SY26-27 Student Recruitment & Enrollment Manager

Ingenuity Prep is a high-performing public charter school in Ward 8, serving scholars from Pre-K through Middle School. We are a supportive school community dedicated to academic rigor and civic leadership, preparing students for the path to colleges and careers of their choosing. We are unapologetically outcomes-driven, with an instructional model that emphasizes small-group learning, collaborative teaching teams, and robust coaching and professional development, all within a culture rooted in joy, belonging, and authentic relationships.

WHAT YOU’LL DO
The Student Recruitment & Enrollment Manager leads Ingenuity Prep’s strategy to attract new students, retain current students, and build lasting relationships with families. This role turns ambitious enrollment goals into a clear plan, mobilizes teams to execute it, and uses data to drive consistent action and improvement. The first-year priority is to increase total enrollment by at least 10% for the 2027–28 school year relative to an agreed-upon 2026–27 baseline, within approved enrollment capacity, and establish the systems and family experiences needed to sustain that growth. Success means families choose Ingenuity Prep, complete enrollment, arrive ready for the first day, and remain connected throughout their time with us.

Drive Student Recruitment & Community Outreach

• Develop and execute a year-round recruitment strategy to attract new students and meet grade-level enrollment targets.
• Lead creative recruitment campaigns, school tours, community events, and neighborhood outreach to generate interest from prospective families.
• Build strategic partnerships with community organizations, childcare providers, and local stakeholders to expand recruitment pipelines.
• Serve as a compelling ambassador for Ingenuity Prep, communicating our value proposition and building trust with prospective families.
• Partner with communications and enrollment teams to convert family inquiries into completed applications, enrollment, and first-day attendance.

Strengthen Student Retention & Re-enrollment

• Lead schoolwide re-enrollment efforts to maximize the number of students returning each year.
• Proactively identify students at risk of withdrawing and coordinate timely interventions to retain families.
• Analyze withdrawal trends and family feedback to identify and address barriers to retention.
• Partner with academy leaders and family engagement staff to strengthen family satisfaction, engagement, and retention.
• Develop targeted transition strategies to retain students moving from ECA to ESA (K–1) and ESA to MSA (grades 4–5).

Turn Outreach Into Measurable Enrollment Results

• Establish measurable recruitment, enrollment, and retention goals with clear action plans, timelines, and owners.
• Partner with the Data & Enrollment team to monitor enrollment trends, recruitment pipelines, application conversion, and grade-level vacancies.
• Lead regular enrollment progress meetings to assess performance, address barriers, and coordinate cross-team action.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment strategies, community partnerships, and retention efforts to continuously improve results.
• Hold cross-functional partners accountable for enrollment priorities, deliverables, and timely follow-through.
• Provide the CEO with regular updates on enrollment progress, risks, opportunities, and recommended actions.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We are seeking passionate professionals who bring the mindset of a community organizer to mission-driven work. As the Enrollment Strategy and Engagement Manager, you will listen carefully, build trust, connect people, mobilize networks, and turn relationships into meaningful action. They bring energy, initiative, creativity, and a genuine commitment to building relationships with families and communities. In this role, you will be both a strategic planner and an enthusiastic ambassador for Ingenuity Prep: equally comfortable leading a data meeting, managing a recruitment campaign, calling a family, or building relationships in the community. The role requires strong project management, creative outreach, persistent follow-through, and the ability to build buy-in and hold partners accountable across teams, including colleagues the role does not directly supervise.

• Community Builder: You build authentic relationships, earn trust, and connect with people across different backgrounds and experiences.
• Creative Problem Solver: You generate new ideas, test approaches, and adapt when something isn't working.
• Action-Oriented Organizer: You turn ambitious goals into concrete activities, organize people around shared objectives, and follow through consistently.
• Results-Driven: You understand that relationships and activities should ultimately produce measurable outcomes, and you use data to improve your work.
• Collaborative Leader: You influence others, build partnerships, and move work forward without relying on formal authority.
• Compelling Communicator: You can tell the story of Ingenuity Prep in ways that resonate with prospective families and community partners.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in any field; master’s degree preferred.
• 3+ years of progressively responsible experience in enrollment, recruitment, family engagement, community outreach, strategy, project management, education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing strategies that achieve measurable recruitment, retention, or engagement goals.
• Experience collaborating with school leaders and leading initiatives across teams, including influencing colleagues outside your direct supervision.
• Experience in a DC charter school; PreK–8 or K–8 environment preferred.
• Strong project management and organizational planning skills, with consistent follow-through.
• Experience designing systems to track enrollment, coordinate outreach, and strengthen family engagement.
• Strong data analysis, meeting facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to turn findings into action.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with families and community partners.
• Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace and presentation development; experience with enrollment databases or relationship management tools preferred.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends to connect with families and attend community events.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
In the first year, the Enrollment Growth & Community Outreach Manager will:

• Establish a sustained community outreach presence and active network of referral partners.
• Develop and execute a measurable recruitment plan aligned with IP's enrollment priorities.
• Build a family ambassador program that generates prospective-family referrals.
• Increase qualified family inquiries and strengthen inquiry-to-enrollment conversion.
• Identify and test new recruitment approaches, using results to refine outreach.
• Contribute meaningfully to schoolwide enrollment growth while strengthening the relationships and recruitment infrastructure needed for future years.

MORE ABOUT US
Ingenuity Prep offers among the strongest compensation and benefits packages of any public charter school in Washington, D.C. Our compensation and benefits package includes:

• Competitive compensation with up to 7% annual salary growth
• 401(k) IRA with 100% match up to 3% + Smart Save auto increase option
• 100% employer-paid medical, disability, and life insurance for employees + dependents; 50% spouse coverage for medical; 50% employer-paid dental + vision
• Paid parental leave for all staff, regardless of gender
• Ongoing wellness support with monthly Wellness Days + free mental health services
• MacBook Air provided for professional and personal use, 100% IP-paid cell phone plan (keep your number!), and tax-free commuter benefits
• Robust coaching and learning model with monthly PD and staff-led learning; dedicated time and funding for growth with early-release Wednesdays + external PD funds

Salary Range: $73,833 - $92,208  (commensurate with 1-10 years of experience)

Ingenuity Prep does not make hiring decisions based on race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, disability, veteran status, religion, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.  However, at this time, we do not provide job sponsorship for international candidates.