Active Search – Dublin School - Director of Enrollment Management

Director of Enrollment Management
Start Date: July 1, 2024
Grades 9 – 12; 170 students

Coed, Boarding & Day School

18 Lehmann Way, Dublin, New Hampshire

www.dublinschool.org

Dublin School seeks a Director of Enrollment Management who will begin July 2024. This is a wonderful opportunity for an experienced enrollment professional who will enjoy living in a quintessential New England town and working at this very special small school that knows itself well and has capitalized on its strengths in sustainable ways. If you appreciate the out-of-doors, believe in taking students where they are and giving them a safe but challenging space in which to grow, and enjoy living in a close-knit community, please read on!

The School

Dublin School was founded in 1935 by Paul and Nancy Lehmann. At that time the Lehmanns sought to educate students with equal measures of academic rigor and support, engagement in meaningful work, and experiences leading to an appreciation for the out-of-doors. Their vision can still be felt on the current, much bigger campus.

Dublin sits today on 500 acres overlooking Mount Monadnock and includes three boathouses, an Alpine Ski Area, and a Nordic Center with 35 km of trails for skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and snowshoeing. The charming and welcoming campus includes multiple new buildings and renovated spaces, as well as the original Schoolhouse, built by students soon after the school’s founding in 1935.

Dublin’s mission states:

At Dublin School, we strive to awaken a curiosity for knowledge and a passion for learning. We instill the values of discipline and meaningful work that are necessary for the good of self and community. We respect the individual learning style and the potential each student brings to our School. With our guidance, Dublin students become people who seek Truth and act with Courage.

This is a school whose mission is evident in every aspect of its daily life, thereby encouraging a community of learners who both feel appreciated by others and recognize the opportunities they have to live, study, and work in such a warm and supportive environment. Student life is designed to connect students with the community and grow a sense of self in each individual. The Dublin community is developed in the seven dormitories, each housing 10 to 24 students, and extends into the school’s small classes (5:1 student:teacher ratio), all-community Morning Meetings four days a week, a faculty and staff fully invested in serving students through the mission, and special celebrations and traditions throughout the year.

Students have a remarkable number of academic and extracurricular options as they grow into themselves at Dublin. Over 90 courses are offered annually, and students are encouraged to explore their developing interests in spaces such as the Prism Center (math, science, and technology); the Writers’ Cabin nestled deep in the woods; separate spaces for the performing arts, music creation and practice, and studio art; and the school’s own observatory at the top of the campus. Dublin’s January Term (J-Term) also offers students an opportunity for deep learning through intensive, two-week courses. Dublin takes full advantage of its location, surrounded by mountains and lakes in the Monadnock Region. Among its many athletic offerings, the school has a strong endurance sports program with teams competing in mountain biking, cross-country running, rowing, and Nordic skiing.

Dublin School has enjoyed the leadership of Brad Bates, Head of School, for the past 16 years, during which enrollment has grown by 50 students, the mission has become the North Star for all decisions, retention sits at an annual average of 91%, faculty and staff turnover has become very low, and fundraising has been at an all-time high, allowing for additional buildings, the creation of the Nordic Center, and other campus and community improvements. Brad’s vision has also included a close and positive relationship with the town of Dublin. His tenure has provided the sustainability that many small schools are currently challenged to achieve. Please take a look at Brad’s Blog to gain more insight into how he leads.

The Position

The new Director of Enrollment Management will be a member of the nine-person Leadership Team, reporting to the Head of School, and will follow the thirteen-year tenure of Jill Hutchins who looks forward to supporting her replacement in any way that feels appropriate and desired. The new director will be someone who deeply appreciates the mission of this small, intimate school in a stunning location and will enthusiastically promote all Dublin has to offer in broad and creative ways.

Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Oversee and mentor the Admissions Office staff;
Oversee and execute the Financial Aid program and all related activity;
Execute and annually revise an enrollment management strategy, including, marketing initiatives, admission policies, best practices and retention efforts;
Lead the Admissions team in attracting, evaluating, and selecting a diverse and appropriately talented student body;
Foster strong relationships with prospective students, parents, educational consultants, educators and feeder schools;
Work closely with other administrative departments, including academics, communications, and finance, to ensure alignment of goals and priorities;
Establish and execute annual travel goals for the entire admissions team;
Prepare data-driven reports for the Leadership Team and Board of Trustees; and
Execute other enrollment-related tasks common in boarding schools.

Qualifications, Skills and Attributes sought include:

Demonstrated capacity as an effective leader skilled in all areas of enrollment management (minimum 5-10 years experience preferable);
Ability to assess enrollment issues in the big picture, anticipating what may lie ahead in both challenges and opportunities;
A collaborative nature coupled with the ability to manage others with clarity and compassion;
Strong writing and public speaking skills;
Cultural competence, with high EQ skills and the ability to interact comfortably with families in order to build an increasingly more diverse student body;
Ability to inspire others, especially in making the case for Dublin;
Ability to develop and grow data systems for use over the full enrollment cycle, to assess patterns of success and disappointment in yield, financial aid decisions, retention efforts, and other related activity;
Comfort level with tech platforms to enhance the work (Finalsite School Admin, a plus);
Ability to manage difficult conversations with sensitivity, especially when speaking with prospective and current parents;
A strong work ethic;
A good sense of humor;
Passion for working with teenagers and their families; and
Other skills expected in an admissions office environment.

Click here to view the information for candidates report.

How to Apply

This is an expedited search. Applications are due by February 1, 2024, but the deadline will be extended, if necessary.

Candidates interested in this position are asked to submit the following materials in a Single Merged Document, in the following order:

EC Candidate Summary Sheet (contact Sally Mixsell, below)
Letter of Interest addressed to the Search Committee
Current résumé
Statement of Enrollment Management Leadership
A list of five or more references with contact information (including phone numbers and email addresses)
EC Disclosure Form (contact Sally Mixsell, below)

We encourage candidates to reach out to us for a preliminary conversation, if desired, before submitting their materials. A more detailed position paper, our Information for Candidates document, will be available soon.

The Search Committee expects to complete the search by Spring 2024.

Please Address Inquiries to: 

Sally Mixsell, Educators Collaborative

smixsell@educatorscollaborative.com – (203) 824-3653

Evan Hundley, Educators Collaborative

evanhtennis@gmail.com – (206) 930-9774

Listing Date: December 19, 2023

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