Director of Enrollment Communications
Blue Ridge School is an all-boys, all-boarding college preparatory school for 180 boys on a stunning 750-acre campus along the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge is only 20 miles from Charlottesville, Virginia, a vibrant community and home to the University of Virginia.
Blue Ridge educators gain the added satisfaction of working with students inside and outside the classroom which gives them a greater influence in shaping a student's mind and character. Our teachers have the opportunity to lead athletic and outdoor activities based on their own passions.
The school provides an interactive learning environment in which teachers have a great amount of autonomy in their classrooms and still have the support of a collaborative faculty. Using a college-preparatory curriculum with a high-degree of individual support, teachers can better prepare their students for college and careers in the 21st century.
Most teachers live on campus in homes provided by the school. On-campus housing helps give our safe, family-oriented community the sense of a small village in which students and families live and work together.
Position Summary:
The Director of Enrollment Communications (DEC) is a full time, professional employee responsible for the design and successful implementation of communications tactics to promote BRS's enrollment efforts. As such, the DEC will focus on the traditional admission funnel in two ways - 1) how best to grow it from the top and 2) how to expand yield within it.
The DEC will work most closely with the Senior Director of Enrollment Management and Director of Marketing, adding volume and admission specificity to the general marketing activities BRS already has underway. This position will communicate BRS's unique characteristics through written word, video, and photography.
The DEC will also play a role in some traditional admission activities, helping to welcome and evaluate candidates and their families based on relationship factors and/or at peak times during the enrollment season.
The DEC is a new position. The first Director will have the opportunity to collaborate/coordinate with a wide-range of colleagues and to help design the focus of the work. Skills in external messaging and customer acquisition are essential, as are a keen eye and ear for brand consistency. The DEC will also need the ability to travel and thoughtfully represent Blue Ridge School in a variety of settings.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Coordinates with the External Affairs Team (Admission, Advancement, Communication, Special Programs, Alumni and Parent Associations).
- Monitors and develops stories to share noteworthy school and campus events, including academics, arts, special programs, capital improvements, and athletics, with constituents and stakeholders of the School.
- Develops and employs communications tools, especially videography and social media.
- Crafts and implements activities and messaging to bring new external inquiries into the admissions funnel.
- Manages external relationships with prospective students and families, key referral sources and partnerships, and alumni and parent networks.
- Coordinates with the Director of Marketing to ensure that all marketing activities effectively support the School's visual and written brand standards.
- Maintains updated portfolio of student recruitment tools, including video, publications, mailers, web pages and blogs.
- Meaningfully contributes to the School's magazine The Ridge.
- Has an editor's eye and is able to review/improve a variety of marketing and communications materials in video, electronic, and print format.
- Monitors peer marketing for communications trends in the marketplace and competitive analysis.
- May represent BRS at industry conferences, school fairs and other events.
- Becomes an impactful member of the BRS community through participation in student life, special events and other activities.
- Demonstrates continued professional curiosity and growth
- Performs other related roles as assigned by the Senior Director of Enrollment Management or Associate Headmaster for External Affairs.
Qualifications:
- B.S. or B.A. in marketing, communications or a related field.
- At least three years of work experience related to journalism, communications, and/or marketing.
- Skills in Content Development for a variety of platforms - written word, videography, and all facets of social media.
- A clear understanding of and ability to articulate the value proposition of boarding schools - particularly single-gender institutions with unique, niche missions like BRS.
- Possess knowledge of marketing and sales techniques and principals.
- Leadership skills and a willingness to collaborate; ability to plan, organize and direct multiple programs and activities.
- Comfort with autonomy and responsibility in the framework of a high performing team.
- Outstanding communications, interpersonal and public relations skills.
- Balancing goal-orientation with an eye for detail; relentless and disciplined focus on results.
- Analytical skills; comfort with using data in developing and delivering presentations.
- Proficiency in Word and Excel, with significant experience using social media and other web-based communication vehicles in a professional setting.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
- n/a
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
- Valid driver's license with good driving record; must be insurable.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions:
The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling; some climbing and balancing; frequent stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling; and significant fine finger dexterity. Generally the job requires 50% sitting, 25% walking, and 25% standing. The job is performed under minimal temperature variations and under conditions with some exposure to risk of injury and/or illness.