Enrollment Management Specialist (Catherine Cook School, IL)

Strategenius; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

403(b) plan with employer contribution

Fully employer-paid life, STD, LTD, AD

Health savings account (HSA), flexible

Generous paid time off

Identity theft protection

Job summary

Catherine Cook School in Chicago seeks a vibrant Enrollment Management Community Specialist to support the full admissions cycle under the Director of Enrollment Management.

You will build relationships with mission-aligned families from inquiry through enrollment, conduct meetings and campus tours, and ensure a highly personalized, community-centered experience, including participation in DEI and SEL initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Experience building community and cultivating relationships in admissions or enrollment.
• Familiarity with independent schools is a plus.
• Availability to work evenings and weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as needed.
• Ability to travel throughout Chicago for events; driving or access to a car is helpful but not required.
• Ability to stand, bend at the waist, sit, crouch, and kneel as the job may require.
• Ability to lift, push, or pull a minimum of 15 pounds without assistance.

Responsibilities

• Conducting prospective parent meetings and campus tours.
• Developing meaningful relationships with families and providing thoughtful follow-up.
• Guiding mission-aligned families from inquiry through enrollment.
• Ensuring every family receives a highly personalized, relationship-centered experience.
• Supporting Cook's commitment to increasing ethnic diversity within the school community.
• Serving as an ambassador for Cook's Enrollment Management and Development efforts.
• Connecting with and caring for students and colleagues through weekly duties and administrative tasks.
• Growing as a lifelong learner through meetings and professional development.
• Strengthening Cook's culture of belonging and wellness through DEI and SEL efforts.
• Building community proactively and responsively, drawing on Cook's training and protocols.
• Communicating the vision, goals, and progress of this work to collaborators.
• Using Google and Outlook for collaboration and communication.

Skills

Organizational skills

Verbal and written communication

Relationship building

Professional judgment

Belonging and inclusion

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Google Workspace

Outlook

Job description

Supervisor: Director of Enrollment Management

Location: Chicago, IL, on-site

Starting Date: As soon as possible, and no later than November 2026

Why consider Catherine Cook School?

Cook is a vibrant and inclusive learning community where curiosity, connection, and compassion are at the heart of everything the school does. Cook is dedicated to developing creative, collaborative problem solvers who tackle global challenges from multiple perspectives. Its committed faculty and staff help students from preschool through 8th grade become empowered learners and leaders.

All Cook employees are trained and supported in incorporating wellness and belonging into their work with students and adults. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and social-emotional learning (SEL) are the cornerstones upon which Cook builds a curriculum and community. Cook is committed to all community members being active learners, from its preschool students to its adults.

Cook invites candidates to consider how their experiences in educating and learning would benefit the school as part of its community.

How will this role contribute to the growth of the Cook community?

Catherine Cook School seeks a vibrant and innovative Enrollment Management Community Specialist. This position reports to the Director of Enrollment Management and is part of the Enrollment Management Team, which currently includes the Director and the Associate Director.

The Specialist will work closely with the Director across the full admission cycle, helping mission-aligned families move from first inquiry through enrollment. Over the course of the year, the Specialist will build the knowledge and relationships needed to provide continuity for the Enrollment Management Office, including carrying forward key responsibilities during the Director's upcoming leave.

How will the Specialist contribute and grow personally and professionally in this role?

• Conducting prospective parent meetings and campus tours
• Developing meaningful relationships with families and providing thoughtful follow-up
• Guiding mission-aligned families from inquiry through enrollment
• Ensuring every family receives a highly personalized, relationship-centered experience
• Supporting Cook's commitment to increasing ethnic diversity within the school community
• Serving as an ambassador for Cook's Enrollment Management and Development efforts

Community and growth responsibilities:

• Connecting with and caring for students and colleagues through weekly duties and administrative tasks
• Growing as a lifelong learner through active participation in meetings and professional development opportunities
• Strengthening Cook's culture of belonging and wellness through active participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and social-emotional learning (SEL) efforts
• Building community proactively and responsively, drawing on Cook's training and protocols
• Communicating the vision, goals, and progress of this work to internal and external collaborators across various platforms
• Using Google and Outlook applications for individual and team collaboration and communication

What will the ideal candidate for this role embody?

The ideal candidate is a warm, proactive, and trusted relationship-driven professional who genuinely enjoys connecting with others and creating welcoming experiences for prospective and current families.

Successful candidates will demonstrate the following:

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• A natural ability to build meaningful relationships and establish trust
• Strong initiative, professionalism, and sound judgment
• A passion for building communities of inclusion and belonging

Cook is seeking someone who loves bringing people together for the benefit of the school and its community. This individual will be eager to learn, results-driven, dependable, and entrepreneurial, and able both to take clear direction and to act independently. Experience in a school environment, or familiarity with independent schools, admissions, or enrollment, would be beneficial.

Qualifications and requirements

• Bachelor's degree required
• Demonstrated experience building community and cultivating relationships, whether through admissions or enrollment work, community organizing, or other fields that draw on similar skills
• Familiarity with independent schools is a plus
• Availability to work evenings and weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as needed
• Ability to travel throughout Chicago for events, at times transporting supplies; driving or access to a car is helpful but not required
• Ability to stand, bend at the waist, sit, crouch, and kneel as the job may require
• Ability to lift, push, or pull a minimum of 15 pounds without assistance (for example, carrying enrollment materials or setting up a table)

What is the salary range for this position?

In compliance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, the annual salary range for this position is $65,000 to $79,000, paid semi-monthly. When extending an offer, Cook considers factors including, but not limited to, the position's scope and responsibilities, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, internal peer equity, and market and organizational considerations.

What else is there to know about employment at Cook?

Cook offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being and financial security of its employees. Benefits for eligible full-time employees include:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 403(b) plan with employer contribution and match
• Fully employer-paid premiums for basic life, short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• Health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), and dependent care options
• Generous paid time off
• Identity theft protection