For Job Seekers

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington, has a reputation as one of the finest schools in the country and is currently seeking a Director of Admissions and Financial Aid (AFA). The Director is both a visionary in the admissions field and a creative and dynamic school leader responsible for admissions, financial aid, and enrollment efforts for both the Middle and Upper schools (grades 5-12). This is an exceptional opportunity to join an administration and a school community that is known for its long-standing commitment to academic excellence, diversity and inclusion, and global engagement. Lakeside School enrolls 851 students, and of those, 32 percent receive financial aid and 58 percent are students of color.

The Director reports to the Head of School and serves on the senior administrative team. In addition to leading all admission and enrollment efforts, the Director exhibits the innovative spirit on which the school was founded and has since built its academic program and organizational brand. The Director manages a staff of seven, interacts with other administrative offices, faculty, and staff, and particularly with the Communications Office. The Director demonstrates deep understanding of need-based financial aid evaluation and strategy, data analysis, marketing, independent school trends, strategic planning, and personnel and office leadership. The Director must have the experience, skills, and personality to lead a complex enrollment process, contribute to the senior leadership team, and involve the entire Lakeside community in admissions goals and plans.

Desired characteristics, capabilities, and experience:

• Serve effectively on the senior level administrative team

• Demonstrate an understanding of and connections within the admissions environment

• Have the knowledge, ability, and strategic sense to identify and open new and emerging admissions markets

• Demonstrate an understanding of admissions enrollment trends, leading the senior leadership team and board in discussions about these trends and creating strategies to solve issues

• Understand and interact with the extended community: trustees, students, faculty, staff, parents, guardians, alumni, and candidates

• Have a sophisticated understanding of need-based financial aid evaluation and a demonstrated commitment to promoting affordability as a central tenet of the admissions process

• Analyze data skillfully to create data-driven marketing and decisions

• Manage an AFA Office with seven staff members

• Lead all aspects of the AFA Office procedures: contact with students, review 1,250+ applications, acceptances, transition to enrollment, re-enrollment and others

• Oversee all customer service initiatives within the AFA Office

• Develop and build relationships with schools, counselors and consultants

• Be a willing presence and be involved in the life of Lakeside

• Connect with the community through an engaging and welcoming personality

For more details about Lakeside School, please visit the school’s web site at www.lakesideschool.org. To apply, please send an electronic file with a resume, a letter of interest, and a list of three references by Dec. 7, 2018, to Christine H. Baker, cbaker@thebakergrp.com.