Postsecondary Success Advisor (East Bay)
Description
Position Summary
KIPP Public School’s KIPP Forward team is looking for a full time (1.0 FTE) Postsecondary Success Advisor to work closely with KIPP NorCal alumni to prepare them for college, career and beyond. The KIPP Forward department supports alumni of KIPP Public Schools Northern California to and through postsecondary pathways, including college, vocational programs, and/or career. The Postsecondary Success Advisor provides support and counseling to KIPPsters graduating from high school (focusing on the transition to postsecondary pathways) and continuing this support through their postsecondary pathway (focusing on persistence, completion, and career readiness).
This role will be based out of the Regional Support Office in Oakland and will require the candidate to be on site at least 2-3 days a week, typically to a KIPP local high school, local college campus, or in the Regional Support Office. A two-year commitment is strongly preferred to work with the same cohort of students for two years in a row. The Postsecondary Success Advisor will report to the Postsecondary and Career Success Manager.
The ideal candidate for this position will have a deep passion for social justice and educational equity for all children, and has a background in college advising, project management skills, strong follow through and attention to detail, as well as outstanding written and verbal communication skills. They must have a demonstrated interest in serving low-income students and are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to support our students to and through college.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience & Education:
- Passion for KIPP’s mission and values
- 2+ years of full-time related experience
- Ability to use assets-based counseling and support for students in identifying their strengths, talents and interests as they prepare for young adulthood
- Familiarity in using data to drive decision-making
- Experience managing projects and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders
- Bachelor’s Degree in education, counseling, youth development or have equivalent experience
- Ability to speak Spanish or Vietnamese is desirable
Knowledge/skills required:
- Positivity, optimism and a solutions-oriented mindset
- Practice healthy communication and embrace productive conflict to form trusting relationships, to collaborate, offer feedback and guidance, and to motivate and inspire others.
- Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP Public Schools’ mission and values
- Commitment to working with educationally underserved students and families from historically marginalized communities that have been systematically underserved
- Commitment to continuously learning how to lead for equity to ensure students and teammates thrive
- Extreme flexibility, strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate joining a growing and constantly improving team
- Self-starter, comfortable in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
- An achievement orientation: self-directed and results-oriented, demonstrating initiative and follow-through and ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Ability to self-direct and prioritize among competing goals and to initiate process improvements
- Goal-oriented, with strong initiative and creative problem-solving skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, counselors, parents, students, and administration teams
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills
- Strong working knowledge in all Google Suite [Sheets, Drive, Docs, Slides, Calendar, Gmail]
- College advising knowledge including: the community college transfer process, course registration at an institution of higher education, the financial aid application process [FAFSA/CADAA], retention programs at UC and CSU institutions, etc.
Primary Responsibilities Include (but not limited to)
Alumni Support
- Manage a caseload of approximately 120 college/postsecondary students, starting second semester of senior year in high school to support the transition from high school to postsecondary pathway
- Provide advising and coaching services focused on college persistence, the transfer process, college completion, and career readiness
- Support alumni in understanding/maintaining/improving college financial aid packages
- Provide alumni with consistent information on college scholarships, internships, and organizations focused on college persistence and completion
- Support planning and facilitating activities that support 12th grade students at one of our KIPP High Schools in preparation for their transition to their postsecondary program
- Provide KIPP Forward with feedback regarding academic rigor, school culture, and counseling services of the various colleges alumni attend
Tracking Data
- Track and analyze student data [contact information, financial aid, internships, etc.] using the Alumni Services database
- Support KIPP Forward data collection and entry
- Leverage quantitative and qualitative data to proactively track and report on program outcomes, identify areas of success as needed to respond to those areas that need improvement
Cross-team collaboration and Operations Support
- Collaborate with Postsecondary Success Team, Directors of College and Career Counseling, and College and Career Seminar teachers to plan for and execute Strong Transition for 12th grade students attending a (or several) KIPP High School(s)
- Collaborate with Associate Directors (ADs) to lead goal setting process for caseload enrollment
- Supporting ADs by ensuring high-quality program design and implementation that promotes an impactful alumni experience as the program grows
- Share and collaborate with other members of the Postsecondary Success Team around advising best practices and strategies
- Lead the navigation of alumni complex support needs or program challenges, communicating with Director and AD when appropriate
- Support and collaborate with Postsecondary and Career Success Team with event planning logistics, resource sharing, and recruitment for alumni career and/or college events
- Occasionally support the planning and execution of alumni projects with team support, as needed
College Partnership Support and Management
- Develop and maintain contacts at local colleges and universities in order to provide outstanding alumni support and potential alumni clustering
KIPP Forward Participation
- Attend and participate in virtual KIPP Foundation Communities of Practice and trainings
- Attend and participate in all KIPP Forward team meetings, including Postsecondary Team Meetings, Persistence Professional Development, Regional Support Office team meetings
- Respond to emails, calls and texts from staff within 24 hours during work week
- Maintain current student information in the Alumni Database [Salesforce, KIPP Galaxy]
- Other duties as assigned
Physical, Mental, and Environmental Demands
Physical: Ability to navigate office and school campuses, and hold meetings in different spaces. Traditionally, much of the day involves sitting. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment 1-20 lbs.
Mental: Ability to manage stress of normal work standards, decision making, and deadlines. Critical thinking and mental focus necessary to analyze problems and work with interruptions.
Environmental: Office/school environment subject to constant interruptions and distractions. Access to reliable transportation for occasional travel.
Classification
This is a full-time, non-exempt position based on a full year calendar cycle, based out of our Regional Support Office with frequent travel to schools and districts.
The KIPP Regional Support Office is currently operating in a hybrid fashion. Most positions can expect to work in person 2-3 days per week and remotely the remaining days, subject to change based on the needs of the role.
About KIPP Public Schools Northern California
We are a thriving nonprofit network of 22 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.
Our student community consists of over 7,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Jose, Redwood City, and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 23% are multilingual learners, and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.
Compensation
KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and transportation benefits.
We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $59,000 and $77,300.
How to Apply
Please submit a cover letter and resume by clicking apply on this page.
KIPP Northern California Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, color, national origin or ancestry, cultural background, religious creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital/registered domestic partner status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, primary language, citizenship or immigration status, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.