• Cultivate an office atmosphere of openness, enthusiasm, and support 

Additional Duties/Responsibilities 

• Support the school and its leadership 
• Participate in the life of the school 
• Commit to car, recess, lunch and kitchen duties as assigned 
• Assist when additional support is needed for school events 
• Maintain a visible presence in all areas of the school 
• Keep the Head of School informed 
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Head of School 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree (in related field) with 5+ years of experience in independent schools
• Leadership experience in independent schools preferred
• High level of discretion and candor and unquestionable ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism 
• Ability to collaborate with team members and engage with constituents 
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills 
• Skilled in managing the multi-faceted, fluid needs of the day-to-day operations, along with other administrative and long-term strategic visioning, planning and implementation needs
• Highly organized and detail-oriented and excellent at follow through 
• Strong technology proficiency - i.e. G-Suite, Facts SIS (Student Information System), Constant Contact 
• Ability to prioritize, manage projects, supervise, problem-solve, and motivate others