Enrollment & Retention Specialist

Ombudsman Educational Services, a growing, dynamic organization with a social mission to offer hope, is seeking an Enrollment & Retention Specialist to join our award-winning Alternative Education team and perform meaningful work in a culture that welcomes innovation, encourages creative expression and offers limitless potential for personal and professional satisfaction!

If you thrive on building relationships, engaging communities, meeting enrollment goals, and helping students stay connected to a path forward, bring a problem-solving mindset, strong follow-through, a sense of humor, and a genuine passion for student success — We Should Talk! 📲

As an Enrollment & Retention Specialist, you will play a key role in student recruitment, enrollment, engagement, and retention across assigned Ombudsman locations. This position develops and implements outreach strategies to support enrollment goals while building strong relationships with students, families, community partners, local school districts, and neighborhood organizations. The Enrollment & Retention Specialist serves as a trusted connector to diverse communities, guiding prospective students and families through the enrollment process, conducting enrollment meetings, completing required documentation, and ensuring all timelines and procedures are followed.

• →Developing innovative outreach strategies that increase prospective student interest, strengthen enrollment pipelines, and support assigned school recruitment goals.
• →Participating in school functions, student celebrations, open houses, family engagement activities, school events, and community events to promote program awareness and drive recruitment.
• →Demonstrating comprehensive knowledge of admissions processes, program offerings, curriculum pathways, department functions, and applicable state graduation requirements.
• →Conducting proactive outreach to prospective students and families through in-person visits, phone calls, emails, home visits, and other engagement methods to support enrollment progression.
• →Maintaining accurate databases of interested students and families to support timely follow-up, direct mail campaigns, email communication, and ongoing recruitment activity.
• →Collaborating with program leadership to promote new and ongoing initiatives that strengthen student recruitment, enrollment, engagement, and retention.
• →Creating a strong network of prospective student referrals through relationships with alumni, parents, faculty, current students, community partners, and local stakeholders.
• →Managing the enrollment process by monitoring online inquiries, responding promptly to prospective families, and ensuring applicants receive clear guidance throughout the process.
• →Coordinating waitlist activity while ensuring compliance with Arizona Charter enrollment requirements and applicable organizational procedures.
• →Monitoring student attendance, behavior, and academic progress to identify students who may need additional support, intervention, or re-engagement.
• →Providing targeted support and interventions for struggling students in partnership with instructional teams, center staff, families, and community-based resources.
• →Partnering with community-based providers and administrative staff to develop and implement programs that promote academic progress, social development, and student achievement.
• →Promoting family and community engagement by supporting policies, programs, outreach activities, and events that strengthen student and family connection.
• →Representing the organization at community meetings, outreach events, and partnership opportunities while building positive relationships with external stakeholders.
• →Cultivating relationships with key community contacts, referral sources, school districts, and organizations to expand program visibility and generate student referrals.
• →Identifying wraparound service providers in the community and connecting students and families with appropriate referrals and resources.
• →Collaborating with internal teams to reinforce community engagement strategies and align outreach efforts with broader organizational priorities.
• →Increasing community awareness through communications, admissions events, open houses, referral partnerships, and other strategic outreach efforts.
• →Ensuring enrollment targets are met or exceeded for each count day at assigned school locations.
• →Establishing at least two strategic community, school district, or referral partnerships within the designated timeframe to support recruitment and retention goals.
• →Supporting schoolwide retention and truancy-reduction efforts by helping students remain engaged, connected, and on track with attendance and academic expectations.
• →Achieving attendance, enrollment, and retention targets as established in the school performance management plan.
• →Tracking recruitment, enrollment, outreach, and retention data accurately to evaluate progress and inform continuous improvement.
• →Reporting recruitment and enrollment activity in a timely manner to support leadership visibility, compliance requirements, and performance accountability.

• High school diploma or equivalent with passage of basic skills test.
• Associates degree or higher in a related field of study preferred.
• Hold currently or have the ability to obtain a valid AZ state fingerprint clearance card.
• Hold currently or have the ability to obtain a valid AZ state drivers license preferred.
• Prior experience working in an education and/or related marketing/business field preferred.
• Prior experience and/or knowledge in alternative educational services for at-risk students and working with students with diverse needs at various levels.
• Prior experience and/or highly proficient in reading, writing, analyzing and interpreting detailed reports and business correspondence.
• History of success building credibility, effectively managing multiple projects and collaborating effectively across all organizational levels.
• Proven ability to manage complex and/or sensitive information, maintaining confidentiality and objectivity.
• Proficiency in the development of successful marketing, public relations, sales, and/or school enrollment initiatives.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of staff members, students, parents, and the public.
• Advanced oral and written communication, organization, conflict resolution, multitasking, problem solving, and decision-making ability.
• Well-versed in the use of relevant technology including experience with computers, Microsoft Office Suite, database entry and basic office equipment.

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