Director of Enrollment and Marketing

Little Learner Children’s Academy seeks an energetic, creative, organized, results-driven Director of Enrollment & Marketing to lead enrollment growth, marketing initiatives, community outreach, social media, and special events across four childcare locations. This individual generates leads, converts inquiries into enrolled families, promotes programs, strengthens community relationships, and increases brand awareness. Experience in childcare operations, enrollment sales, marketing, customer service, and event planning is valued; Illinois DCFS Director qualification is preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Enrollment Management & Tours

• Oversee enrollment activities across all four locations; respond promptly to inquiries.
• Schedule and conduct school tours as needed and ensure timely follow-up.
• Build relationships with prospective families; explain enrollment specials, tuition, subsidy options, and program availability.
• Coordinate with School Directors to maintain accurate classroom openings and availability.
• Maintain a minimum 50% tour-to-enrollment conversion goal and develop enrollment and retention strategies.

CRM Management & Lead Follow-Up

• Maintain accurate CRM records of leads, tours, registrations, and enrollments.
• Complete daily calls, emails, and follow-ups; reengage previously interested families.
• Ensure inquiries are answered and maintain organized pipelines by location.
• Provide weekly enrollment activity and conversion reports.

Social Media & Digital Marketing

• Manage approved Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms.
• Create engaging classroom, teacher, program, and event content.
• Develop campaigns for infant, toddler, preschool, Pre-K, school-age, and summer camp programs.
• Create flyers, advertisements, and promotional materials; coordinate paid campaigns with management approval.
• Monitor engagement and lead generation and maintain consistent branding.

Photography & Video Marketing

• Capture approved photos and videos across all locations. 
• Create school tour videos, short-form Reels, advertisements, and educational activity highlights.
• Edit professional promotional content.
• Verify parent media permissions before use of children’s images or videos and follow privacy, confidentiality, and child safety policies.

Community Outreach & Partnerships

• Build relationships with businesses, schools, libraries, employers, and community organizations.
• Identify outreach opportunities, referral partnerships, fairs, and festivals.
• Distribute approved materials and professionally represent the academy.

Event Planning & Coordination

• Plan enrollment open houses, community events, and promotional activities.
• Support family appreciation events, holiday celebrations, and seasonal programs.
• Coordinate vendors, supplies, schedules, and promotion.
• Track attendance, leads, and resulting enrollments.

Multi-Location Support & Leadership

• Visit all four locations regularly and collaborate with Directors and Educational Directors.
• Guide tour presentation and customer service and reinforce consistent family communication.
• Provide school leadership coverage only when qualified, authorized, and compliant with DCFS requirements.
• Attend corporate meetings, training sessions, and events.

Subsidy, Foster Care & Food Program Knowledge

• Demonstrate working knowledge of Illinois Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), including authorizations, eligibility documentation, parent copayments, and attendance requirements.
• Assist families in understanding subsidy enrollment paperwork and refer eligibility or benefits determinations to the appropriate agency or designated company staff.
• Understand foster care childcare funding, approvals, and enrollment documentation.
• Have familiarity with the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), including enrollment forms, meal participation records, and applicable documentation requirements.
• Coordinate with designated corporate staff to ensure subsidy and food program records are complete, accurate, and submitted through approved processes.
• Maintain confidentiality of family financial and program information; escalate discrepancies promptly.

Parent Retention & Disenrollment Prevention

• Contact parents submitting a two-week disenrollment notice within one business day.
• Call families considering withdrawal to understand their concerns and reasons for leaving.
• Make reasonable efforts to retain families through professional communication, problem-solving, and timely follow-up.
• Collaborate with School Directors and Educational Directors on concerns involving tuition, classroom experiences, staffing, scheduling, and customer service.
• Discuss approved enrollment incentives, alternative schedules, or payment arrangements when appropriate.
• Document retention calls, concerns, actions, and outcomes in the CRM.
• Track withdrawal notices, reasons for leaving, and successful retention efforts by location.
• Provide weekly retention and disenrollment reports to the Owner/CEO and recommend strategies to reduce preventable withdrawals.

Performance Expectations

Enrollment Goals

• Work toward at least 80 full-time equivalent enrollments (FTE) per location.
• Target 2–3 new enrollments per location weekly.
• Maintain at least 50% tour-to-enrollment conversion and improve lead response and follow-up.

Parent Retention Goals

• Contact 100% of families submitting disenrollment notices within one business day.
• Track disenrollment notices, contacted families, and enrollments successfully retained by location.
• Identify recurring reasons for withdrawals and recommend corrective actions.
• Partner with school leadership to reduce preventable disenrollments and improve family satisfaction.

Marketing Goals

• Maintain active social media for all locations and create fresh photo/video content weekly.
• Coordinate monthly community outreach and promote enrollment-focused events.

Reporting

• Submit weekly enrollment and CRM reports covering tours, conversions, registrations, and new enrollments by location.
• Report campaign and social media results; provide monthly event and outreach summaries.
• Recommend improvements to enrollment and marketing results.

Required Qualifications

• Experience in childcare, early childhood education, admissions, enrollment, sales, or marketing.
• Illinois Department of Early Childhood Director Qualified preferred
• Strong customer service, communication, organizational, and multi-location coordination skills.
• Experience with CRM software, social media, video content creation, and event planning. Clickup for task. 
• Working knowledge of childcare subsidy and food program processes, or ability to learn them promptly.
• Reliable transportation and willingness to travel; availability for occasional evening or weekend events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Illinois DCFS Director Qualified; previous Childcare Director or Assistant Director experience.
• Experience with Illinois CCAP, foster care childcare funding, and CACFP food program documentation.
• Knowledge of Illinois DCFS licensing requirements and childcare tuition programs.
• Experience with Procare, Facebook advertising, and digital lead generation.
• Bilingual communication skills.

Work Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, with flexibility for evening or weekend events. Regular travel among all four locations is required.

Success in This Position

Success is measured by enrollment growth, tour conversion, timely CRM follow-up, lead generation, marketing effectiveness, community engagement, accurate coordination of subsidy and food program documentation, and support of all four locations, family retention, timely responses to disenrollment notices, resolution of parent concerns, and reduction of preventable withdrawals across all four locations.

Little Learner Children’s Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.