Senior Director of Parent Experience, Alpha - $200,000/year USD

Santa Barbara families don't chase trends—they create them.

Alpha is opening a campus in one of California's most discerning, relationship-centric communities. This is not a conventional private school competing on facilities or amenities. Students complete their core academic work in two concentrated hours using AI-driven learning platforms, then dedicate the remainder of each day to developing public speaking ability, critical reasoning, and practical execution skills. Outcomes consistently place participants in the top 1% nationally. The model is proven. The challenge is establishing trust in this market.

From year zero through year one, this role centers on enrollment leadership built entirely from the ground up. In Santa Barbara, that requires earning credibility within close-knit social networks where reputation is cumulative and errors are remembered. You will design intimate information sessions, facilitate private campus visits, conduct individual family meetings, and intentionally assemble the founding cohort. After enrollment stabilizes and an admissions director is onboarded, you transition into the campus's lead parent relations executive, maintaining alignment and converting satisfied families into advocates who expand reach through their own circles.

This is not volume-driven sales. It is relationship cultivation at an elevated standard. You must hold credibility with families who have access to every elite school in the nation and who demand substantive responses to challenging questions about AI integration, screen exposure, and educational trajectories. A single poorly aligned family can disrupt a cohort of 25 students. Strategic selectivity is essential.

If you are prepared to establish something exceptional in a community that values sophistication, discretion, and measurable outcomes, this is the role.

What You Will Be Doing

• Lead the complete enrollment process from initial inquiry through signed enrollment contract until a cohort of 25 students is confirmed
• Design and facilitate tailored information sessions and private tours that engage well-matched families while filtering out misaligned candidates
• Develop credibility and visibility through consistent in-person engagement, one-on-one meetings, and strategic community alliances throughout Santa Barbara
• Function as the principal liaison for prospective and enrolled families, providing personalized, white-glove service
• Communicate and justify Alpha's AI-integrated educational approach to discerning, skeptical parents with clarity and confidence

What You Won’t Be Doing

• Maintaining standard office hours; the role demands flexibility across mornings, afternoons, and periodic evenings
• Depending on a sizable admissions infrastructure or marketing department to generate leads
• Enrolling every applicant to meet a quota; safeguarding cohort integrity outweighs enrollment volume
• Operating from behind a desk; regular physical presence in the community is non-negotiable

Senior Director Of Parent Experience Key Responsibilities Recruit and enroll a founding cohort of 25 students for the Santa Barbara campus, then nurture ongoing parent engagement and advocacy to sustain referral-driven growth over time.

Basic Requirements

• Currently reside within commuting range of Santa Barbara or prepared to relocate within 60 days
• Authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship
• At least 5 years of professional experience serving high-net-worth clientele in consultative sales or premium client experience capacities (examples: private school admissions, luxury hospitality, philanthropic advising, etc.)
• Proven track record managing a sales or enrollment pipeline with measurable conversion outcomes
• Executive-level presence and communication abilities appropriate for affluent, well-educated audiences
• Self-motivated entrepreneurial mindset capable of thriving with minimal structure in a startup campus setting
• Strong belief in AI-enhanced education and readiness to address parent concerns regarding screen time and unconventional teaching models
• Open schedule availability including early mornings (7–9am), late afternoons (2–4pm), evening programming (2–3 times monthly), and occasional weekend commitments

Nice-to-have Requirements

• Pre-existing personal or professional networks in Santa Barbara or Montecito
• Prior leadership experience in private or independent school admissions
• Professional history in luxury real estate, development sectors, or major donor cultivation
• Direct involvement with startup ventures or early-stage organizations
• Demonstrated ability planning premium events or building strategic community partnerships

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-SeniorDirector.004