Assistant Director of College Success

At the Simon Scholars Program, we’re dedicated to guiding our scholars with leadership potential on a career-focused pathway. Our commitment goes beyond providing a $16,000 need-based scholarship; we focus on holistic development through high school and college, enhancing their opportunities to achieve meaningful careers.

The Assistant Director of College Success (ADCS) must have expert knowledge in college retention and persistence; experience and commitment to working with students within the higher education context, and a deep understanding of the experiences of low-income and first-generation college student populations.

The Assistant Director will be committed to leading a team that can provide the highest quality of service to students and will be able to support the growth and development of staff. They will lead Simon Scholars’ work to help students successfully persist through their bachelor’s degree program and be prepared for their post-baccalaureate future. The ADCS will also prioritize creating and stewarding partnerships with college student service offices (i.e. Financial Aid, EOP) and universities for the benefit of our Scholars.

Reporting to the Director of Program Operations, the ADCS will drive the continuous improvement of all College Success initiatives, ensuring effective programming that is informed by best practices.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the College Success team, and ensure students consistently receive the highest quality of services
• Responsible for the hiring, management, and talent development of their team, ensuring they are equipped to reach ambitious goals
• Work with the Director of Program Operations to create a long-term vision for growth
• Track and analyze data through the case management system to design effective interventions based on student needs
• Evaluate National Student Clearinghouse reports to track scholar outcomes
• Implement and support an organizational family engagement strategy that supports student success through college graduation
• Implement and support an organizational scholar engagement strategy that supports college retention, college success, college degree completion, and post-baccalaureate preparation
• Prepare and present program proposals on an annual basis to Senior Leadership for approval
• Develop systems and tools that are communicated to all team members in monitoring staff progress in meeting organizational goals
• Possess and develop expertise in retention methods for all students to inform the team on developing theories and best practices, including tiered outreach and tiered systems of support that include students, families, and community stakeholders
• Lead the annual funding request process for all college scholars, ensuring that the students and staff have all the tools they need to facilitate this process and that the CRM system is updated to launch this process for dissemination and review
• Develop and execute new program systems, protocols, and practices that benefit student success, the Simon Scholars team, and the program
• Be proficient in all aspects of the student college persistence process including, but not limited to: enrollment support, referral to campus resources, and career development
• Develop, sustain, and grow partnerships with colleges and institutions of higher education throughout the United States in support of Simon Scholar college scholars’ persistence, retention, and graduation at their respective college campuses and in alignment with organizational goals and growth
• Work with the Director of Program Operations to produce professional development activities that will supplement school-year programming for all college success programming staff
• Deliver program data reports to evaluate program effectiveness
• Represent Simon Scholars at community meetings, task forces, and conferences
• Support organization-wide cross-departmental activities as needed (e.g. college tours, overnight experiences)
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor's degree required, Master’s degree preferred in higher education, student affairs, college student personnel, or related field
• At least 5 years of prior experience working in roles that relate to college retention and persistence required on a non-profit college/university campus
• Minimum of three years of experience managing a team
• Expertise in college success and retention, particularly as it relates to first-generation, low-income, and students of color
• Proficiency in all aspects of the student enrollment and financial aid process, including, but not limited to, retention/student success initiatives, major selection, leadership development, and career development
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead presentations and workshops
• Highly skilled relationship-builder who can build trusting relationships with colleagues, students, families, college/university faculty and staff, and community stakeholders/partners
• Goal-oriented, motivated by impact and results
• An entrepreneurial attitude and focus on continuous improvement and innovation
• Ability to leverage technology to provide remote support to students and the Simon Scholars team
• Excellent people management skills, and ability to coach and develop a team toward ambitious goals
• Excellent workflow management skills and the ability to evaluate outcomes and make data-informed decisions
• A track record of skillful program planning, implementation, and management, including work plan and budget development
• Working knowledge of Zoom, Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Hangouts, Google Classroom, Google Docs, Sheets etc.), Canva, and CRM database (Salesforce experience desired)
• Flexible hours/evenings/weekends and overnights as needed for SSP events
• Ability to travel to local counties (conferences, campus visits, events, etc.)
• Reliable transportation to Orange County, LA County, Riverside County, and San Diego County
• Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer or participating in meetings
• Livescan and pre-employment screening clearance

Compensation/Benefits

• Employer-sponsored benefits: health insurance (medical, dental, and vision)
• 401k with company match (after two months of employment)
• Allowance for work-related travel (upon completion of 90-day probationary period)
• Allowance for electronics
• Professional development opportunities, staff retreat, and team outings
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick time
• Hybrid Model of both in-person and remote work

Company's website: https://simonscholars.org/

Job Type: Full-time, Exempt

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed