Director of Scholar Recruitment

Location : This is a remote position with preference for candidates to be in Chicago, Los Angeles or NYC. This role requires national travel. Employment Type : Full-time, Exempt Salary Range: $97,600 - $107,360 Benefits : High-quality health and dental insurance, paid vacation, employer-matched retirement plan The Organization At Thrive Scholars, we provide high-achieving students from under-resourced communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers. Our comprehensive and data-driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars (“SCS”) twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally; reaching more high-achieving students from under-resourced communities, growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact. Thrive Scholars has begun to grow its footprint with new summer program offerings in three additional cities. The organization has approximately 65 year-round employees and close to 200 summer employees. The Program: Scholar Recruitment Our Recruitment Team aims to select and yield a talented, mission-aligned, and diverse cohort of scholars from all across the country for Thrive’s Six-Year Program. This dynamic team oversees all aspects of the stewardship, selection, and enrollment processes for Thrive Scholars, regularly collaborating with communities and schools, Program Directors, and Development teams. The Position: Thrive Scholars seeks a strategic, results-oriented, and relationship-driven Director of Scholar Recruitment to ensure that each year, high-achieving students across the country join the Thrive Scholars community. The Director of Scholar Recruitment is responsible for setting the vision and strategic direction of our recruitment function—designing the systems, processes, and partnerships that drive scholar growth across all of Thrive’s programs. This is a leadership role that demands a builder’s mindset, a commitment to data-informed decision-making, and the ability to lead and develop a high-performing team. This position reports to the Chief Operations Officer. The Director of Scholar Recruitment can work remotely anywhere in the United States, with preference for candidates located in one of Thrive Scholars’ largest regional markets (Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City). Key Responsibilities: Recruitment Strategy and Leadership (40%) Design, own, and continuously refine a comprehensive, data-informed Scholar recruitment strategy that aligns with Thrive’s organizational priorities and supports growth of the Six-Year Program. Set annual recruitment goals and establish leading indicators and dashboards to monitor progress throughout the cycle; conduct a rigorous end-of-cycle analysis to evaluate efficacy and drive continuous improvement. Build and own the systems, workflows, and processes that govern the Scholar recruitment and application experience—ensuring clarity, consistency, and scalability as Thrive grows into new markets. Design the applicant communication and stewardship strategy, including the sequencing and framing of outreach to prospective and applied students, to maximize both application completion and yield of accepted scholars. Develop and lead Thrive’s recruitment partnership strategy—identifying, cultivating, and stewarding relationships with high schools, school districts, community-based organizations, and other partners in both existing and emerging markets—with a focus on building recurring, sustainable student pipelines. Own the Scholar Recruitment budget; make budgetary recommendations based on resource needs and strategic priorities, and ensure responsible cost management. Stay current on trends in student recruitment, college access, and the broader competitive landscape; bring external perspectives to inform internal strategy. Team Leadership and Development (30%) Hire, onboard, coach, manage performance, and develop talent on the Recruitment team, fostering a culture of accountability, ambition, and continuous growth. Provide ongoing coaching and direction to Recruitment staff on data-informed outreach, yield strategies, and partnership development—ensuring all team members are equipped to meet ambitious goals. Promote ongoing learning and development by identifying team areas for growth and implementing appropriate strategies in collaboration with relevant organizational leaders. Foster a positive team culture by connecting tasks to mission impact and cultivating an environment of dialogue, feedback, and shared success. Admissions Process Design and Oversight (20%) Own the design and strategic framework for the Scholar application and selection process across all programs, in collaboration with program directors and the Associate Director of Admissions and Enrollment. Establish evaluation rubrics, selection criteria, and quality standards for the admissions process; ensure consistent, equitable, and high-quality evaluation at scale. Partner with the Associate Director of Admissions and Enrollment, who manages the day-to-day execution and operational administration of these systems, to ensure seamless handoff from strategy to implementation. Collaborate with the Operations team to ensure recruitment and admissions data is tracked, reported, and used to drive decisions. Cultivate relationships with university admissions offices and other external partners relevant to scholar recruitment and enrollment. Cross-Program Collaboration and Organizational Initiatives (10%) Partner with program directors across College Access, College Success, Summer Academy, and Career Development to ensure recruitment strategy is integrated with broader program goals and scholar experience. Ensure that recruitment approaches are culturally responsive and effective in reaching scholars of diverse identities and backgrounds. Support cross-departmental and organization-wide events and initiatives, including Summer Academy. Qualifications and Experience: There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box. If you believe you can meet the expectations and responsibilities of this position, we want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. Bachelor’s degree required. 8+ years of experience in student recruitment, college admissions, or a related field in a nonprofit or educational setting. 3+ years of direct people management experience, with a demonstrated track record of leading teams toward ambitious goals. Proven ability to design and own complex recruitment or admissions strategies, build systems from the ground up, and adapt to evolving organizational needs. Strong analytical skills and experience using data, dashboards, and leading indicators to set strategy and evaluate outcomes. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead large group presentations and workshops for diverse audiences. Highly skilled relationship-builder with experience cultivating partnerships with high school counselors, community-based organizations, and other external partners. Proficiency with CRM systems required; Salesforce preferred. Alignment to Thrive’s mission and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the work. Entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation. Travel Expectations: The Director of Scholar Recruitment can be based anywhere in the United States, with preference for candidates located in Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City. This role requires national travel throughout the recruitment season (approximately September–December), as well as travel to organizational events and partner engagements throughout the year (approximately 6 trips annually). The Director will also be expected to attend and support Summer Academy. Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. Knowing their importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org