Program Director–College Access Program (various Montgomery County public high school locations)

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

ABOUT COLLEGETRACKS

CollegeTracks’ mission is to empower first-generation-to-college students and students from low-income and immigrant households in Montgomery County, Maryland by helping them bridge systemic opportunity gaps with enough support to get to and through postsecondary education and onto a career pathway. We envision a future in which every student who graduates from high school in Montgomery County, Maryland has equitable access to their chosen career pathway. We believe that EVERY student deserves a pathway to prosperity, regardless of who they are, how much they have, or where they come from, and we know that not every student in Montgomery County is getting that opportunity. At CollegeTracks, there are no eligibility
requirements to join our program. We believe that postsecondary education is one of the most proven pathways to socio-economic mobility. And we believe that equitable access to postsecondary education is not only a moral imperative, but an economic necessity, as it will
help us build a stronger, healthier, and more just future for Montgomery County. We currently serve approximately 2000 high school and college scholars each year, who attend or are alumni of five (5) high schools within Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS- Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Paint Branch, Quince Orchard, Watkins Mill and Wheaton High Schools. We want to expand our program into more MCPS schools and communities, to live up to our vision of a County in which EVERY student gets the support they need and deserve.

OUR PROGRAMS

The Access Program focuses on admissions and financial aid advising, expands awareness of college and career options, identifies colleges that fit each student, uses the “Milestones to College” to guide students through the critical milestones of the college admissions process, advises on college decisions, engages parents, provides hands-on help with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other scholarship applications, advocates with college financial aid officers, and helps analyze financial aid packages to find enough financial aid to ensure students will not be saddled with burdensome debt. The Success Program teaches students critical college success skills, helps each student develop a degree plan, monitors and supports student academic performance and helps students secure ongoing financial aid. The Success program uses a caseload management
approach to provide individual coaching for students as they transition from high school to college – every scholar is assigned a Success Coach. Our approach increases the likelihood that they will enroll, persist, and graduate from college.

POSITION SUMMARY

CollegeTracks seeks an energetic and passionate leader to serve as the Program Director for our College Access Program at our MCPS High Schools. The Program Director is responsible for students’ college admissions and financial aid outcomes and for managing the day-to-day operations of the CollegeTracks Access Program. The Program Director works in conjunction with the high school’s administration team, teachers, and school staff and is further responsible for managing full-time Program Coordinators and a group of volunteers working onsite. The majority of the Program Director’s work will be performed at the assigned high school. Each high school Access team works collaboratively to guide students and families through the
following eight (8) milestones:

1. Plan Your Higher Education & Career Path
2. Prepare for Standardized Tests
3. Create Your Higher Education List
4. Submit Your Applications
5. Apply for Financial Aid
6. Apply for Scholarships
7. Decide Where to Attend
8. Enroll

The Program Director reports directly to CollegeTracks’ College Access Director.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Management

• Develop and execute an annual operations plan and team goals for the Access Program
• Utilize computer and web-based tools (Google Suite, Salesforce, etc.) to provide efficient and thorough programmatic oversight
• Manage, supervise, and direct CollegeTracks staff and volunteers to implement the program in a fast and complex nonprofit environment with multiple competing priorities
• Strategically collaborate with school administrators, counselors, and staff to recruit students into the program with the goal of active and continuous engagement
• Recruit students into the program with the goal of active and continuous engagement
• Provide college and career advising to students and families about the collegeadmissions and financial aid processes
• Manage standardized test preparation and registration for students (SAT, ACT, TOEFL, Accuplacer, etc.)
• Maintain knowledge of current trends and execute best practices in college access, college success, and student development
• Utilize various popular social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter,
  Remind, etc.) for effective student outreach and program engagement

Data Management & Analysis

•  Manage data collection through an online Salesforce database platform and effectively
  utilize student folders to track program activities and student outcomes
• Analyze and utilize data to inform programmatic and organizational needs
• Deliver regular programmatic reports entailing program narrative and quantitative data

Internal Program Collaboration

• Develop and nurture collaborative relationships with CollegeTracks staff and volunteers UUse problem-solving skills to recognize programmatic challenges and opportunities and report them promptly, with options for solutions, to the College Access Director
• Work in concert with other CollegeTracks’ Access teams to develop and update tools, strategies, and solutions to meet student needs
• Collaborate with the CollegeTracks Success team to successfully identify and transition CollegeTracks Access students to the CollegeTracks Success Program.
• Provide information and reports, as needed, for grant applications, other funding/collaboration opportunities, and special projects.

External Partner Collaboration

• Develop and nurture collaborative relationships with high school administrators,counselors, teachers and staff; community partners; and college admissions and financial aid staff, university administrators, and campus departments to identify opportunities and support services for the CollegeTracks student population
• Communicate effectively (verbally and in writing) to ensure that school staff are fully aware and supportive of program expectations and knowledgeable about currently enrolled CollegeTracks students
• Anticipate and address issues with a high degree of responsiveness and follow-through
• Serve as a CollegeTracks program champion to promote CollegeTracks with the public,
  school system, specific colleges, and broader community

QUALIFICATIONS

• Significant human services or non-profit leadership experience (5+ years preferred)
• Master’s degree in education, counseling, social work, psychology or a related field preferred
• Must have exceptionally strong management experience and leadership skille
•  Prior work experience with under-represented students in high schools, college access, college admissions, higher education (certificate, 2-year, and 4-year programs), youth development, teaching and/or counseling, or college retention programs
• Working knowledge of college admissions, higher education (certificate, 2-year, and 4-year programs), college retention, and/or public school systems
• Understands and values diversity, equity and inclusion as an organizational operating principle and is committed to continued learning on related issues related
• Proven interpersonal and relationship building skills with students, colleagues, high school/college staff, volunteers, and community members
• Strong proven ability to analyze data to make and support strategic and operational programmatic decisions (familiarity with Salesforce or similar relational database platform a plus)
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in complex situations with competing interests
•  Flexibility to transition between “big picture” and day-to-day operations thinking for effective decision-making
• Work experience in multicultural and multilingual student and family environments
• Demonstrated adaptability to constantly changing situations with flexible and creative approaches
• Must be extremely organized and detail-oriented
• Bilingual or fluent in Spanish is highly preferred

Other requirements

• Sense of humor
• Passionate about equal access to higher education
•  Willing to advocate relentlessly on behalf of our students
• Access to reliable transportation and smartphone

THE DETAILS

The Access Program Director position is an on-site, full-time, permanent, and salaried position. We offer a generous benefits package, including health care, dental, retirement, and vacation. The compensation for the Access Program Director position is $65,000, and is non-negotiable.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

CollegeTracks understands and values racial equity as an organizational operating principle and is committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team is critical to our success and
mission. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. CollegeTracks is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for open positions.