Hybrid Director of Recruitment & Enrollment Schools bei Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth

The principal duty of all employees is to assist in the mission of the Church in the Diocese of Fort Worth.  This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

General Position Summary:  

The full-time Director of Recruitment & Enrollment plays an important role in advancing the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth’s mission of educational ministry, working comprehensively across its PreK-12 schools to stabilize and grow the reach of Catholic education community-wide.  The strategic work plan is global in scope to support all schools.  Overarching goals for this position include system-level strategies designed to increase the pipelines for prospective students, grow enrollment and improve retention for all Fort Worth Diocesan schools.   

The strategic work plan will have a two-part focus: Part 1 - Partner Schools (PreK-8) and Part II - Diocesan High Schools (9-12).  The long-term overarching goals will include assisting all partner schools and high schools with engagement, recruitment, enrollment and retention strategies designed to increase their pipelines for prospective students, enrollment numbers and retention percentages across the Diocese.  However, the launch will begin with a pilot program that targets a few PreK-8 schools with the most potential for growth and strong emphasis on Nolan Catholic High School.  The scope of involvement at NCHS will include planning, executing, and managing all areas of engagement, recruitment, enrollment and retention.  Collaboration with the existing Director of Branding and Strategic Programming at NCHS on the 4 Pillars Curriculum is essential in ensuring that the messaging and branding is articulate and consistent throughout the various engagement processes and activities established within the strategic work plan.  

Healthy student enrollment generates the necessary tuition dollars needed to support Diocesan school budgets, allowing for high level mission effectiveness and a commitment to excellence for Catholic educational priorities.

Principal Accountabilities:

Vision & Mission Alignment

• Understand and embrace the Diocesan vision and mission statements for Catholic education, as well as academic and extracurricular programs offered in all schools PreK-12, particularly those at Nolan Catholic High School.  Vision and mission alignment is paramount for long term success.
• Participate in Christ-centered life of Diocesan schools and model the philosophy in working with current students, prospective students, parents, colleagues, administration and community at large.

Branding & Messaging

• Collaborate and partner with both the Director of Communications at the Diocese and the Director of Branding and Strategic Programming at Nolan Catholic High School to establish a consistent brand and message to be utilized in all recruitment and engagement efforts; create and synchronize messaging tailored to all different audiences to be used across the Diocese, including the SB2 Voucher Program. Understand and place specific emphasis on the 4-Pillars curriculum soon to launch at NCHS

Engagement, Development & Cultivation

• Cultivate, develop and maintain relationships with area parish priests, religious education directors at parishes, Diocesan school principals and parent leadership groups, churches and other entities and individuals who have potential to play a role in recruitment and exposure for Catholic education.  Determine, through these relationships, the different needs of their unique populations. Attend area church and school events and expos that have potential to expand recruitment through public relations and awareness.
• Engage key community leaders keeping them abreast of all that Diocesan schools have to offer, particularly NCHS, to encourage collaborative partnerships that might lead to the acquisition of referrals for enrollment.
• Plan and facilitate quarterly meetings with all Recruitment / Admissions Personnel at PreK-12 schools to foster a sense of Diocesan-wide community that supports, encourages and assists with each school’s recruitment strategies.
• Build, engage & utilize an ambassador program of alums, current parents & students.
• Encourage internal collaboration with school leadership, faculty and alumni to create informative and engaging recruitment and admissions events (virtual and in person).  Provide information regarding goals / objectives to all faculty and staff, particularly at NCHS, to establish buy in for priorities and to further increase internal collaboration.

Pipeline / Lead Generation / Nurturing 

• (PreK-8 schools – provide training, coaching & oversight; NCHS implement and
• manage)
• Identify student populations not already enrolled in Catholic schools (examples:  Catholic education participants, Sacrament preparation participants, non-Catholic Charter schools, etc.)
• Determine promotional strategies & design outreach opportunities to reach & drive interest from potential students / families.
• Create and manage a spreadsheet & calendar for nurturing and staying in touch.  Understand the importance of nurturing prospects along the way with personalized touches that keep them engaged.

Recruitment & Engagement

• (PreK-8 schools – provide training, coaching & oversight; NCHS implement and
• manage)
• Research trends that are occurring in other Catholic schools as well a other local private schools in the area – understand your competition.
• Develop a comprehensive recruitment and enrollment plan that is aligned with the Diocesan educational vision, mission and goals through a variety of engagement activities (internal and external) that communicate the value of Catholic education and showcases Diocesan schools as premier private learning institutions in our community.        Activities shall include, but not be limited to, visits,
• presentations and relationship building with key stakeholders, onsite school tours, onsite campus activities, shadow events, community events, direct communications, social media outlets, etc.
• Understand and collaborate with the efforts that will soon be initiated utilizing the Senate Bill 2 (SB2) recruitment efforts.        SB2 is a part of the overall recruitment strategy and must be incorporated in an efficient and prudent manner that doesn’t create overlap and confusion.
• Create a pipeline / lead generation / nurturing tracking sheet by conducting market research to identify potential student populations not already enrolled in Catholic School (examples:  participants in parish catholic educational programs, students enrolled in sacrament preparation classes in parishes, etc.)
• Design a tracking database that utilizes a student admission funnel to guide each step of the admission process PreK-12.  Steps include tracking stages in the following areas: inquiry, applicant, application complete, accepted, enrolled.
• Understand that retention is equally important to healthy enrollment statistics.  
• Facilitating necessary conversations for a student at risk is key in understanding any roadblocks that may be present and need to be addressed by leadership.  Ensuring that enrolled students remain in our schools is a significant objective.
• Leverage and showcase alumni networks during recruitment strategies in a manner that reinforces Catholic schools as leading academic institutions in the community.  Alumni are living testaments of the ultimate product of the Diocesan educational vision and mission.  Creating an alumni pool that is available to provide resources and guidance for prospective families is a tremendous asset in recruitment strategies.
• Utilize family and parent events, meetings, communications and other engagement activities.
• Establish an annual calendar of recruitment activities including, but not limited to, the integration of multi-level efforts with internal and external stakeholders, activities and engagement events, publications, mailings, correspondence, and other regularly scheduled tasks necessary to reach enrollment goals.
• Assist and act as a liaison between prospective students and parents throughout the entire enrollment process at Nolan Catholic High School, with the goal of admitting students who will thrive at NCHS.  The jump from partner school to high school is often a daunting process for families.

Data Analysis 

• (PreK-8 schools – provide training, coaching & oversight; NCHS implement and
• manage)
• Establish benchmarks, collect data, make projections, assess trends and record results of recruitment and engagement activities.
• Establish a beginning baseline, particularly for NCHS, that focuses on the following:
• Utilize the Admission Funnel model to establish a previous baseline for previous year which includes number for inquiry, applicant, application complete, accepted, enrolled
• Current enrollment including what percentage of each partner school’s students are enrolling at NCHS.
• Reasons partner school students are not choosing enrollment at NCHS.  Investigate the possibility of partnering with the partner school leadership for an opportunity to conduct surveys with these families.
• Previous years retention rates – conduct exit interviews for current students opting not to re-enroll at NCHS, citing the reasons.
• Establish metrics for success to measure progress and/or provide necessary information needed to adjust recruitment strategies necessary for improvement and expansion of enrollment numbers.    
• Create Reports: Utilize metrics for success templates that will be used by all Diocesan schools to synchronize data, determine progress and identify barriers.  
• Quarterly Reports – PreK-12 schools & high schools, excluding NCHS
• Monthly Reports – Nolan Catholic High School
• Maintain a detailed, accurate and up-to-date data base of information on prospective students including, but not limited to, current enrolled students at partner schools, Catholic parish religious education families, parish sacramental records from non-Catholic school families, and prospective transfer families.

Budget

• Collaborate with schools administrators to establish the annual recruitment budget (promotional materials, engagement & recruitment activities, professional development)
• Manage and monitor the recruitment department budget.
• Responsible for all other projects, tasks, etc., as assigned.

Typical Decisions and/or Recommendations Made in This Position:

• Moderate decisions made in this position
• Must use good judgment and accept feedback, suggestions, etc., as needed.

Supervision Given and/or Received:

• Received: Minimal supervision given to this position.
• Given:  This position provides feedback and guidance to managers, supervisors and employees in the Churches and Catholic Center.

Internal Contacts:

• Diocese Pastors, Priests, School Presidents, Principals, Business Managers, and employees.

External Contacts:

• Diocese vendors, local, state, and federal agency representatives, and auditors.

Working Conditions and/or Physical Requirements:

• This position works in a professional office environment but is subject to stress due to the evolving and quickly expanding needs of the Diocese, tight deadlines and moderate workloads.
• Ability to sit and perform computer work for lengthy periods of time.
• Able to access and maintain centralized departmental files.  Involves extending arms and reaching files stored in multiple levels on shelves, climbing up a stepladder to access files.
• Ability to accept work interruptions while remaining focused on duties.  
• Data entry via computer keyboard requires repetitive and frequent hand and wrist movements.
• A significant amount of time regularly spent on the telephone providing customer service support and problem solving for both internal and external customers.
• Ability to lift up to 35 pounds without assistance and up to 60 pounds with assistance.

Travel Requirements:

• Frequent travel, by car, may be required to Diocese Parishes and/or schools for meetings, training sessions, or other events.

Education and Experience Preferred:

• Master’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Education or a related field or comparable years’ experience in lieu of degree.
• Proven experience in recruiting, enrollment and learning & development with a solid understanding of practices and laws.
• Experience working with HRIS systems, with a strong ability to leverage technology to automate and digitize HR processes.
• A minimum of 2-4 years’ experience in recruitment and enrollment, preferably in the non-profit sector
• Practicing Catholic with the ability to understand, appreciate and communicate the value of a Catholic education
• Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn the organizations HRIS and talent management systems and other facets of HR and the Schools Administration.
• Proficient utilizing Microsoft Teams and other learning management systems.

Knowledge and Skills Preferred:

• Demonstrated professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills including the ability to build relationships with key stakeholders at all levels
• Demonstrated leadership and organizational skills necessary for accomplishing goals and objectives
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and incorporate that data into strategy
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to adapt to changing environments and priorities
• Demonstrated ability to inspire, lead and work collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers.
• High level of energy, creativity, optimism and schedule flexibility (some nights and weekends)
• Working knowledge of a variety of software platforms, including but limited to Microsoft Office, Raiser’s Edge, Recruitment programs, Google Apps and the Internet
• Demonstrated analytical and customer service skills.
• A strong ability to multi-task is required.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to effectively answer questions in a timely manner by using all resources available.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Fort Worth.

FLSA Designation: Exempt, FT, 40 hrs. / per week