Student Recruitment & Enrollment Manager

Job Title: Student Recruitment & Enrollment Manager
Location: 910 W. Van Buren St., Ste. 315, Chicago, IL 60607
Reports To: Deputy Chief of Engagement
Salary: Starting at $75K, commensurate with experience
Employee Type: Regular Full Time
Start Date: September 2026

Distinctive Schools creates diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. We support all learners to be engaged, curious, and to achieve their full potential. Our students become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers, and collaborative leaders.

Overview

The Student Recruitment & Enrollment Manager will work within each school - and the neighboring communities - to creatively and confidently build relationships, drive strategy, plan events, and manage processes as a means of meeting optimal enrollment and retention goals for all Distinctive Schools. The Student Recruitment & Engagement Manager will work with both internal and external stakeholders to develop, manage, lead, and facilitate network-wide student recruitment, retention, and enrollment strategies across both regions.

Responsibilities:

Student Recruitment and Enrollment 50%

• Work closely with campus enrollment and recruitment leads, and serve as the primary network support for these functions across all schools

• Lead the creation, buildout, and management of key recruitment initiatives across all schools, including planning for community outreach, family and staff engagement in recruitment, social media, applicant communications, and recruitment event planning

• Collaboratively ideate around the creation and implementation of dynamic marketing, event, enrollment, and retention activities to ensure optimal enrollment at all schools

• Serve as the network contact for families applying for enrollment - supporting school teams in sharing school stories, answering questions, and making personal connections with prospective families and community partners

• Build a robust community outreach plan that brings prospective applicant families through all phases of the Distinctive Schools Recruitment?Enrollment?Engagement Pipeline

• Consult on the creation of network and school-specific student recruitment marketing materials - and ensure the revision and delivery of materials to schools, neighborhoods, and community partners through the course of the year

• Support the greater team to facilitate dedicated communications around high admissions application, offer, registration, re-enrollment, and retention windows

• Support all aspects of the Distinctive Schools Recruitment?Enrollment?Engagement?Retention Pipeline

• Facilitate weekly recruitment and enrollment meetings and calls w/ network leaders and recruitment/enrollment leads across all schools. Build agendas that reflect a deep understanding of the work and associated goals

• Provide additional support as needs, goals and initiatives change

• Develop strong communication, presentation, and relationship-building structures with network team members, school leaders, and external partners

Community Outreach and Partnerships 25%

• Collaborate with the network engagement team and campus team members to exceed expectations around weekly community touchpoints and common strategic recruitment goals

• Spearhead the buildout of robust community outreach lists and strategic plans – including creative partners, community organizations, youth organizations, sports leagues, area clubs, daycares, and preschools - through dedicated research, contacts, and community networking. Engage campus leads in the implementation of said plans

• Serve as the initial point of contact for all network-wide community partners

• Support school teams in the distribution of network and school marketing materials to area schools, partner organizations, and other established prospective community groups

• Provide additional support with partnerships as needs and goals shift

Event Planning 25%

• Support the ideation, publicity, preparation, and facilitation of on-site and virtual campus recruitment and enrollment events - including open houses, preview days, registration events, and tours

• Identify community event and festival opportunities, secure DS space at said events, and collaborate with school teams to ensure robust presence at events

• Support planning for DS high schools’ presence at sending school open houses, high school fairs, and prospective student/family presentations

• Support planning for - and facilitation of - the annual Distinctive Schools High School Fair

• Participate in - or facilitate - regular planning meetings for high school fair and other community engagement events

• Support the creation and facilitation of a follow-up communications plan to DS student recruitment events and initiatives. Spearhead post-event survey distribution and response analysis

Requirements:

Education:

• Associate’s Degree

Qualifications:

• Fully supports the Distinctive Schools Mission and Vision

• Truly believes that the majority of our students can reach grade level proficiency

• Previous work in the area of student recruitment and admissions

• Technology demands:

  • Proficient with cloud based software solutions (such as GoogleSuite)

  • Ability to learn digital tools and and programs as needed for the position

• Travel: Ability to move between schools and facilitate visits to school neighborhood organizations and community partners - in car and on foot.

Physical demands

Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally, the job requires 50% sitting, 30% walking, and 20% standing.

Benefits

• 25 Paid holidays
• 12 weeks family paid leave
• Comprehensive Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• 403b match
  • Fully match up to 3%
  • 50% match up to 5%
• Professional development including tuition reimbursement
• Gym and wellness discounts
• And more

Description Disclaimer: Since no job description can detail all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time in the performance of a job, duties and responsibilities that may be inherent in a job, reasonably required for its performance, or required due to the changing nature of the job shall also be considered part of the jobholder's responsibility.