Director of Student Recruitment & Partnerships

Job Description

Job Description

Director of Student Recruitment and Partnerships

Boston, MA (Massachusetts Region)

Who We Are and What We Believe:

Founded in 1997, Bottom Line is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization with a mission to partner with degree-aspiring students of color from under-resourced communities as they get into college, graduate, and go far in life. We achieve this mission by providing consistent support throughout their college years, empowering them to stay on track, graduate, and achieve their goals. Our vision is to dramatically transform urban communities by producing thousands of new career-ready college graduates.

When you join Bottom Line, you will find a rewarding, fast-paced, results-oriented environment. We build strong relationships with our students and with each other. We take our work seriously, and we know that a focus on data and metrics is integral to our continued success. Experts in our fields, we are driven by our mission and extremely proud of the work we do.

What You Will Do:

For the last 30 years, Bottom Line has supported first-generation students across Massachusetts. With more than 12,000 alumni across our programs, the Director of Recruitment and Partnerships (DRP) will play an integral role in continuing and expanding this impact. Bottom Line Massachusetts currently serves approximately 1,800 students across our programs and intends to reach 2,600 students by 2030. The Director of Student Recruitment and Partnerships reports to the Managing Director of Programs and works closely with program leaders and other regional teams to advance Bottom Line Massachusetts’ student growth and partnership goals.

As the DRP, this person is responsible for recruiting students into our programs and cultivating strong student pipelines through community, and High School partnerships. This includes ensuring Bottom Line is known as a trusted resource for students, families, and partners alike. During the recruitment season, the DRP leads efforts to build our incoming class, engaging students through presentations, partner visits, community events, and throughout the application process.

During the year, the DRP is responsible for refining and executing a comprehensive student recruitment and outreach strategy that advances our 2030 vision. This includes building and sustaining strong relationships with school districts, high schools, community-based organizations, scholarship providers, higher education institutions, workforce partners, and other stakeholders who serve students and families.

In partnership with program leadership, the DRP represents Bottom Line across the Greater Boston and Worcester communities through workshops, information sessions, presentations, and recruitment events designed to increase awareness of our programs and connect students to opportunities. The DRP also coordinates opportunities for other Bottom Line staff to engage with students, families, and community partners in meaningful ways. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building relationships, planning and leading presentations or events, and engaging directly with communities.

The DRP works collaboratively across teams to manage the systems, processes, and logistics necessary to execute a high-impact recruitment strategy. Using data, community insights, and partner feedback, they will continuously refine outreach efforts to ensure Bottom Line reaches students who can most benefit from our support while strengthening our presence and reputation throughout the communities we serve.

Primary Responsibilities:

External Partnership Management - 35%

• Manage a portfolio of school, community-based organization, college, and other strategic partners serving Bottom Line’s target student population, using a relationship-first approach to strengthen collaboration and drive student recruitment and enrollment goals.
• Develop and execute a partner management strategy that prioritizes relationships based on recruitment goals, student reach, historical referral and enrollment outcomes, and opportunities to deepen partnerships and strengthen recruitment pipelines.
• Identify, cultivate, and establish new partnerships that expand Bottom Line’s access to priority student populations and create sustainable pathways for student referrals and enrollment.
• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with school counselors, administrators, community-based organization leaders, and other key partner stakeholders through regular meetings, site visits, and ongoing communication.
• Lead partner engagement throughout the recruitment cycle, ensuring partners understand Bottom Line’s programs, eligibility requirements, application process, deadlines, and recruitment goals and are equipped to connect eligible students to Bottom Line.
• Establish clear recruitment and engagement expectations with priority partners and regularly assess the strength and effectiveness of partnerships, identifying opportunities to increase referrals, improve student conversion, and deepen collaboration.
• Lead regional partner-based recruitment efforts, including student and staff presentations, workshops, application support, and other recruitment activities; train and equip internal staff to effectively represent Bottom Line and support recruitment efforts.
• Represent Bottom Line at select Massachusetts college access, success, and career-focused convenings where participation directly supports partner cultivation, relationship development, and student recruitment.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and return on investment of recruitment strategies and community partnerships, recommending adjustments that maximize regional reach, sustainability, and long-term impact.

Student Recruitment - 45%

• Develop and lead the regional student recruitment strategy, including annual enrollment targets, recruitment forecasting, pipeline health, and long-term student growth projections. Regularly assess progress and proactively surface opportunities, risks, and support needs to the Managing Director of Programs (MDP).
• Use Salesforce dashboards and other reporting tools to monitor and analyze recruitment, enrollment, and partner engagement data, translating insights into adjustments to recruitment tactics, processes, and resource allocation to improve outcomes.
• Cultivate, manage, and assess strategic school and community-based organization partnerships, identifying and recommending opportunities and investments that maximize regional reach, sustainability, student recruitment, and impact.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete data on program partnerships, recruitment activities, enrollment progress, and student outcomes to support effective partner management, reporting, forecasting, and decision-making.
• In collaboration with program leaders(Access Director, Success Director, Career Director, and MDP), develop and manage the region’s external outreach strategy, including high-impact presentations, recruitment events, and engagement opportunities with schools, community-based organizations, students, and families. Lead presentations directly and prepare staff to effectively represent Bottom Line and recruit prospective students.
• Develop and execute comprehensive student recruitment campaigns that leverage social media, student ambassadors, word-of-mouth referrals, and other engagement best practices to build awareness, strengthen the recruitment pipeline, and drive enrollment.
• Lead and manage the student intake and enrollment process, ensuring prospective students and families receive timely communication, clear information about program eligibility and expectations, and a consistent onboarding experience.
• Partner with the Executive Director to develop and manage the regional recruitment and partnership, ensuring resources and investments are strategically allocated to achieve enrollment, engagement, and partnership goals.
• Represent Bottom Line within statewide college access and education networks, strengthening the organization’s visibility, relationships, and position as a thought leader in college access and student success.
• Collaborate with the national program team and recruitment leads across regions to share best practices, strengthen recruitment approaches, and contribute to organization-wide recruitment strategy and continuous improvement.
• Prepare and present regular reports and analyses to regional and national leadership, communicating progress toward enrollment goals, partnership performance, emerging trends, and strategic recommendations.
• Leverage market, demographic, and community data to identify new recruitment opportunities, strengthen existing partnerships, and inform regional growth strategies.

Community Engagement - 10%

• In collaboration with program leaders, develop and lead Bottom Line’s community outreach strategy, building strong relationships with schools, community-based organizations, and other partners to expand awareness of Bottom Line and connect more students to our programs.
• Cultivate and deepen relationships with key community partners, identifying opportunities to strengthen collaboration, increase student referrals, and expand Bottom Line’s reach within priority communities.
• Develop and maintain a strong network of school, community, and education partners that creates sustainable pathways for student recruitment and long-term regional growth.

Management and Collaboration – 5%

• Manage 1- 2 part-time student recruitment interns, ensuring that all team members are working effectively and efficiently toward a common goal
• Coordinate across the regional program team on all aspects of student recruitment and intake processes.
• Collaborate with the Program Leadership Team to ensure staff feel connected to the mission while holding team members accountable for achieving goals

Secondary Responsibilities:

Team Support – 5%

• Leverage relationships with school counselors, community-based organizations, and other partners to support program teams in addressing student needs, strengthening communication, and coordinating resources across organizations.
• Provide cross-functional support to program teams during periods of increased need, including supporting student-facing activities and other regional priorities as appropriate.
• Support Development efforts as needed by representing Bottom Line at external events, engaging with donors and community stakeholders, and helping strengthen relationships that advance regional goals.
• Serve as a visible ambassador for Bottom Line, positively representing the organization and increasing awareness of its programs, impact, and opportunities throughout the community.
• Serve as an active member of the Regional Leadership Team, contributing to regional strategy, annual planning, goal setting, cross-functional problem-solving, and organizational decision-making.

Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without advanced notice

Work Schedule:

Standard hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with additional evening and weekend hours as needed. In-office hours will be identified in coordination with the manager.

Expected Travel:

Frequent local travel required -- during the recruitment period from February– August travel will be more focused on student recruitment in comparison to the rest of the year.

Frequent travel across region, limited travel outside of the region throughout the year

Who Should Apply:

If you meet the qualifications below, you should apply.

Required:

• Work authorization
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in college access, higher education, nonprofit leadership, community engagement, enrollment management, or partnership development.
• Experience in recruitment or enrollment management with a focus on relationship cultivation and management
• An ability to deliver high-energy, engaging presentations to different stakeholders
• Confident, personable, and authentic presence, exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, and a customer service orientation
• Ability to approach situations strategically and to solve problems creatively
• Strong analytic skills and the ability to leverage data to inform process and results
• Excellent organizational skills
• Demonstrated commitment to Bottom Line’s Mission, Vision, and Core Values 
• A valid driver’s license and reliable access to a car for transportation

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Knowledge, familiarity, and relationships with Boston high schools, as well as the broader Massachusetts education landscape including leaders from community-based organizations and universities
• Experience with supporting or developing programming for young men of color
• Fluency in Spanish or Haitian Creole is a plus

How to Apply/Application Deadline:

All applications must be submitted via Bottom Line’s Career Page.

Please share your resume and cover letter.

Start Date:

September 2026

Compensation: $90-96K

Benefits:

Learn about our benefits here.