Who We Are

Penland School of Craft is an international center for craft education offering residential workshops, residencies, community education programs, and exhibitions. Located on 420 acres in the NC Mountains, Penland has 16 teaching studios and 57 historic and contemporary buildings. We are an equal opportunity employer with a staff of 70. Penland operates with a $44 million endowment and an annual operating budget of $6 million. We are located about an hour northeast of Asheville, NC. Our mission supports individual and artistic growth through creative practice and discovery.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

We believe that equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to fulfilling our mission. We want to inspire and nurture the human spirit, and we value the perspectives and contributions of all people. We want the Penland experience to include varied ideas, world views, and personal characteristics. Penland is committed to being a community that welcomes and respects everyone regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, race, religion, philosophical or political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, geographic origin, and socioeconomic status. We are committed to providing an environment free of discrimination.

Position Summary

Position Summary
The Registrar and Student Affairs Manager is responsible for managing all registration and student affairs services. The position manages the registration process, including enrollment and student communications before and during their Penland experiences.  They work closely with various departments to ensure effective planning and marketing, a diverse student population, and a high standard of customer service.  Additionally, they develop and monitor the registration budget, maintain updated processes and policies and provide department and school-wide reporting data. This position reports to the director of operations and is a full-time, benefits-eligible, exempt position. The position supervises a registrar assistant and the main office administrator.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversees registration of students for all scheduled programs while working with staff to ensure good communication and smooth flow of the registration process. This includes managing waitlist processes to maximize student enrollment.
• Works with registrar assistant and accounting assistant to record tuition payments.
• In consultation with the operations director, develops and updates operational registration procedures.
• Assigns housing and ensures student housing assignments maximize earned revenue while meeting student/instructor needs, emphasizing accessibility compliance.
• Coordinates the review process for scholarship, work/study students, and studio assistants.
• Develops registration schedules and procedures in consultation with others on staff, defining class sizes, enrollment criteria, policies, and other details affecting registration.
• Collaborates with key constituents on the registration software to ensure a user-friendly platform.
• Prepares information for catalogs, grant applications, budgets, and other reporting as needed/requested.
• Maintains and provides timely registration statistical information, including tuition, room, and board data for statistical analysis and reporting.
• Works with the communications director and programs to ensure appropriate and effective marketing.
• Delegates appropriate tasks to the registrar assistant and main office administrator to ensure a high level of service through the registration process.
• Manages college credit, the Partners Program, and instructor/student correspondence.
• Responds to student questions or concerns as they arise, troubleshoots with other staff as appropriate to ensure the smooth handling of student experiences, ensures that school policies are followed.
• Develops and monitors the registration operating budget under the direction of the operations director and the finance director.
• Monitors tuition, room, and board budget and maintains database information used for budget revenue projections.
• Directs the activities of the office administrator to ensure smooth internal operations and maximize student/instructor support.
• Ensures that there is adequate administrative support to all school departments as requested and necessary.
• Conducts annual performance evaluations of team.
• Provides support to the activities surrounding the Annual Benefit Auction as requested.
• Schedules and leads a bi-weekly communication meeting to ensure smooth communications and adequate planning for school events and activities.
• Performs additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A general understanding of the field of Craft.
• At least three years of relevant experience in a non-profit or school environment.
• Prior experience with managing a small team.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills in keeping with Penland’s commitment to generosity.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and be willing to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
• Ability to work independently, proactively, and also collaboratively.
• Must have a good sense of humor, hands-on philosophy and a problem-solver.
• Organizational and task management skills are required; prior experience with budget and project management is desirable.
• Experience and technical fluency with various software applications, including Microsoft Word and Excel, G Suite, and student enrollment databases.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and to work at a computer. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, touch objects, tools, or controls, and talk fluently and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and to walk. The employee must occasionally lift and move objects weighing up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Compensation

This is a full-time, year-round, benefits-eligible position.  The starting wage for this exempt position is  $41,600 and negotiable based on the applicant’s skills and experience they bring to the position. Employees at Penland enjoy competitive pay, attractive benefits, and a lively, creative work environment.

To Apply

The position will remain open until filled. Send cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three references, addressing relevant experience and interest in the position to Alyse Ostreicher, Human Resources Manager, employment@penland.org. Please include Registrar as the subject of your email.

We look forward to hearing from you!