Director of External Relations, Alpha - $400,000/year USD
About the role
Families often come to Alpha through recommendations from people they trust. You will lead the regional relationships that support this growth, connect families and create opportunities for students. You will design and host gatherings, from eight-person dinners to 150-person open houses; develop a network of parent ambassadors; and build relationships with public officials and business leaders. Through Alpha Networks, you will arrange introductions, expert masterclasses and internships, and welcome graduating families into the alumni community. You will develop, document and improve the region’s working methods while delivering its programs, sharing effective practices with colleagues in other cities. Success will be measured by the share of enrollment growth generated through personal referrals over several years. The number of introductions and opportunities created per family must also increase as enrollment grows. A degree is not required for every candidate, but your background must include at least one of the academic, professional or civic qualifications listed below. You also need a record of bringing people together and producing tangible results through those relationships. The role is on site in Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas or New York City. It requires regular local travel and hosting commitments on weekday evenings and weekends.
Responsibilities
- Plan and deliver several gatherings each month, including open events, dinners organized by city and grade, and family retreats, within budget.
- Secure venues, hosts and vendors, and personally host events.
- Recruit current parents as ambassadors, help them share their experiences, and match them with prospective families, including those attending school tours.
- Build relationships with public officials and business executives to secure venues, support for new campus openings and opportunities for students.
- Connect enrolled families with parent circles and students with mentors, masterclasses and practical internships.
- Welcome graduating families into the alumni community within 30 days of graduation.
- Record every gathering and introduction, and how each family first heard about Alpha, in the CRM system.
- Maintain accurate records of the introductions and opportunities created for each family.
- Make personal referrals the source of the majority of enrollment growth in your region.
What you won’t be doing:
- Manage paid advertising or work to targets for impressions or lead volume.
- Lead brand communications or central marketing campaigns; these are Marketing’s responsibility.
- Process admissions, conduct tours or manage enrollment paperwork; these are the responsibilities of Admissions and Family Success.
- Run daily campus operations or manage the opening of physical premises.
- Treat attendance figures alone as evidence of success.
- Rely on a completed operating manual, templates or support staff to begin work.