Director Of College Success

The Organization
At Thrive Scholars, our goal is to see talented BIPOC students from economically disadvantaged communities develop economic mobility and financial security, and become the diverse corporate, civic, and academic leaders our country so desperately needs.
Our comprehensive, data-driven, high-touch program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college, and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in careers that equip Scholars for economic mobility.
The Position
Thrive Scholars seeks a strategic, student-centered leader to oversee our College Success program. In this role, the Director of College Success (CS) will manage a team of 7 College Success Managers who provide 1:1 advising to a caseload of first and second year college students in order to promote their academic success, persistence, and personal development, ensuring that they are well-positioned to pursue their academic and career goals and to graduate college equipped to achieve economic mobility. The Director will be responsible for leading and developing the CS team to provide holistic advising, timely interventions, high-quality programming, and appropriate referrals to on and off campus support services. The Director is responsible for managing and directing the operations of the CS Team, including evaluating and assigning duties to College Success Managers, and managing challenging or complex student issues. The Director will have expert knowledge of the academic and socio-emotional experience of low-income and first generation students at highly selective colleges, and be a strategic leader who is effective at leading a team.
This position reports to the Managing Director of High School and College Programs.
Key Responsibilities
College Success Program Leadership (35%)

• Build and maintain collaborative and productive partnerships across Thrive Scholars to better connect the work of the College Success Team to the larger organization.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of College Success program and provide proactive leadership and structure to ensure successful program delivery and outcomes, including Scholar GPA, major persistence, and retention in the Thrive Scholars program
• Strategically monitor scholar progress and provide regular reporting of student persistence and retention rates in organizational databases
• In close collaboration with the MD of High School and College Programs, Director of College Access, and Managing Director of Career Development, develop processes and programming that reflects alignment of goals and strategies across Thrive’s college access, success, and career programs.
• Cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including on-campus support services
• Provide College Success Managers with the necessary supports on issues related to Scholar’s academic success and student services
• Provide ongoing program evaluation and redesign; gather and report on qualitative and quantitative data
• Lead and manage a team of 7 College Success Managers while ensuring the team is fully trained and equipped to deliver on College Success program services

College Success Team Leadership (35%)

• Be responsible for hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and talent development of 7 direct reports
• Foster a positive team culture and facilitate staff engagement by effectively connecting tasks to mission impact, and promoting a team practice of dialogue, feedback, accountability, and celebrating success
• Promote ongoing learning and development for the team by identifying areas for growth and collaborating with the MD of High School and College Programs to develop appropriate learning and development strategies

Summer Academy Program Leadership (10%)

• Collaborate with the MD of High School and College Programs and the Director of Summer Academy to support the planning and execution of Summer Academies, including but not limited to community programming, and broader programmatic and logistical support
• Support with Summer Academy strategy as it relates to College Success program

Curriculum Design (10%)

• Collaborate with MD of High School and College Programs, College Access and Career Development teams to align programming and curriculum
• Work closely with external mental health partner(s) to ensure curriculum supports holistic Scholar well-being
• Design new curriculum and iterate existing curriculum that is responsive to student needs and supports program outcomes
• Ensure program activities lead to effective results focused on established goals that meet Thrive’s scholar retention and performance goals (including GPA, major persistence, timely graduation, and retention in the Thrive program) ; use data-driven decision making to assess effectiveness, analyze results, and shape future projects
• Research and remain current on best practices in learning and academic support for low income and first generation students; make recommendations for improving College Success practices, policies, and procedures in support of student success
• Partner with the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer to ensure curriculum best serves students of diverse intersecting identities

Cross-Program Support (10%)

• Support cross-departmental and organization-wide events and initiatives, including student recruitment, selection, and enrollment efforts

Desired Experience:
There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box.

• Strength in data tracking, management, and analysis
• Alignment to Thrive’s mission and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Skilled relationship-builder, who is able to build trusting relationships with colleagues, scholars, and college professionals
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead presentations and workshops
• Bachelor’s degree required
• Ability to design and implement training for student advisors
• Ability to design and implement enhancements to improve the efficiency and quality of advising service
• 7-8 years of progressive professional experience; 3-5 years of experience in academic success/student support services
• Excellent people management skills, and ability to coach and develop a team towards ambitious goals
• Entrepreneurial spirit that focuses on continuous improvement and innovation
• Strong understanding of academic success/student learning, as well as socio-emotional experience of first generation, low-income, and students of color in selective college environments
• 3+ years of direct team leadership and management experience
• Skilled project manager with the ability to evaluate outcomes and make data-informed decisions

Competencies:
Along with the specific qualifications and experiences noted above, viable candidates will be expected demonstrate the following competencies:

• Strategic Collaboration: Understands how and when to work with others to drive strong results. Able to balance attention to both results and relationships.
• Commitment to Results: Takes action to produce high-quality work with measurable results in service of Thrive’s mission and Scholars.
• Leading through Change: Effectively engages and mobilizes stakeholders through change by mitigating stress, demonstrating compassion, and illustrating and planning for a desirable future.
• Project Management: Effectively and consistently manages tasks and processes to on-time completion of clear and predetermined outcomes.
• Building: Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful, shaping theory and/or practice in the field.

Travel expectations:
The Director of College Success can be based anywhere in the United States. This role will include some travel throughout the year (approximately 2-4 trips per year) and 1-2 weeks of work on-site at our Summer Academy at the University of Chicago.
Compensation & Benefits:
Thrive Scholars offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including high-quality health and dental insurance, three weeks of paid vacation, generous professional development funding, and access to an employer-matched retirement plan. This is a full-time, exempt position.
Starting salary range: $79,800 - $88,800
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
Thrive has a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, including remote staff. Individuals selected for job opportunities must be fully vaccinated and up to date, per CDC guidelines, and will be required to provide proof of vaccination status in advance of your hire date.
If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely-held religious beliefs, Thrive will consider requests for reasonable accommodations consistent with our policy. Accommodation requests cannot be guaranteed, Thrive will consider requests where we are able to provide such accommodations without undue hardship to the organization pursuant to applicable law.  Any such accommodation must be approved in advance of signing an offer letter.
Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.
Knowing its importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. We appreciate your time and will review and respond to all applications received.
For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org