Community Engagement & Recruitment Manager

Summary

Description

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

DSST's vision is that the communities we serve have deep ties to our school where prospective families are aware of DSST as an excellent public school option and current families and communities feel they have an authentic partnership with us. We believe this is crucial to any school’s ability to serve all students, and to its lasting success. The Community Engagement and Recruitment Manager will work at a DSST school campus (includes a middle and high school) to coordinate all efforts to foster true partnerships with our families and communities, in order to better appreciate, value, and support the social, emotional, and wellness needs of our students, build collaborative and authentic regional connections and support the neighborhoods surrounding our schools. As we continue to grow and expand our impact at DSST Public Schools, we know that schools need campus-based expertise and support in the planning and execution of true community engagement – which includes student recruitment, family engagement, community relationship building as well as grassroots advocacy.  

The Community Engagement & Recruitment Manager will work across both the middle school and high school at one of our campuses, and will report to the School Director.  They will collaborate closely with other Community Engagement & Recruitment Managers across the DSST network and have time dedicated each month to training and coaching on the skills needed to lead this work.  The Community Engagement and Recruitment Manager will work with school leadership teams, Front Office managers, and the Home Office to coordinate and strengthen school-based staff initiatives and data driven-actions to goals across the areas of student recruitment, student onboarding, enrollment, student orientation, family and community engagement, and advocacy. You will work closely with the School Director to build capacity and relationships at the campus to engage in this work across a broad base of staff, parents, and students.

This role will be specifically focused on supporting school leadership to achieve their goals in the areas of student recruitment & enrollment, family engagement, community partnership, and advocacy. The role will rely heavily on:

• Learning and utilizing tools, levers, and best practices to influence student recruitment, community and family engagement, including partnership with school leaders and staff to support work to goals;

• Analyzing data and various systems to track progress to goals and help schools make adjustments as necessary; and 

• Building strong and collaborative personal relationships with school teams, external partners, and Home Office to execute on projects and achieve outcomes.  

Areas of Focus Include:

Student Recruitment, Onboarding & Enrollment 

• Work closely with Home Office Community Engagement Team and Marketing & Communications Team and school leadership to execute on plans for new family onboarding, student recruitment, and student enrollment, including but not limited to tracking, analyzing and utilizing enrollment data and demographic trends and managing recruitment work to community demand goals set yearly for each school. 

• Identify and facilitate opportunities for campus staff in fostering relationships with prospective and current families, partner organizations, and community feeder schools including leading staff training and professional development to execute on high-level recruitment activities. 

• Devise open house and recruitment event strategy and partner with school leaders to ensure best-in-class execution.

• Work with data and resources to execute on plans for recruitment, enrollment and new student and family onboarding, including both historical and forecasted data analysis of enrollment trends. Objectively track progress toward success and develop and deploy necessary countermeasures to ensure advancement towards intended goals.

• Routinely engage prospective families to keep them excited and informed as part of the recruitment process.

• Represent DSST at key community events, fairs, festivals, expos and other outreach events that bolster student enrollment.

• Lead and strengthen campus efforts to increase 8th to 9th grade re-enrollment year over year, collaborating with school leadership on execution.  

Community and Family Engagement 

• Develop and execute on a campus vision for community and family engagement, including family communications and groups as well as facilitate a cohesive plan across both middle school and high school communities. 

• Help lead development of school staff to build authentic, two-way partnerships with the families they serve.

• Oversee timely and relevant content creation and execution of family communication technology systems (ReachWell, Website, and Social Media platforms).

• Manage family and community engagement plans to outcomes, including but not limited to the completion of the DSST Family Survey, growth of staff knowledge about the communities they serve, holding regular family meetings and events, and school participation in and hosting of community events.

• Identify opportunities for community events, leading planning and execution of events between the school and community.

• Work to ensure school is strongly embedded in the community, including but not limited to building strong community partnerships, developing ties to local businesses, and creating opportunities for community leaders to connect with our schools.

Advocacy and Civic Engagement

• Build school staff capacity and enthusiasm to strengthen connection between the campus and political/community leaders.

• Learn the larger education and political ecosystem that can assist in developing and growing our advocacy grassroots network (i.e., parents, students, staff, etc.). 

• Support and lead execution of parent and youth advocacy groups if applicable at campuses.

• Host advocacy events (in partnership with community) at the school including but not limited to voter registration drives, candidate forums, and advocacy training opportunities. 

• Facilitate elected official and School Board engagement opportunities, including but not limited to School Board visits, educational community sessions about School Board, and candidate engagement opportunities.

Data and Software Utilization

• Support the development of data-driven goals, lead measures and recommended strategies for recruitment, enrollment, advocacy and family/community engagement priorities.

• Know and utilize data software including, but not limited to, HubSpot, Quickbase, Excel, Polaris, ReachWell, SchoolMint and Infinite Campus.

• Lead schools in data tracking analysis and taking data-driven action, in the areas of student recruitment, enrollment, family and community engagement including, but not limited to, timely and systemically tracking touchpoints, follow up phone calls, texts and emails, turnout to events, etc.

• Analyze data in order to determine what is working and what is not, and make school and campus based recommendations on necessary adjustments.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

• Proficiency in Spanish 

• 2-3 years of previous experience with recruitment or sales

• 2-3 years of previous experience with student recruitment, family engagement, or community engagement

• 3+ years of professional experience with preferred experience in project management or customer service fields

• Naturally self-driven and proactive working with little direction to execute responsibilities; while consulting with the School Directors as needed for resource needs, problem resolution, recommendations, and providing project updates.

• Ability to utilize leadership skills, influencing skills, and demonstrable subject matter expertise to advise School Directors in every step of the effective execution of the school’s recruitment plan.

• Strong cultural competency skills, including ability to communicate and work effectively and cultivate relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders

• Ability to attend and/or coordinate attendance at community and civic events that often occur outside of regular working hours 

• Meticulous attention to detail and passion for organized, well-run processes

• Strong service orientation between network and school teams

• Capacity to initiate and nurture relationships with prospective and current families, community organizations and district partners

• Excellent organizational and communication skills

• Proficiency in Word, Excel (running and creating functions, filtering lists, and making charts), Google Suite, Reachwell, Hubspot, website editing, social media, Polaris and aptitude to learn systems/software

• Requires reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license

IDEAL REQUIREMENTS

• Experience working in education or education-related field

• Experience with communities surrounding our schools

WHO WE ARE

At DSST Public Schools, we are proud to be the largest and highest-performing network of public charter schools in Denver and Aurora with 100% of our students having been accepted into college or post secondary programs since our inception in 2004. When you join DSST, you play a part in ensuring all 7,500+ students at our 16 schools have access to a transformational and joyful education. 

INTERVIEW EXPECTATIONS

For most of our positions, we hire on a rolling basis. Therefore, we recommend that you submit your application as soon as you are able! You can learn more about what to expect in our interview process here. 

WHY JOIN DSST?

At DSST, we know that our people are the greatest asset we have in reaching our mission of eliminating educational inequity. We work hard to build a work culture that allows our staff to not only feel fulfilled by the work they do but also feel supported to live a joyful, healthy life. We want this work to be your life’s work. Check out why our teachers love working at DSST as well as our benefits website to learn how we deliver on our commitment to the human condition. 

• Health and Supplemental Insurance: DSST staff have access to comprehensive medical benefits, including fertility benefits and a mental health counselor that is dedicated solely to DSST staff.

• Time Off: DSST Staff enjoy 11+ weeks off per year + paid PTO (from Day 1!)

• Professional Development: As a learning organization, DSST values both internal and external development opportunities for staff. See some examples below:

  • DSST Back to School Development Series including New Staff Institute, New Educator Institute, New Leader Institute, Leader You, and Teaching & Learning Institute. 

  • Weekly 1:1 Coaching from a School Administrator at your campus. 

  • Clear internal career pathway opportunities such as our Apprentice Teachers, Emerging Leaders, and School Director in Training Programs. Read more here. 

• And more!

DSST COMMUNITY REFERRAL PROGRAM

Not a best fit role for you but know someone else who would be a great fit? Refer them here and earn $500 if they are hired! 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

DSST Public Schools is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not exclude participation in, deny benefits to or discriminate on the basis of, race, color, religion, National origin, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity), Age (40 and older), Disability, Genetic information (including employer requests for, or purchase, use, or disclosure of genetic tests, genetic services, or family medical history), retaliation for filing a charge, reasonably opposing discrimination, or participating in a discrimination lawsuit, investigation, or proceeding in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is active and may require standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, and crouching throughout the day. The employee must lift and/or move items up to 30 pounds. The employee must have sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate a computer keyboard and other office equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.