College Success Manager (CT/RI), KIPP Forward

Company Description

About KIPP NYC
KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of 18 free, public charter schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. We partner with families and communities to create joyful and rigorous schools in pursuit of a more just world. In 1995 we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in the Bronx, with a vision that every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. Today, our network consists of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Forward, a comprehensive program to support our students and alumni in choosing and preparing for the educational and career paths that fit their goals and sense of purpose. KIPP NYC currently serves more than 12,000 students and alumni, has a staff of more than 1,000 (8% of whom are alumni), and continues to grow!

About KIPP Forward Postsecondary Success Collaborative

KIPP Forward works with graduates of KIPP, Achievement First, and a growing number of other select high school-serving organizations, to empower them for success in college and their careers. Our program model was formulated utilizing a design thinking approach with our alumni, as well as research of the most effective Comprehensive Approach to Student Success (CASS) and career readiness programs.  Utilizing breakthrough college and career strategies, we aim to:

• Help more students from low-income families persist in and graduate from college​ or secure a credential in an in-demand industry

• Help all – those with a BA or a credential – transition to a strong first job and improve pathways to economic mobility

Job Description

Location: This position is based in Connecticut, with 60% of time spent working remotely, 30% traveling to high school and college campuses in Connecticut and Rhode Island (with potential to expand to Massachusetts in future years), and 10% traveling to our NYC central office.

Position Overview

As an essential member of the College Success Team, the College Success Manager closely manages a team of College Success Fellows towards ambitious engagement, advising, and persistence goals for their caseload of students. College Success Fellows are partner organization alumni and recent college graduates who are hired for two year commitments to advise a caseload of approximately 125-150 students through their first two years of college. College Success Fellows are assigned to specific campuses and are expected to spend the majority of their time on campus visiting with their advisees. College Success Managers train, travel and check in regularly with Fellows, both individually and as a subteam. College Success Managers report directly to either the Associate Director or Director of College Success.  

Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage a team of 4-8 College Success Fellows through regular one-on-one in-person and/or virtual meetings, team meetings, and live coaching sessions to deliver high impact advisement around critical monthly milestones and meet ambitious goals such as advising session completion, campus visit completion, benchmark assessment completion, financial aid completion, scheduling and degree audit analysis, transcript and survey collection, and summer term registration.
• Travel to visit Fellows on their campuses (at least once per month per Fellow during September –mid-November and late Jan – early May) and in emergency situations when school is in session; utilize technology to communicate virtually when not on-site with them.
• Assist with developing and delivering the summer training program for Fellows and regular professional development days.
• Continually progress monitor and assess engagement, benchmark, transcript, and enrollment data to determine persistence threats and create support plans with your Fellows.
• Progress monitor in a time-sensitive manner towards all goals and backwards plan with Fellows in order to meet goals, through regular review of their data, individual check-ins, Midyear and End of Year Reviews, and Performance Improvement Plans as needed.
• Connect Fellows to necessary tools and resources to increase college persistence.
• Work with our Career Services Team and progress monitor College Success Fellows career specific goals as they execute on our Wayfinders Career Program, which involves helping students, particularly in sophomore year, build career awareness and readiness skills and gain career exposure opportunities. 
• Serve as liaison with the Associate Directors of College Success who manage our partner relationship to ensure strong collaboration and feedback loops on themes or key areas of success or growth. 
• Communicate regularly with their manager on their team’s progress towards goals and to problem-solve around persistence threats.
• Identify, create and execute communication strategies with Fellows to increase advisement effectiveness.
• Assist Fellows in establishing and maintaining partnerships with essential support services on the campuses they serve, including Financial Aid Offices, Opportunity Programs, Mental Health Counseling, Work-Study and Career Services, Writing Center, and any tutoring programs available.  
• Track and review each Fellow’s student and family communication.
• Engage in recruitment and selection process for new College Success Fellows every year from February – April.
• Support our partner high schools to ensure seniors are ready to transition into our post-secondary success program, including schools visits and event attendance (both virtual and in-person). 
• Assist with the planning and implementation for team events as necessary.
• Participate in any college success-related professional development opportunities identified for you by your manager or that you identify and gain approval for, including learning collaboratives, workshops, info sessions, webinars, retreats or institutes (which may require occasional travel).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution, Master’s Degree preferred
• Strong alignment with and commitment to KIPP Forward’s program model and ultimate goals
• At least five years of experience successfully working with groups of students and/or within program management, preferably focused on academic, financial, career, and socio-emotional counseling of traditionally under-served students at the collegiate level
• Desire to manage and coach a team of entry-level advisors to perform consistent and high-quality direct advisement work, while supporting them in building their professional skills such as communication, time-management, data analysis, planning, and progress monitoring towards goals
• Strong time-management skills
• Demonstrated ability to meet ambitious goals within deadlines
• Outstanding organizational skills and high attention to detail
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships within and across teams
• Growth-mindset and desire to receive regular coaching and adjusting feedback in order to grow
• Commitment to exploring issues of race, class, and privilege, both individually and alongside others
• Strong working knowledge in Google and Microsoft Suite, and ability to learn new technology platforms and databases quickly
• Willingness to check email/texts after hours for emergency situations
• Ability to travel to college campuses regularly to observe and coach fellows (depending on campus location, travel can be overnight for two to three days at a time), all travel costs provided
• Valid Driver’s license strongly preferred

Additional Information

Salary & Benefits

KIPP NYC offers a competitive salary ranging from $81,500 - $93,500. Salary ranges at KIPP NYC are standardized based on role level and role function. Individual salaries are determined through a lens of equity, accounting for years of experience relevant to the role and scope of responsibilities, and are benchmarked against others within the same salary band. 

KIPP NYC offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverages. Other benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and supplemental benefits offerings.

Questions can be directed to Recruitment Manager Daniel Kim at dkim@kippnyc.org. 

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position.  It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

KIPP NYC LLC is an anti-racist organization that believes in the importance of being diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment that includes employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving students and families throughout New York City. BIPOC, women, gender expansive, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

KIPP NYC LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP NYC LLC is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.