Student Recruitment Manager

Nimble; Indianapolis, Northern (IN, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is seeking a Student Recruitment Manager to lead district-wide strategies, oversee school partnerships, and drive enrollment growth through data-informed decisions and cross-functional collaboration.

You will develop professional development resources, design recruitment campaigns, organize district events, analyze enrollment dashboards, and build relations with families and communities, with hybrid/virtual options available.

Qualifications

• Experience in a school, district, or education-related organization strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead district-wide recruitment initiatives and school-specific strategies.
• Create recruitment resources for district staff to support effective enrollment.
• Design social media campaigns to engage families and communities.
• Develop and manage events to boost district enrollment across schools.
• Analyze enrollment data to identify trends, barriers, and opportunities to improve outcomes.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to meet recruitment goals.

Skills

Growth Mindset

Effective Influencer

Strong Collaboration

Strategic Thinking

Project Management

Communication Skills

Education

Experience in school/district/education org

Job description

WELCOME TO INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

At IPS, we believe in the transformative power of education. We work collectively every day to prepare our students for success in the classroom and in life by providing equitable, high-quality educational experiences across our family of schools. IPS is a place to make an impact, grow your career, and ensure every student has access to a high quality education, all while earning a good living in a district on the move. While the work is challenging, it is deeply meaningful and impactful. We seek innovators and trailblazers who bring varying experiences and expertise and share our belief that every child deserves access to an exceptional education. As part of TeamIPS, you'll create lasting connections, find a sense of belonging, and feel supported to make a meaningful difference in students' lives.

In return, no matter your role here, we expect a commitment to excellence and accountability. You'll be held to high standards. Resilience and passion are key-you must be adaptable, handling adversity with flexibility while putting students at the heart of everything you do. Ethical conduct, clear communication, and mutual respect are fundamental. Being a dependable, collaborative team player who builds meaningful relationships is essential.

Together, we are Proving What's Possible by building a community where everyone belongs and each student has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

A Career in IPS Offers…

Purpose and Impact:

• Essential Contributions: In every non-teaching and non-leadership role, your work directly supports the success of IPS students and schools. Whether you're maintaining facilities, providing student services, or managing administrative operations, you play a key part in ensuring an equitable and high-quality educational environment.
• Belonging and Community: IPS is a place where every employee is valued. You'll join a supportive community that promotes respect, teamwork, and a shared commitment to serving students and families.

Professional and Personal Growth:

• Training and Development Opportunities: IPS offers a variety of training programs to help staff build new skills and grow professionally. This includes access to development opportunities for administrative, technical, and operational roles, as well as pathways to becoming a certified teacher.
• Skill Enhancement: Whether you're new to your role or seeking to deepen your expertise, IPS provides resources and support for continuous improvement.

Comprehensive Compensation and Benefits:

• Fair Compensation: IPS ensures competitive wages and regularly reviews pay structures to maintain equity.
• Extensive Benefits Package: Employees enjoy comprehensive health coverage, dental and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plans. Additional financial benefits include flexible spending accounts and eligibility for federal loan forgiveness programs.

Work-Life Balance and Well-being:

• Generous Leave Policies: IPS offers vacation, personal, and sick leave, along with paid holidays. Twelve-month employees benefit from floating holidays, and unused personal leave rolls into the sick leave balance.
• Wellness Programs: IPS prioritizes staff well-being with access to wellness initiatives, including health screenings and an employee assistance program for confidential support and counseling.

What We Expect:

• Professionalism and Reliability: Every role at IPS is vital to the district’s success. We expect staff to demonstrate professionalism, dependability, and a commitment to providing excellent service to students, educators, and families.
• Collaboration and Communication: IPS values teamwork. Working collaboratively with your colleagues ensures a supportive environment for all. Clear communication and mutual respect are key to maintaining this culture.
• Flexibility and Problem-Solving: As a large, dynamic district, IPS needs staff who are adaptable and proactive in solving problems to meet the ever-changing needs of students and schools.

JOIN US!

Indianapolis Public Schools is more than a workplace; it’s a community where purpose, impact, and belonging come together to help Proving What's Possible – in your career and in your school. If you’re ready to embrace challenges, strive for excellence, and make a meaningful impact, IPS is the place for you.

TITLE: STUDENT RECRUITMENT MANAGER

SUMMARY OF OPPORTUNITY:

We are looking for a skilled professional with experience in urban student recruitment, project management, and large-scale strategy execution, who is skilled in prioritizing to ensure goals are met. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in team management, event planning and execution, community relationship building, and leveraging data to drive strategic decision-making.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The following outlines what your core duties and responsibilities will be for this position and provides a sample overview of what your day-to‑day may look like.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• The Student Recruitment Manager (SRM)will serve as a critical member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Enrollment Team.
• Develop and lead the implementation of district-wide and school-specific strategic initiatives relating to student recruitment, working in close collaboration with the Executive Director of Systems Strategy.
• Create professional development and recruitment resources for district and school staff to support effective student recruitment, in collaboration with the Senior Systems Strategy Analyst and the Executive Director of Systems Strategy.
• Design and execute social media recruitment campaigns to increase the district's brand visibility and drive prospective family engagement across digital platforms, with the assistance of our Social Media and Digital Engagement Manager.
• Develop and execute a range of events and activities to support student recruitment across the district, including supporting schools as they develop their own range of events.
• Develop and manage strategic partnerships for the district as it pertains to student recruitment.
• In collaboration with the Office of Community Engagement, develop materials that empower families to navigate the complex Indianapolis school choice landscape.
• Working with our Senior Systems Strategy Analyst, analyze student recruitment and retention data to track trends, identify barriers, and drive data-informed decisions to improve enrollment outcomes.

Day In the Life Overview

• Develop and present student recruitment professional development sessions for district and school leaders

• Organize and attend weekly planning meetings with cross-functional team of leaders to inform recruitment strategy and execution

• Respond to questions and concerns from teachers, administrators and students

• Plan for district-wide events focusing on retention of PreK students to K, 5th to 6th grade, and 8th to 9th grade.

• Meet with community leaders to develop recruitment partnerships to benefit IPS enrollment

• Analyze weekly enrollment dashboards and retention trends to identify schools or neighborhoods needing targeted support, allowing you to proactively adjust outreach strategies and improve outcomes.

• Facilitate weekly team meetings to provide coaching, track progress on project milestones, and ensure staff have the resources needed to meet school-based recruitment goals.

• Review performance metrics from digital recruitment campaigns to optimize content, ensuring your messaging effectively reaches diverse families and increases brand engagement.

WHAT YOU’ll BRING: SKILLS AND MINDSETS

As an ideal candidate for this role, you will be able to achieve the following:

• Growth Mindset: Continuously seeks to improve work, identifies weaknesses, and proactively acts on feedback.
• Effective Influencer: Inspires others to work towards common goals and advocates for the district's role with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong Collaboration: Builds rapport and maintains cooperative, high-priority relationships with the Systems team and other departments.
• Strategic Thinking: Identifies challenges, mitigates risks, and guides the team toward innovative solutions.
• Project Management: Manages projects from end-to-end, monitoring milestones and holding the team accountable for results.
• Communication Skills: Possesses effective verbal and written communication and should be able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences.

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Experience in a school, district, or education-related organization strongly preferred.

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR REMOTE WORK:

Hybrid and virtual work are possibilities and at the discretion of the Executive Director of Systems Strategy

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and walk; use hands to manipulate, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.The employee will need to be able to legally operate a motor vehicle safely and responsibly.

EEOC STATEMENT:

Indianapolis Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, will not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, homelessness or any other legally-recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations, or ordinances. Indianapolis Public Schools does not tolerate any form of retaliation or bias-based intimidation, threat, or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.

DISCLAIMER:

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the above representative duties, knowledge, and skills. This job description is illustrative only, and is not a comprehensive list of all essential functions and duties performed by the occupant of this position. Factors such as regular and punctual attendance are not routinely listed in job descriptions, but are an essential function.