Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School & Corporate Work Study Program is seeking a College Success Manager.
Don Bosco Cristo Rey delivers an affordable, accessible, career-focused college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition to students with limited resources. Every student participates in the Corporate Work Study Program where students gains professional work experience and earns money to pay for a significant portion of their own education.
As lead member of the College Success and Alumni Persistence team (CSAP), the College Success Manager works with the Director of College Success & Alumni Persistence to manage the College Success Team in counseling students in grades 9-12 in pursuit of pre-college and college enrollment opportunities. The College Success Manager leads best practices for the College Success Team and works closely with the Director of College Success & Alumni Persistence to continuously improve the processes, functions, and outcomes of the College Success Counseling Office. They also represent College Success and Alumni Persistence (CSAP) to external partners, students, donors and various other constituent groups. The College Success Manager should have a solid track record in working with college-bound students, a background in college access and/or college success advising, financial aid, experience as a lead counselor and/or managing a team, possess strategic planning skills, provide outstanding direct service, be an enthusiastic professional, and be able to build relationships with internal and external constituents in both secondary and post-secondary fields as part of the College Initiatives vision of the Cristo Rey Network. They must have a demonstrated interest in serving students of color and low-income.
In the tradition of the Salesians of Don Bosco, our pillars are Faith, Family, Future, and Fun. Our students are motivated and incredibly kind, making Don Bosco Cristo Rey a truly refreshing place to work.
Be a part of our movement. Make a real difference in your community. Join our team!
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
College Success Leadership
In collaboration with the Director of College Success & Alumni Persistence, design programming that challenges, engages, inspires, and supports students, including enhancing and implementing pre-college & college enrollment support to students in grades 9-12, with a special focus on 11th and 12th grade students.
Support the College Success Team in troubleshooting issues with family college support, financial aid, successful student progression in College Prep course to develop strategies for improvement and strengthening these efforts.
Design and execute strategies for serving specific populations of students, such as financially need-based, students of undocumented parents, and First Generation college students.
Ensure students receive stellar college access guidance by collaborating with CSAP team to plan 11th and 12th grade College Prep curriculum annually.
Work with the Finance department to oversee the Summer Scholars pre-college grant disbursement process for awardees annually. This includes verifying amounts, confirming institutional details, and maintaining clear communication to prevent any discrepancies.
Maintain in-depth knowledge of both federal and school-specific financial aid policies and procedures to provide training and support to College Success team, students, and families.
Convene and manage the DBCR Summer Script Program, ensuring high achieving rising seniors have an opportunity to maintain a head start on competitive college application essays and scholarships prior to the start of the senior year.
Convene and manage annual mini college fair ensuring students in grades 9-12 have at least one in-school event for college exposure.
Provide ongoing and consistent support to novice College Success counselors by:
Assessing their experiences in college access quarterly and providing various opportunities throughout the year for feedback.
Planning and attending activities to foster relationships to ensure counselors feel abreast of trends in post-secondary education, and express ideas or concerns through coffee chats, team lunch, etc to increase the novice counselor retention.
Communicating feedback and novice counselor needs to Director of College Success and Alumni Persistence, and Alumni Persistence Manager, and provide suggestions for mentoring improvements and enhancements.
In collaboration with the Director of College Success and Alumni Persistence, convene and manage annual CRN Decision Tracker, Network Scholarships, and highly competitive national scholarship opportunities.
In collaboration with the Director of College Success and Alumni Persistence, evaluate the quality of the College Prep Curriculum, CSAP training, and work with the various external departments to develop strategies for high achieving student recruitment, retention and college enrollment.
Management and Leadership
- Support novice College Success team members with developing and updating lesson planning, individualized academic plans, setting clear goals and strategies to support the College Success office.
- Facilitate weekly meetings with Director of College Success and Alumni Persistence, and Alumni Persistence Manager to discuss upcoming events, relevant deadlines and create a space for learning and support.
- Co-lead team meetings and regular morale activities.
Case Management
- Manage assigned caseload of students, providing academic, holistic, and culturally competent support to ensure that they earn their degrees.
- Track and maintain student data via SCOIR and internal College Success database. Work with the Director of College Success and Alumni Persistence and College Success team to maintain, collect, and analyze data for evaluation, instructional, and reporting purposes.
- Ability to advocate for students and families, and connect them with appropriate resources.
- Display professionalism, flexibility, problem-solving skills to address unexpected challenges faced by students and/or parents.
Other Responsibilities
Work with the Director of College Success and Alumni Persistence to create and strengthen relationships with local colleges and universities to Don Bosco Cristo Rey students.
Represent CSAP at relevant convenings, such as conferences, roundtables, etc., as appropriate.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Required Education and Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- At least three years of experience working with youth, particularly youth from marginalized communities.
- At least five years of experience with college counseling and/or case management.
- At least three years of demonstrated leadership and experience managing a team.
- Ability to analyze and interpret program performance data and make data-driven adjustments to maximize impact.
- Compelling and confident public speaker who is comfortable speaking and presenting in both formal and informal settings.
- Strong relationship-builder who can connect with a diverse range of internal and external partners and inspire people to action.
- Excellent written, oral, and verbal communication skills with keen attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
- Fantastic customer service ethic and high expectations for quality.
- Experience planning and facilitating or co-leading classroom instruction, workshops, and events.
- Must be available for special events and training, which may occur on evenings and weekends.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience working with teen parents.
- Proven experience working with college-bound students, particularly students in underserved communities, in academic advising, student support, or counseling roles.
- Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work or a graduate certificate in higher education.
- Experience with program evaluation.
- Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus.
- Understanding of the college financial aid process and financial aid options, and of public benefits and services available for low-income populations in the D.C. metro area.
- Knowledge of higher education policies and resources related to student parents.
Work Environment
- In-person office environment. Some work will take place off-site during special events.
Travel
- This position may require occasional travel for activities in and out of the DC Metro area. Must be able to travel (via plane, train, or car) to attend training, college tours, partner meetings, and related activities.
If you are qualified and interested in this position, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Samantha Jouthe| [email protected].
Don Bosco is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other status protected by law. We also welcome and encourage applications from H1B visa candidates and are prepared to sponsor qualified individuals for employment visas as necessary.
College Success Manager - $60-80K (The posted salary range is intended as a guideline. Actual compensation may be adjusted based on experience, qualifications, and organizational needs.)
