Director of Advancement

About Discovery School

Discovery School is an independent preschool through sixth-grade school in Mansfield, Ohio, offering an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) education. Located on a beautiful 40-acre wooded campus, Discovery provides a highly personalized, inquiry-based learning environment focused on developing curious, capable, and engaged students.

For more than 50 years, Discovery has offered families in North Central Ohio an educational experience built around strong academics, small classes, experiential learning, and a close-knit school community. The school is entering an important period of growth, with a renewed focus on enrollment, community engagement, fundraising, and long-term financial sustainability.

Role Summary

The Director of Advancement leads Discovery School's efforts to grow enrollment, strengthen fundraising, and increase the school's visibility and engagement within the community. The position oversees advancement, marketing and communications, admissions and enrollment growth, and external relations.

This is a hands-on, results-oriented role for someone who can both develop strategy and execute it effectively.

1. Fundraising & Advancement

• Develop and implement a comprehensive advancement program, including annual giving, SGO strategy, grants, donor cultivation, stewardship, and fundraising events.
• Build and manage relationships with donors and prospective donors, including cultivation, solicitation, acknowledgment, and stewardship.
• Establish and maintain the school's donor CRM, giving records, reporting, and donor communications.
• Identify grant opportunities and prepare and submit grant proposals.
• Support the Head of School and Board in major-gift cultivation and future capital and endowment campaigns.

2. Marketing & Communications

• Develop and execute an annual marketing and communications strategy aligned with enrollment and advancement goals.
• Manage the school's website, social media, newsletters, email communications, press releases, advertising, and other marketing materials.
• Develop compelling stories and content that communicate Discovery's mission, educational experience, students, faculty, and community.
• Maintain a coordinated communications calendar and ensure consistency of the Discovery School brand across all channels.
• Manage applicable budgets and coordinate outside vendors, designers, photographers, consultants, and other service providers as needed.

3. Enrollment & Growth

• Develop and maintain a written enrollment plan with school-wide and grade-level enrollment goals.
• Manage the admissions process from initial inquiry through enrollment, ensuring prospective families receive a welcoming, organized, and responsive experience.
• Coordinate and conduct tours, open houses, prospective-family events, follow-up communications, and admissions materials.
• Track and report key enrollment metrics, including inquiries, tours, applications, acceptances, enrollment, conversion rates, and attrition.
• Work with the Head of School and Business Manager to align enrollment goals with school capacity, staffing, and financial objectives.
• Support the Head of School and designated school leadership in admissions decisions. Final admissions decisions remain with school leadership.

4. Community & External Relations

• Build and strengthen relationships with parents, alumni, donors, businesses, foundations, community organizations, and other partners.
• Represent Discovery School at community events and other public-facing opportunities.
• Maintain an alumni database and develop opportunities for alumni engagement.
• Partner with the Head of School and Board Chair on external communications, community outreach, and institutional messaging.
• Coordinate applicable outreach activities, events, budgets, and outside vendors.

Schedule & Tuition Benefit

• The position includes all school holidays and scheduled breaks, including fall break, winter break, and spring break, as well as the full month of July off.
• Employees with children who enroll at Discovery School receive a significant tuition discount.

General Expectations

The Director of Advancement will be expected to work collaboratively across the school and may assume additional responsibilities consistent with the needs of the organization. The successful candidate must demonstrate sound judgment, initiative, professionalism, discretion, and appropriate confidentiality.

Pay: $45,000.00 - $52,000.00 per year

Experience:

• relevant: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $45,000 - $52,000