College And Career Attainment Director

POSITION: College and Career Attainment Director

STATUS: Full Time, 40 hours weekly, Exempt

WORK WEEK: Tuesday – Saturday during the school year; Monday – Friday during summer months

SALARY: $75,000-$90,000 based on experience/education

PERIOD: May 15, 2023 - Ongoing

LOCATION: Santa Monica & West Los Angeles & Remote

About Determined to Succeed

Determined to Succeed (DTS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a college and career attainment program that provides highly motivated, underserved students with comprehensive, year-round support and resources for overall wellness, academics, and social and emotional growth, in order to realize their goals of high school and college graduation and set themselves on the path to fulfilling futures. We believe every child deserves to lead a happy, healthy and productive life yet not every child has access to the tools and resources they need to reach their goals. The DTS approach to college success is progressive, holistic and impactful. Students are much more than the sum of their grades and test scores. Only when the whole child, including their background, culture and personal circumstances and experiences is considered and supported will we increase the rate of college success. We currently serve 80 students, 40 in high school and 40 in college.

Summary of Position

DTS seeks one College and Career Attainment Director who will serve as the head of all college and career attainment programming. The position has four main parts: (1) lead the college and career attainment counseling team of 3 people (2) implement and oversee all aspects of the college access and success programming, (3) implement and oversee all aspects of the career development programming, (4) implement and oversee the Hamilton High School college support services.

Specific Roles & Responsibilities

Lead the College and Career Attainment Team

THE TEAM CONSISTS OF THE COLLEGE & CAREER ATTAINMENT DIRECTOR AND TWO ADVISORS

·Build positive relationships with both team members, fostering an inclusive team culture

·Delegate tasks to the two Advisors while providing oversight and ensuring expectations are met

·Communicate effectively and provide ongoing feedback to team members

·Develop and implement staff training on an as needed basis

·Oversee team performance and take corrective action when necessary and/or identify and address challenges and conflicts within the team

College Access and Success Programming

MAINTAIN THE COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE

APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS

·Provide exposure to colleges by coordinating and leading visits to local college campuses twice a year

·Hold meetings for 9th & 10th graders two times per year per class and meet individually with each 9th and 10th grader 1-2 times per year to establish rapport

·Hold two meetings for 11th graders in the fall and meet individually with each 11th grade student at least 1 time during the fall semester

·In the summer, teach the college awareness components of the curriculum for Bridge to High School (9th), Wellness Intensive (10th), and Challenge Ready (11th)

·Coordinate and lead 2-3 optional parent workshops annually on Saturdays covering topics related to college admission and financing a college education.

·In conjunction with the Executive Director, oversee the class scheduling of all students each year throughout high school.

·Be available for parents to express their concerns, fears, and questions on an as needed basis.

·Coordinate 2-3 Hamilton classroom visits from private college admissions representatives each year.

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELING

APPROXIMATELY 10 11^th GRADE STUDENTS & 10 12^th GRADE STUDENTS

·Hold meetings individually, once per month with second semester 11th graders

·Coordinate and oversee all parts of residential summer precollege programs with 11th graders

·Assist each second semester 11th grade student in creating a thoughtful and strategic college list

·Ensure students apply for fly in programs.

·Coordinate the management of all standardized testing, in conjunction with the Testing Specialist 


·In the summer, conduct a two-week intensive application “boot camp” for rising 12th graders to finalize their college lists and work on the components of the college application

·College application support to continue throughout the fall of 12th grade with weekly one-on-one meetings and the facilitation of worktime on Saturdays at the DTS office

·Provide one-on-one assistance with all relevant financial aid paperwork

·Form relationships with admissions representatives at select colleges across the country


·Schedule calls with admissions counselors at private schools where students applied

·Track all admissions decisions in the database

·Write thoughtful and powerful letters of recommendation for each 12th grade student

FACILITATE THE TRANSITION TO COLLEGE 


APPROXIMATELY 10 12^th GRADE STUDENTS

·Work in tangent with the Executive Director to allocate scholarship monies among high school seniors and oversee the collection of needed information to create scholarship packets

·Coordinate and lead the Transition to College workshop series for parent and student in the second semester of 12th grade on Saturdays

·Continue to meet with 12th grade students weekly to help them navigate ongoing communications with colleges

·Coordinate and lead DTS’s one week “Bridge to College” readiness program directly following high school graduation

·Conduct one-on-one summer meetings to ensure each student is fully prepared to start college

·Match all students with individual donors to shop for their dorm essentials. Oversee the program on both student and donor facing sides

COLLEGE SUCCESS COUNSELING

APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS

·Serve as the Advisor for 10-15 college students annually. Check in with each advisee to assess and discuss the student’s social and emotional wellbeing and academics. Enter case notes after each call, and advise the Executive Director of any problems or “red flags,” and work with the Executive Director to address problems as they arise

·Provide oversight and guidance as needed for Advisors doing college student check-ins

·Be available for students’ parents as needed

·Coordinate college student get togethers- the winter gathering, 2 freshman councils, and 2 optional all college student councils

·Ensure all college students file their FAFSA and related financial aid forms on time annually

·Review financial aid awards annually with all college students to ensure loans are doable and that they have created a personal budget for the upcoming school year

Career Development Programming

CAREER AWARENESS – HIGH SCHOOL

APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS

·Coordinate and lead 2 career exploration visits for high school students, one each semester in conjunction with the board member in charge of career access

·Bring in 1-2 guest speakers or a small panel to Hamilton classroom annually to broaden students’ career awareness

CAREER READINESS – COLLEGE

APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS

·Oversee implementation of all college to career programming including collaboration with Future Map and other parties interested in providing relevant experience

·Oversee collection of college students’ resumes annually and provide feedback for improvement as needed

·Ensure and track that all college students are engaged in career focused summer activities

·Connect students to DTS supporters working in their fields of interest

·Encourage students to utilize the career center on campus

Hamilton High School College Support

·Oversee and lead grade level workshops, one workshop in 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th grades, approximately 80 one-hour long presentations per year

·Lead Hamilton’s campaign to ensure 100% completion of FAFSA/CADAA through classroom workshops, parent meetings, and one-on-one meetings with students

·Oversee and provide ad hoc college counseling for any Hamilton student who comes in for help

·Provide topical workshops for students and parents on an as needed basis -such as a lunch workshop to complete Cal State applications

·Provide support for Hamilton administration and college counselor on as needed basis

Collaboration with DTS Staff
& Additional Duties

·Consistently communicate with each student’s DTS Advisor and work as a team to best support each student/family

·Attend weekly staff meetings and provide updates to the team as needed

·Enter case notes after individual student meetings to track interactions, keeping the team informed on students’ progress

·Contribute to the Weekly Blast on a regular basis

·Attend special program functions and events

·Assist when needed for special projects and events

·Assist other staff members as needed

Required Qualifications

The College and Career Attainment Director is an energetic, dynamic, kind and a flexible team player who is passionate about working with teenagers and their families to help them achieve their goals. The director must have strong communication skills and the ability to successfully manage a team. A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience and a college degree are the base requirements. Classroom teaching experience and Spanish fluency are preferred.

Also, DTS requires a background check, including a Live Scan and a TB test. All employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Training

On-the-job training will be provided.

Learn More About Determined to Succeed

Website: www.dtsla.org

To Apply

Submit a resume and cover letter to Mimi Neandross, Executive Director, by email at [email protected]

Determined to Succeed is an equal opportunity employer.