Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, Palo Alto, CA

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

Director of Marketing and Communications

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School is a thriving, pluralistic school community founded in 1990

and situated on a beautiful campus in Palo Alto, California.

This is a 12-months, full time, exempt position, starting in the summer of 2022,

Description:

As the lead marketing strategist and storyteller at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, the

Director of Marketing and Communications will play a critical role in accelerating the growth of

our school.

The Director of Marketing and Communications will be a creative thinker who enjoys finding

compelling ways to share what is unique and special about Hausner with various constituencies,

with a goal of growing enrollment and our donor base, and further strengthening connections

with our larger community.

This newly created position supports the school’s most recent strategic plan. The marketing

director will carry the strategic goal of invigorating both inward and outward facing

communications, and growing key areas for the school, including:

● Enrollment, as we believe that our greatest impact on the world is the quality of our

graduates. Working closely with the admissions team to increase enrollment will be a

key priority in this role.

● Development, as this role will provide critical support to our growing development team,

as we raise funds to provide resources to support new and exciting educational

enrichments as well as to ensure that Hausner is financially accessible to families in our

community.

● Hausner’s profile in our community, with a goal of raising awareness throughout the

Peninsula region of Hausner’s excellence, innovative educational offerings, and the

emphasis we place on nurturing each child’s individual potential.

The Director will lead the Marketing team, which includes a Marketing Manager, and will actively

collaborate with and provide marketing support to other groups in the organization including

Admissions, Development, and the Head of School.

This is a leadership position, which reports directly to the Head of School. There will be

opportunity to work with a Marketing Task Force made up of talented volunteers.

Responsibilities Include:

● Build and implement a comprehensive strategic marketing and communications plan.

● Identify Target Markets and define and profile audience segments.

● Oversee messaging and branding throughout the school, including parent

communications, website, email, social media, print.

● Cultivate relationships with local media and serve as a liaison for all media outlets;

monitor media coverage including social media.

● Collect and review data from media channels including website, emails, and social

media in order to continually refine communications strategy and support data driven

decision making.

● Support admissions, development, and other departments as needed to further the

mission and goals of Hausner.

Qualifications:

● A team player who enjoys collaborating with other departments, as well as with outward

facing constituencies such as parents/alumni/community members.

● Someone who thrives in a dynamic, growth-focused environment, and who is energized

by thinking creatively about messaging and creating impact.

● Ideal candidate will have prior independent school experience and at least five years of

experience in marketing and communications.

● Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications or marketing preferred.

● Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

● Experience in design and/or management of design production.

● Experience in management of video production, website content management and

design, and social media management.

● Experience garnering press coverage, and cultivating relationships with press and

media.

● Technological proficiency in using Google Workspace, Microsoft Suite, Finalsite and

Adobe Suite.

● Must demonstrate discretion and confidentiality.

● Ability to lead and manage multiple creative projects.

● Demonstrate an ability to see the big picture, while maintaining focus on important

details.

● Capacity to develop a strategic marketing plan and identify important target audiences.

● Ability and desire to work with volunteers and lay leaders to achieve Hausner’s goals.

About Us:

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of a nurturing, creative, and dynamic community

of teachers, students, and parents. Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School is an independent,

pluralistic community school with an engaged and motivated student body that participates fully

in both Jewish and secular activities. We maintain outstanding academics and a strong sense of

community while instilling Jewish values and traditions. We teach to the whole child, focusing on

social and emotional growth, academic and critical-thinking skills, as well as a wide array of

enrichment activities. Our philosophy strongly encourages inclusivity and diversity; ethics and

values are infused throughout the TK–8 curriculum.

Hausner is dedicated to professional development. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with

educators at Hausner and beyond. Faculty has leadership opportunities within the school and

participates in professional and curriculum development opportunities throughout the year, both

nationally and abroad. Our benefits and community inspire excellent teacher retention.

Hausner offers competitive salaries. Paid Federal and Jewish Holidays. Paid vacation and sick

time. Benefits may include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b Retirement Plan, Long- and Short-

term Disability, Voluntary Life/Accident Insurance, Work-Life Balance Employee Assistance

Program (EAP), and/or fully paid daily lunch program. Pre-tax payroll deduction also available

for Commuter Checks and Flexible Spending Account.

Other:

This job announcement does not necessarily present an exhaustive or all-inclusive list

of responsibilities, qualifications, physical requirements, or work conditions. The school

reserves the right to supplement, modify, or delete any aspects of this job, including

the position itself, at any time, as it deems advisable.

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are

committed to an inclusive, welcoming community, where all are accepted and are

treated with respect.

Hausner does not unlawfully discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on

the basis of age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability,

religion, veteran status, national, or ethnic origin, or any other basis prohibited by

applicable law.

 Qualified applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume to

employment@hausnerschool.org, including the job title in the subject heading

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School seeks an enthusiastic, articulate, and collaborative

professional with strong interpersonal skills to serve as its Director of Admissions and

Financial Aid. 

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership in managing all of the school’s

recruitment, on-boarding, retention, and tuition assistance processes, working in partnership

with the academic leadership team as well as the Director of Advancement and the Director

of Marketing and Communications. The Director of Admissions will report directly to the

Head of School and will supervise an Admissions and Outreach Associate. This is a 12-

month, exempt, salaried position, with competitive compensation and full benefits. The

preferred start date is in the late spring of 2022.

Established in 1990 as Mid-Peninsula Jewish Day School Jewish Community Day School,

Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School provides a notably warm, joyful, engaging, and values-

based context for the learning and growth of over 300 students in grades TK to 8. The

school is situated on a beautiful campus in Palo Alto, California, with spacious grounds for

play and three modern school buildings. The school’s educational philosophy emphasizes

deep questioning, active exploration, and a strong commitment to moral courage informed

by our complementary curriculum of general and Jewish studies.

Essential Responsibilities: 

Direct all efforts of the school’s Admission Office in a manner that reflects and

communicates a deep understanding of the school’s mission and its distinctive value

proposition. 

Manage the re‐enrollment process for current families including calendaring,

reviewing forms, supervising mailings, and counseling families when necessary.

Research, track, analyze, and forecast data in order to advise the Head of School

and lay leadership and to collaborate with them on the development and

maintenance of a proactive multi-year enrollment plan with measurable goals to

increase the number of students at the school over the next 3-5 years. 

Lead the school’s recruitment of new students strategically, fielding inquiries,

planning Open Houses and other recruitment events, and coordinating and providing

private tours. 

Review and refine, in collaboration with the school’s CFO and a small committee, the

tuition assistance policies and procedures.

Direct the tuition assistance application and allocation process in support of the

school’s commitment to making Hausner an affordable option for as many mission-

committed families as possible

Proactively manage a team of volunteers who serve as ambassadors for the

school, providing ongoing training and support

Manage the application process through its cycle, from inquiry to submission of

materials and onto decisions, ensuring a clear, ethical, and thoughtful process

throughout this cycle, with positive, personalized experiences for all, tailored to the

needs of each family. 

Oversee a warm and welcoming on-boarding process for all new families and

collaborate with administrative colleagues on community-building activities. 

Direct the re-enrollment process with a sustained focus on promoting

retention, including through regular monitoring of possible attrition and coordination

of proactive communication from the school to wavering families. 

Cultivate and sustain positive external relationships that serve Hausner’s recruitment

and retention efforts, including ties with feeder schools, day care centers, current

and alumni families, local Jewish organizations, regional and national associations,

and any other institutions that could be helpful in attracting and retaining mission-

appropriate students. 

Remain current on trends in education, Jewish community life, and approaches to

independent school admissions. 

Prepare analytical reports related to all functions of the Admission Office and

present summaries of these to the Board of Directors at the request of the Head of

School and Board President. 

Collaborate with the Director of Advancement and Director of Marketing and

Communications to design and maintain a mission-driven, multimedia

communications plan that serves the needs of all three offices and conveys in a

consistent fashion the school’s strategic vision, its uniqueness, and its impact. 

Supervise the Admissions and Outreach Associate

Undertake other duties as assigned by the Head of School. 

Qualifications: 

Bachelor’s degree required, with advanced degree preferred 

Minimum five years of experience working in a relevant professional context  

Deep connection to the mission of the school, with clear appreciation for its impact

and compelling ability to express its value proposition to others 

prior experience with or readiness to learn management of all functions of the

Admission office as outlined above. 

Experience working with volunteers 

Familiarity with independent school education and/or Jewish day school education

preferred

Strong verbal and written communication skills 

Strong analytical and decision-making skills

Results-driven capacity to measure success in tangible ways and to adjust

approaches as evolving circumstances require 

Experience with supervising and mentoring direct reports preferred 

Experience in using databases and spreadsheets 

Active engagement in professional learning, including currency with best practices

Receptivity to feedback and strong collaboration skills.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: 

Generally work in standard office or school / classroom conditions and climate

Noise level is usually low to moderate and occasionally high 

May work in varied inclement outside weather conditions during special activities

Required to work some nights and weekends to execute a variety of events.

Regular requirements to talk and hear, stand, walk, sit, and use a keyboard and

video display terminal 

Possible requirements to stoop, kneel, or crouch 

Occasional requirements to lift up to 30 pounds 

The work environment can be stressful at times, involving a wide variety of

challenges, deadlines, and encounters with a diverse array of contacts 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to

perform essential functions 

Other: 

This job announcement does not necessarily present an exhaustive or all-inclusive

list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical requirements, or work conditions. 

The school reserves the right to supplement, modify, or delete any aspects of this

job, including the position itself, at any time, as it deems advisable. 

Interested candidates should apply by sending a cover letter and resume

to employment@hausnerschool.org, including the job title in the subject line.

• Print
• Email