Director of Family Engagement, Alpha

Santa Barbara families are not followers. They lead.

Alpha is opening a campus in one of California's most discerning, relationship-centric communities. This is not a conventional private school focused on facilities. Students finish their core curriculum in two concentrated hours with AI-driven learning platforms, then dedicate the remainder of each day to developing public speaking ability, critical reasoning, and practical application. Outcomes consistently place students in the nation's top 1%. The approach delivers. The challenge is establishing credibility locally.

From year zero into year one, this is a foundational enrollment leadership position. In Santa Barbara, success depends on building trust within close-knit social networks where reputation accelerates quickly and errors are remembered. You will design selective information sessions, conduct private campus visits, engage families in individual conversations, and intentionally assemble the founding cohort. After enrollment stabilizes and an admissions director is hired, your focus transitions to serving as the campus's principal parent relations leader, maintaining alignment and converting satisfied families into advocates across their circles.

This role requires relationship-building, not transactional enrollment. You must establish credibility with families who have access to any school nationally and who demand substantive responses to rigorous questions about artificial intelligence, technology exposure, and sustained educational impact. A single poorly aligned family can disrupt a 25-student cohort. Strategic selectivity is essential.

If you are prepared to launch something distinguished in a market that values refinement, discretion, and measurable success, this role is available now.

What You Will Be Doing

• Lead the complete enrollment process from initial inquiry through signed enrollment agreement until 25 students are confirmed
• Facilitate curated information sessions and private campus tours that attract mission-aligned families while identifying incompatible candidates
• Establish visibility and credibility through daily face-to-face networking, individual family meetings, and strategic community partnerships throughout Santa Barbara
• Function as the principal family liaison, providing personalized, concierge-grade service
• Articulate and justify Alpha's AI-driven educational model to discerning, questioning parents

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Maintaining standard business hours; early mornings, afternoons, and occasional evenings are necessary
• Depending on an extensive admissions or marketing staff to generate leads
• Enrolling every applicant to meet numerical targets; preserving cohort integrity outweighs enrollment volume
• Remaining office-based; this position demands regular presence within the community

Director Of Family Engagement Key Responsibilities Recruit and enroll a founding cohort of 25 students in Santa Barbara, then develop parent commitment and advocacy to sustain long-term, referral-driven expansion.

Basic Requirements

• Currently reside within commuting range of Santa Barbara or able to relocate within 60 days
• Authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship
• 5+ years of professional experience delivering consultative sales or premium client experience services to high-net-worth individuals (examples: private school admissions, luxury hospitality, philanthropy, premium services)
• Proven track record managing a sales or enrollment pipeline with measurable conversion outcomes
• Executive-level communication ability and presence appropriate for affluent, well-educated families
• Self-directed entrepreneurial mindset, capable of working autonomously in a startup campus setting
• Strong belief in AI-powered education and ability to address parental concerns regarding screen exposure and non-conventional learning approaches
• Flexibility to work early mornings (7–9am), late afternoons (2–4pm), evening programming (2–3x monthly), and periodic weekend engagements

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Existing personal or professional networks in the Santa Barbara or Montecito area
• Prior leadership experience in private or independent school admissions
• Professional history in luxury real estate, development work, or major donor fundraising
• Previous involvement with startup ventures or early-stage organizations
• Experience organizing premium events or building strategic community relationships

About Alpha Want to join a learning rebellion that’s transforming the traditional classroom? Alpha School is on a mission to reshape education with a bold approach that harnesses AI to accelerate learning and unleash student potential.

They don’t play by the old rules. Alpha is creating a new paradigm where students master core academics in just two hours a day, freeing up time for hands-on, passion-driven learning that truly prepares them for the real world.

Alpha School is rewriting the rules of education. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. There is so much to cover for this exciting role, and space here is limited. Hit the Apply button if you found this interesting and want to learn more. We look forward to meeting you!

Working with us This is a full-time (40 hours per week), long-term position. The position is immediately available and requires entering into an independent contractor agreement with Crossover as a Contractor of Record. The compensation level for this role is $100 USD/hour, which equates to $200,000 USD/year assuming 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year. The payment period is weekly. Consult www.crossover.com/help\-and\-faqs for more details on this topic.

Crossover Job Code: LJ-5744-US-SantaBar-DirectorofFami1.007