About Us

The Fessenden School, in West Newton, MA, is an all-boys independent day and boarding school serving 525 students from Pre-K to Grade 9. The School seeks to employ individuals who will share our commitment to supporting The Fessenden School's mission to cultivate each boy's talents and develop in balance his character, mind, and body in an inclusive and joyful community. For over 100 years we have been committed to the education of boys, and our facilities, curriculum, and programs are designed with the necessities of boys in mind.

Position Summary

The Director of Parent Engagement and Events is a member of the Office of Institutional Advancement team and is responsible for events, programs, and initiatives that strengthen Fessenden's relationship with its primary constituency, parents while working to increase engagement with other constituencies, including Alumni, Grandparents, and Parents of Alumni. Partnering with the Advancement office, this position will provide expertise and direction in supporting the goals and mission of academic and administrative departments in the hands-on planning and execution of small- and large-scale on-campus school events. The Director of Parent Engagement and Events will also serve as the liaison between the school and the Parents Association' (PA) working closely with PA leadership, committee, and event chairs. The Director of Parent Engagement and Events will think strategically about how to engage the experiences of the Schools' constituencies and will work collaboratively to execute those ideas and initiatives. This position reports to the Director of Institutional Advancement and works collaboratively with all members of the Department of Institutional Advancement.

Major Functions and Responsibilities

Event Planning

• Oversee, coordinate and manage with assistance, all Advancement and Parents Association events, including but not limited to: Head of School Welcome Reception, Boarding Family Reception, Under the Lights event, Grandparents & Grandfriends Day, Day of Giving, Trustee events, Red & Gray Society Reception, and cultivation and special events.
• Serve as a liaison between event sponsors, organizers, contractors and vendors, and School administrators to ensure events align with the identified goals, institutional mission, priorities, and relevant policies.
• Set, communicate, manage, and meet timelines, calendars, and detailed plans for successful events including identifying and defining goals and metrics, and event budgets.
• Continually assess goals and effectiveness of events and identify new opportunities that help us reach our goals each year related to constituent engagement.

Parent Relations

• Act as the primary liaison for the Parents Association President and Executive Committee to recruit and retain parent volunteers in an effort to help parents feel connected to our school.
• Collaborate with Division Heads and school administrators to determine volunteer needs.

• Partnering with colleagues to continually assess, through the perspective of our current parents, the effectiveness of policies and programming.
• Coordinate and support the Parents Association events and meetings
• Provide feedback to the Head of School, Assistant Head, and Division Heads to ensure seamless day-to-day communication with our parents.

General Operations

• Manage external vendors related to events, stewardship, etc.
• Monitor the stewardship and events budgets

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience in hospitality, events management or similar work-related industry
• Proven experience engaging, managing and motivating staff and volunteers
• Ability to organize and prioritize work, and manage multiple projects with tight deadlines concurrently
• Excellent written and interpersonal skills including confidence and tact to manage multiple constituencies appropriately
• Demonstrable planning, administrative, organizational, and budget skills
• Initiative and the ability to work both independently and as a part of a team
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity
• Ability to serve in a diverse community of colleagues and parents
• Expected to model and encourage an atmosphere in keeping with goals and mission of The Fessenden School
• Flexibility to attend evening and/or weekend events
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination
• Successful criminal background check

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years related experience
• Bachelor's Degree
• Proficiency in GoogleApps and Blackbaud software
• Interest in boarding school culture and willingness to be a part of a close-knit community

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. The requirements for performing the duties of this position are as follows:

• Frequent talking, listening and sitting for long periods of time in a typical office space
• During events standing, reaching, kneeling, and pushing or lifting objects may be necessary
• The ability to perform multiple concurrent tasks and function in a fast-paced working environment

To Apply

Submit an application through Fessenden's Career Site. Please include a resume and cover letter.