Admissions Director

Introduction

What if school wasn't a place you went, but a journey you lived? THINK Global School is exactly that: an education that moves, questions, and transforms. Over two years and eight countries, our students learn not just how the world works, but how they can work within it. We are the world's first traveling high school. A fully accredited, two-year experience designed for young people who are curious about the world and brave enough to let it change them.

For two years, our students engage in a highly challenging, immersive learning, project-based curriculum as they live and learn across eight countries, engaging with pressing global challenges through the lens of place, culture, and connection. One term might mean studying sustainable design in Mumbai. The next might be exploring cultural identity in Oaxaca or the legacy of conflict in Sarajevo. Learning is hands-on, collaborative, and deeply personal, connecting us to real people, real places, and real purpose wherever we go.

Our educational philosophy is human-centered, striving to be awe-inspiring and tailored to students' individual personal pathways with a strong focus on whole-being and innate potential. We recruit all students into the US Grade 11 level, and they remain with us for the final two years of high school (Grades 11 and 12).

This is a remote position with expected travel less than 25% for school related purposes.

Shaping the Future of TGS Admissions

We are seeking an innovative, highly personable leader with strong commercial acumen and technical savvy to lead the annual enrollment of a small, highly diverse cohort. This Director will lead an ambitious strategy encompassing the recruitment of approximately 15 bravely curious, values-centered students and the subsequent re-enrollment of approximately 15 continuing students annually.

This critical role requires a blend of traditional admissions expertise, sophisticated financial acumen (especially concerning global scholarships), and a pioneering vision for the ethical use of data and AI. The Director holds a dual mandate: overseeing the entire admissions funnel from first inquiry to final offer, and serving as the official Registrar and custodian of all academic records and compliance.

This is a unique opportunity to rethink how TGS identifies and supports future students by reshaping the entire candidate experience from first inquiry through onboarding. You will lead the development of an admissions journey that is transparent, deeply human, and globally accessible, ensuring that every student feels genuinely seen and supported throughout the process.

Position Overview

The Admissions Director is a critical and strategic role responsible for designing, managing, and executing the school's entire global student enrollment and records lifecycle. This includes developing and leading the global recruitment strategy to attract a small, diverse cohort of values-centered students, innovating the admissions assessment process (including implementing ethical AI), and serving as the official Registrar and custodian of all student academic records. The Director ensures all processes are modern, equitable, and compliant, driving enrollment goals while maintaining the highest standards of data integrity and student success alignment.

Key Responsibilities

A. Global Recruitment Strategy and Sourcing

Develop and execute a comprehensive, data-driven global sourcing and partnership strategy to attract a highly diverse cohort of approximately 15 new students annually. The strategy must ensure the cohort reflects TGS's mission by comprising bravely curious, values-centered individuals from across the globe.

• Targeted Outreach & Partnerships: Lead proactive recruitment through high-touch outreach (phone, online meetings, email) with key international partners, including embassies, international education organizations, independent consultants, and strategic educational agents worldwide.
• Market Development: Identify, research, and penetrate new recruitment opportunities, managing key contact information and relationships within CRM systems (e.g., HubSpot, OpenApply).
• Brand Representation: Collaborate with the Marketing Department on communications and digital campaigns, including creating targeted persona development, to effectively promote the school's brand and value proposition in new and existing markets.
• Event Management: Plan and execute targeted admissions events, engage with specific feeder schools, and ensure strong school representation at external conferences and fairs.
• Prospect Management: Act as the primary point of contact for all prospective family, referral source, and organizational correspondence, providing expert information on all TGS topics, including academics, logistics, student life, tuition, and the admissions process.

B. Innovative Admissions Process and Ethical AI Implementation

Strategically manage the entire annual admissions cycle, ensuring a rigorous, ethical, and modern process from initial inquiry through final decision.

• Ethical AI Strategy: Design and implement a transparent, compliant, and ethical AI strategy for admissions, ensuring all models adhere strictly to data protection regulations.
• Assessment Innovation: Lead the revamp of the assessment process by designing project-based and essay assessments that move beyond traditional metrics. These assessments must focus on personal reflection, critical thinking, and unique life experiences to be resistant to AI-generated responses.
• Application Review & Prioritization: Review all applications, utilizing initial data insights (including AI) to identify and prioritize candidates, and conduct initial admissions interviews.
• Process Management: Actively monitor and drive candidate progress through the admissions funnel, ensuring timely review, response, and resolution of all application enquiries and support requests.
• Testing & Notification: Coordinate specialized admissions testing (e.g., VIA and EQ Inventory) and manage the entire notification process, including the communication of acceptances, rejections, and scholarship awards.
• Human-in-the-Loop Oversight: Guarantee "Human-in-the-Loop" Oversight by coordinating faculty interviews that deeply assess a student's character, resilience, and personal fit for a traveling school environment, complementing algorithmic assessments.

C. Enrollment, Financial Acumen, and Re-Enrollment

Manage the critical administrative and financial bridge between admission and secure enrollment, overseeing all scholarship, enrollment, and re-enrollment procedures.

• Final Offer Recommendations: Analyze comprehensive data (diversity goals, geographic representation, financial aid budget) to recommend final scholarship amounts and student offers to Leadership and the Board.
• Scholarship Management: Manage and oversee the financial assessment process for all scholarship applicants (new and continuing), including managing external assessment providers (TADs, BAL/Metis) and conducting flight cost analysis.
• Enrollment Execution: Administer the post-acceptance process, including the execution of official offers, contract issuance, deposit collection, and managing the administrative execution of yearly re-enrollment for continuing students.
• Financial Liaison: Serve as the primary liaison to the Finance Department, providing accurate final enrollment reports detailing total enrollment, finalized scholarship awards, and collected deposits to facilitate tuition payment plan setup.
• Compliance & Audit: Complete an annual review of enrollment forms and processes, ensuring all submitted forms and supporting documents (including medical and notary consents) are legally compliant, timely, and seamlessly integrated into the Student Information System.

D. Registrar and Data-Driven Decision Making

Serve as the official Registrar, the primary custodian of all student records, ensuring data integrity, legal compliance, and supporting institutional decision-making through analytics.

• Data Analytics & Forecasting: Utilize AI and advanced data analytics to rigorously monitor and evaluate admissions procedures, track key conversion rates, and generate accurate enrollment forecasts.
• Records Custodianship: Serve as the primary custodian of all official student records (academic, transcripts, attendance, and disciplinary history), ensuring absolute data integrity and adherence to official record-keeping protocols across all systems.
• Transcript Management: Oversee the full transcript lifecycle, from processing and evaluating incoming transcripts for applicants to compiling, verifying, and submitting official outgoing transcripts for graduating students to universities and external organizations.
• Database Administration: Maintain the school's central database (OpenApply & HubSpot) and coordinate all student record-keeping protocols with internal departments, ensuring accurate, up-to-date processing of contact info changes and document uploads.
• Departure Management: Oversee all aspects of student departure, managing the formal withdrawal process and ensuring confidential and compliant final record-keeping for all departing students.
• Academic Records Integration: Maintain the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) database and serve as the administrative link between the academic team, the student data, and the official records housed within the system.

Required Professional Experience

The ideal candidate would have a senior, multi-faceted background, ideally combining experience from admissions, recruitment, and administrative leadership within a global or independent school setting.

• Bachelor's degree in business, education, or related field.
• Senior Admissions Leadership: 5+ years of progressive experience in admissions, enrollment management, or recruitment, with at least 2-3 years in a Director or Associate Director capacity, preferably within a boarding school, independent school, or international education environment.
• Global Recruitment & Market Development: Proven success in developing and executing global recruitment and partnership strategies to identify and enroll a highly diverse, international student body. Experience with international agents, consultants, and feeder schools is essential. Fluency or professional proficiency in a language other than English is highly desirable.
• Data, Systems, and CRM Mastery: Extensive experience managing and leveraging CRM systems (e.g., HubSpot, OpenApply) for funnel management, data analysis, and forecasting. Experience in using or integrating data analytics and business intelligence to drive enrollment decisions.
• Records and Registry Management: Demonstrated experience serving in a Registrar or similar records management capacity, including the compliant custody, maintenance, and processing of official student academic records, transcripts, and information systems.
• Financial Acumen: Direct experience managing or significantly contributing to the admissions and scholarship budget, including financial aid assessment, tuition forecasting, and working as a liaison with a finance department.
• Compliance and Regulation: Strong working knowledge of regulations and compliance related to student records, data protection (GDPR/Data Privacy), and potentially international student immigration requirements.

Key Competencies

A. Strategic Leadership and Vision

• Strategic Leadership and Vision: The ability to move beyond day-to-day operations to envision and lead an ambitious strategy that achieves targets while maintaining the school's unique ethos.
• Change Management and Innovation: The agility to lead an institution through significant process changes, adopting new technologies like AI, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and excellence.

B. Data Literacy, Technology, and AI Proficiency

• Data Literacy and AI Proficiency: A strong understanding of how to interpret and utilize data from AI and CRM systems to guide decision-making, forecast enrollment trends, and ensure the equitable application of technology.
• Technology Skills:
  • High-level competency with Google Workspace (especially Sheets, Forms, and Calendar).
  • Expertise in managing relationship management programs (e.g., HubSpot, OpenApply, TADS, Metis/BAL, Cialfo).
  • Foundational understanding of AI concepts (e.g., machine learning, NLP) to identify practical applications and communicate effectively with technical teams.

• Ability to analyze conversion funnel metrics to identify gaps, optimize outreach, and improve enrollment outcomes, translating data into clear, actionable insights.

C. Relational and Communication Aptitude

• Intercultural Communication and Empathy: The capacity to communicate persuasively and effectively with diverse nationalities and family backgrounds, acting as a confident ambassador and ensuring a personalized, empathetic experience throughout the admissions journey. The ability to communicate professionally in multiple languages is a strong asset.
• Communication and Interpersonal Aptitude: Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to build meaningful relationships with prospective families, agents, and consultants worldwide.

D. Financial and Commercial Acumen

• Commercial and Financial Acumen: Experience in budgeting, managing complex fee structures, and handling sensitive financial discussions related to scholarship and travel costs.

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