Admissions & Advancement Director

Montessori House for Children & Elementary School; Richmond (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Richmond, Texas is looking for an Admissions & Advancement Director. This key leadership role is responsible for driving enrollment growth and enhancing community relationships. The ideal candidate will oversee the admissions lifecycle and develop strategic enrollment initiatives while promoting the school's Montessori philosophy. Candidates should have experience in admissions or independent schools and possess excellent communication and organizational skills. The position expects a professional presence and the ability to balance relationships with accountability.

Qualifications

• Experience in admissions, enrollment, advancement, or independent schools.
• Ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with data management experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the full admissions lifecycle, ensuring exceptional family experiences.
• Develop enrollment strategies to meet goals for all programs.
• Build community relations to support retention and engagement.

Skills

Relationship-driven communication skills

Strategic thinking

Organized and data-literate

Warm, professional presence

Comfortable balancing relationships and accountability

Job description

Position: Admissions & Advancement Director

Job Summary

The Director of Admissions & Advancement is a key leadership position responsible for driving sustainable enrollment growth, strengthening community relationships, and advancing the mission and long-term vitality of the school. Rooted in Montessori philosophy, this role oversees the full admissions lifecycle, leads strategic enrollment planning, and cultivates meaningful engagement with current, prospective, and alumni families.

This position works collaboratively with school leadership and faculty while maintaining clear ownership of admissions strategy, outreach initiatives, and advancement efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Admissions Leadership

• Lead and oversee the full admissions lifecycle, from inquiry through enrollment and onboarding, ensuring an exceptional and mission-aligned family experience.
• Manage tuition & biling.
• Develop and manage enrollment strategies to meet short- and long-term enrollment goals across all programs.
• Guide prospective families through tours, observations, and interviews, clearly articulating the school’s Montessori philosophy and value proposition.
• Collaborate with classroom and administrative leadership on student assessments, placement decisions, and transition planning.
• Maintain accurate enrollment data, rosters, reports, and compliance documentation.
• Analyze enrollment trends, waitlists, and retention data; provide regular reporting and strategic recommendations to leadership.

Advancement & Community Engagement

• Foster strong relationships with current families to support retention, engagement, and long-term loyalty.
• Develop and support parent engagement initiatives, parent ambassador program,, and community-building events.
• Partner with school leadership on advancement initiatives that support the school’s mission, sustainability, and growth.
• Develop and implement data-informed marketing strategies to support enrollment growth and brand visibility.
• Oversee digital presence including social media, email campaigns, and promotional materials, ensuring alignment with the school’s voice, values, and visual identity.
• Create and curate compelling content that highlights student experiences, classroom life, and community impact.
• Represent the school at community events and outreach opportunities.
• Track engagement metrics and campaign performance to evaluate effectiveness and guide future strategy.
• Own and manage admissions, enrollment, and student information systems to ensure data accuracy, consistency, and usability across the organization.
• Establish and maintain standardized workflows for inquiries, tours, applications, enrollment, onboarding, and record-keeping.
• Ensure data integrity across systems, including student records, classroom rosters, age groupings, waitlists, and enrollment status.
• Develop and maintain enrollment reports and dashboards that provide visibility into inquiries, conversion rates, waitlists, retention, and capacity.
• Analyze enrollment and retention trends to identify risks, opportunities, and areas for strategic intervention.
• Forecast enrollment needs across programs and age levels to support staffing, classroom planning, and financial sustainability.
• Partner with school leadership to align enrollment strategy with institutional goals, growth planning, and community priorities.
• Lead continuous improvement of systems and processes to increase efficiency, clarity, and the overall family experience.
• Demonstrated ability to learn, implement, and optimize new systems and workflows in a growing organization.

Qualifications

• Experience in admissions, enrollment, advancement, or independent schools
• Relationship-driven communication skills
• Strategic thinking + execution ability
• Warm, professional presence
• Mission-driven
• Organized and data and AI-literate
• Comfortable balancing relationships and accountability