Director of Student Retention and Engagement

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Director of Student Retention and Engagement

Reports to: Principal

Position type: 12-month position (Exempt)

Location Requirement: Must currently reside in Polk County, or be willing to relocate within 30 days of employment.

Company Overview

New Beginnings High School (NBHS) is an innovative organization, transforming education through academic and social support services. Our Mission is to create the best educational environment for students who are seeking a new beginning.

Position Summary

The Director of Student Retention and Engagement serves as a visible representative of NBHS to families, students, community partners, and internal campus teams. The position is accountable for using data, outreach systems, family contact logs, student retention trends, and administrative collaboration to improve enrollment outcomes and reduce avoidable student withdrawals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead NBHS enrollment growth, family retention, and engagement initiatives in direct alignment with the Principal, School Administration, and Directors of Academic Affairs.

• Own and manage the inquiry-to-enrollment pipeline, including prospective family calls, interest forms, campus tours, information sessions, application follow-up, enrollment document collection, and conversion tracking.

• Convert interested prospects into enrolled students by ensuring timely contact, accurate information, consistent follow-up, and clear explanation of NBHS programs, expectations, session options, student supports, and campus procedures.

• Develop and maintain a structured prospect follow-up cadence so that every interested student or family receives documented outreach within established timelines.

• Track and report measurable enrollment indicators, including inquiries received, tours scheduled, tours completed, applications started, applications completed, enrollment packets submitted, conversion rates, no-show trends, withdrawals, and retention risks.

• Partner with the Principal and Directors of Academic Affairs to identify students at risk of disengagement and coordinate timely family outreach, re-engagement plans, student support connections, and retention interventions.

• Serve as a family-facing point of contact for enrollment, re-enrollment, retention concerns, engagement barriers, and questions regarding the NBHS student experience.

• Maintain strong relationships with parents, guardians, adult students, referral sources, community partners, and school-based teams to support student persistence and successful enrollment outcomes.

• Coordinate student and family onboarding after enrollment, including welcome communications, expectations review, campus orientation support, required documentation reminders, and connection to appropriate campus personnel.

• Assist with recruitment, marketing, outreach, and retention of students while ensuring all public-facing information is accurate, professional, and consistent with approved NBHS messaging.

• Represent NBHS at community events, family engagement activities, outreach meetings, enrollment events, and school-related functions as assigned.

• Support NBHS by attending community service and outreach activities that strengthen enrollment pipelines and community awareness of the school.

• Coordinate with Front Desk Personnel, Campus Directors, Directors of Academic Progress, academic teams, and school leadership to identify family concerns before they result in withdrawal or disengagement.

• Review attendance, tardiness, withdrawal patterns, family concerns, and student engagement indicators to identify retention risks and recommend responsive action steps to School Administration.

• Escalate requests involving ESE, Section 504, ESOL, McKinney-Vento, safety concerns, custody issues, records concerns, or other specialized matters to the appropriate school administrator.

• Maintain confidentiality of student, family, enrollment, academic, behavioral, and school records in accordance with NBHS expectations, FERPA-related confidentiality obligations, and applicable school procedures.

• Use PowerSchool, enrollment records, spreadsheets, call logs, dashboards, or other assigned systems to maintain accurate documentation of prospect contact, family outreach, retention intervention, and enrollment status.

• Prepare weekly, monthly, and requested enrollment and retention reports for the Principal, CEO, or designee, including trends, barriers, conversion progress, and recommended next steps.

• Provide excellent customer service to families, students, staff, visitors, referral partners, and community stakeholders.

• Support the school Mission by assisting with family outreach, re-engagement calls, and home visits.

• Conduct annual review and propose appropriate updates to the Director of Retention and Engagement Reference & Procedures Manual, outreach scripts, family engagement tools, and enrollment tracking processes.

• Complete reports and administrative projects as requested.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education, business administration, communications, marketing, public administration, social work, human services, or a related field preferred; equivalent directly related school enrollment, recruitment, admissions, family engagement, or student services experience may be considered.

• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in student enrollment, admissions, family engagement, recruitment, community outreach, customer service leadership, school operations, or a related field.

• Experience working in a public charter school, public school, alternative education program, nonprofit education setting, or student-centered service environment is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to meet measurable goals connected to enrollment growth, prospect conversion, family retention, outreach completion, and engagement follow-through.

• Knowledge of basic software applications and school communication tools, including Google Workspace, spreadsheets, email, and data tracking systems.

• Ability to learn and accurately use PowerSchool, enrollment platforms, student information systems, call logs, dashboards, and other assigned school systems.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate professionally with parents, guardians, adult students, community partners, and school leadership.

• Ability to maintain confidential student and family information and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive enrollment, attendance, behavioral, academic, or family concerns.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule when needed for family engagement events, outreach activities, enrollment events, community meetings, or urgent retention matters.

• Valid driver license and reliable transportation may be required for outreach activities, school events, community engagement, and assigned travel between campuses or partner locations.

• Level II background check and fingerprinting clearance required.

Key Competencies

• Ability to coordinate work tasks to establish priorities, set goals and meet deadlines.

• Able to adapt to changing work priorities and respond professionally to urgent family, enrollment, and retention needs.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect student and family information.

• Able to exhibit tact, patience, sound judgment, and professionalism when communicating with families, students, staff, referral partners, and community stakeholders.

• Perform duties accurately and efficiently.

• Exhibit strong organizational skills and orderliness in work, documentation, and environment.

• Ability to work both independently and as a team member with the Principal, Directors of Academic Affairs, Campus Directors, Directors of Academic Progress, Front Desk Personnel, and other individuals and organizations.

• Able to set high expectations, contributing positively to NBHS culture.

• Use data to identify enrollment trends, family engagement barriers, retention risks, and conversion opportunities.

• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work with individuals/groups from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Working Conditions Environment

Requires working indoors and outdoors. Requires sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, and climbing. This position requires travel between NBHS campuses, school events, family engagement activities, home visit locations, community outreach locations, and partner sites. This position requires interaction with students, parents, guardians, adult students, staff, visitors, community partners, and members of the public in a school environment.