Director of Admissions & Enrollment

La Scuola International School • San Francisco, CA

3d • $135,000 - $170,000

About The Position

La Scuola International School seeks an experienced, strategic, relationship-driven Director to lead Admissions and Enrollment across three campuses, Preschool through Grade 8. Reporting to the Head of School or Director of Advancement, this critical role will be charged with developing and implementing a comprehensive admissions strategy that supports and expands the school’s mission, sustainability and commitment to community and belonging. This is a strategic leadership role requiring direct, hands-on execution of key admissions functions and strategic growth initiatives. The Director partners closely with the Head of School, Chief Financial Officer, and other departments to ensure a cohesive, data-informed approach to recruitment, retention, and tuition assistance. As a senior leader and ambassador, the Director represents La Scuola with warmth, professionalism, and integrity across the independent school landscape.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 7–10 years of leadership experience and demonstrated success in admissions or enrollment management, preferably in an independent school.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to prioritize.
• Exceptional collaboration, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience utilizing data to optimize admissions and enrollment processes and financial acumen.
• Deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Cultural competence and experience working with international and multilingual communities strongly preferred.
• High proficiency with technology i.e., Google Drive, enrollment management systems and CRM platforms i.e., Ravenna and Blackbaud.
• High degree of discretion, judgment, and professionalism.
• Eager to join the La Scuola community and participate in all aspects of school life, including events that occur outside standard work hours.

Responsibilities

• Embrace, embody and clearly communicate the vision, mission and values of La Scuola.
• Possess a rich and intimate knowledge of the Reggio Emilia approach, International Baccalaureate PYP and MYP, and language immersion curriculums.
• Oversee all aspects of admissions including engaging recruitment, admission and retention of a diverse, qualified and dynamic student body.
• Foster a diverse Preschool through Grade 8 student body based on socio-economic factors, race & ethnicity, family structure, and other markers.
• Lead the design and execution of a multi-year strategic enrollment plan aligned with the School’s Strategic Plan and financial sustainability goals. Ensure full and robust enrollment across the school at all times; goals will be defined in collaboration with the Head of School and CFO.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Manage key admissions processes including responding to inquiries, conducting tours, interviews and other events, coordinating assessments, and guiding families through the application process.
• Establish and maintain clear systems, timelines, and ethical decision-making protocols and processes for application review and admissions decisions.
• Ensure systematic, timely and efficient handling of applications, acceptances and all related communication with families.
• Stay abreast of recent trends and best practices in admissions and enrollment management in independent schools and universities.
• Partner closely with Division Heads and Student Support Group to ensure mission-aligned student placement decisions.
• Ensure a warm, responsive, and highly personalized experience for prospective families, reflecting the school’s values and scale.
• Work closely with faculty and staff for admissions events and to maintain intimate knowledge of the program offered.
• Serve as the key spokesperson and primary representative at all admissions events including but not limited to open houses, tours, curriculum nights, exhibits, community building events, school celebrations, professional development as appropriate, with limited exceptions.
• Collaborate with school leadership and faculty to strengthen retention and continuity across divisions.
• Manage each new family’s transition into the School through the start of the year assigning Ambassador Buddy families to new students and their parents, coordinating welcome efforts and other initiatives to onboard and ensure a feeling of belonging.
• Design and implement family engagement strategies that actively support an inclusive and equitable community and reinforce belonging and long-term commitment to the school.
• Collaborate with teams to create and implement a dynamic enrollment vision and strategy.
• Develop and communicate brand messaging, outreach, and content through channels including social media, web and others as appropriate.
• Develop admission and promotional materials (both online and printed) with a consistent brand identity.
• Work with the marketing and communications team to ensure communications for current and prospective families are shared in a timely and accurate manner.
• Organize and represent the school at admissions events on campus i.e., early childhood play sessions and elementary visit days, admissions fairs, and community engagements.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with outside institutions including academic access organizations, local preschool and elementary schools, community organizations, civic organizations and professional networks across the Bay Area.
• Collaborate with the Head of School, CFO, and Business Office to manage the admissions budget, ensure a successful re-enrollment process and administer the Sliding Scale Tuition program.
• Communicate the school’s tuition and philosophy and processes to prospective and current families responding to inquiries and ensuring relevant information is conveyed in a clear and timely manner.
• Use tuition assistance strategically to support access, diversity, and enrollment stability while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
• Manage enrollment management systems, software platforms, data integrity, and reporting infrastructure. Ensure enrollment software systems are in place and troubleshoot accordingly to optimize performance, working alongside Technology Coordinator.
• Develop dashboards and annual enrollment reviews that include current metrics, trends and comparative benchmarking. Analyze application, yield, retention, and demographic data to inform strategy and daily decision-making.
• Track enrollment data and local initiatives, recommending and implementing strategic adjustments based on data, trends, and competitive analysis.
• Set up processes to collect data from a variety of areas, including admission surveys, exit surveys, demographic data, internal family satisfaction surveys, analytics from the website (SEO), and the database.
• Develop department goals and objectives, policies and procedures including tuition, program offerings, age cut-offs, sibling policies, etc. in collaboration with Head of School.
• Maintain current statistics/trends and best-practice admission procedures and seek comparative benchmarking.

Benefits

• Full time positions receive generous compensation and benefits package, including medical, vision and dental coverage.
• The school also offers an Employer-Matched Retirement Account (up to 5%), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), Commuter Benefits, Group Life Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, World Travel Assistance.
• Other benefits include Personal Time Off, Paid Federal Holidays and School Closures, daily warm lunch while on site, Employee Referral Bonuses, Outstanding Professional Development and Mentorship throughout the year, Free Employee Childcare for students enrolled at La Scuola during Professional Development Days.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees