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-drivenprogram 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 p