Hybrid Director of College Success presso Steppingstone Foundation

Description

Director of College Success

Join a mission-driven team supporting and empowering future college graduates!

Who We Are

At Steppingstone, our mission is to prepare students from under-resourced communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college. 

• Through the Scholars Program in Boston, we provide academic, social-emotional, and college readiness programming from as early as fifth grade and continuing through college graduation.
• Through the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA), we connect the people, practices, and innovations essential for eliminating barriers to college and career success.

Who You Are

The Director of College Success role is a strong fit for someone who is passionate about educational access and is committed to making a lasting impact on Scholars’ lives. In this role you will lead a small team working to help college Scholars transition, adjust, persist, and graduate from college ready for early career success. The ideal candidate will have the skills to excel in a role that requires a data-driven program management approach, and collaborates closely with other teams in service of fulfilling the organization’s mission.

Start Date: Fall 2025

Salary: $75,000 - $80,000

Responsibilities:

Staff Management

• Supervise a staff of up to four direct reports to successfully meet department metrics and goals; co-facilitate cross-program teams
• Support Advisors in developing their knowledge and skills to provide adequate and timely support and coaching for Scholars in their pursuit of their post-secondary plans and career goals
• Build and maintain a collaborative and highly supportive team environment centered around the success of Scholars that promotes continuous learning

Program Management

• Lead the planning and implementation of post-secondary activities focused on college persistence and the financial aid process
• Oversee the application, selection, reporting, and disbursement of two renewable scholarships, including the support system needed for scholarship recipients in meeting renewal expectations for on-time graduation
• Develop advising systems that support both advising models (1-on-1 and collective case management) that lead to high-quality services for Scholars and families in collaboration with the team
• Collaborate with the High School Success team in division transition activities to ensure Scholars and families make informed decisions for college enrollment
• WIth support from the Career Success team, develop and integrate career readiness activities that encourages career exploration, building social capital, and skill development
• Integrate inclusion and belonging initiatives into processes and structures to support the development of Scholars’ social emotional learning and foundational skills in a restorative community with high expectations
• Support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program

Knowledge Management

• Implement systems to track and analyze program progress and outcomes using Salesforce and in collaboration with internal departments including Data and Evaluation 
• Strengthen relationships between Steppingstone and partner community-based organizations to leverage resources that enhances Scholar experiences and supports their success
• Support the team’s continuous learning in the field of college access, success, and career readiness by staying abreast of national and local news and policy changes; develop and lead staff trainings throughout the year
• Ensure optimal use of organizational resources (staff time, budget, technology, etc.) to achieve programmatic results
• Contribute to other cross-team office-wide efforts such as internal task forces and committees

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated commitment to educational access and success
• Experience working with individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences
• Experience managing and motivating teams to achieve high performance and foster an inclusive work environment; management style that supports team well-being, recognizing and rewarding others for personal growth, development, and effectiveness
• Proven ability to communicate a clear vision, ensure team accountability, and deliver timely, constructive feedback
• Strong project management skills; ability to align team execution with strategic goals by creating actionable plans to drive team and organizational objectives
• Demonstrated success collaborating across teams and amplifying the contributions of others
• Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and an independent problem-solving mindset; ability to encourage team creativity and critical thinking
• Clear written and verbal communication style
• Preference given to candidates who are bilingual in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Haitian Creole, or Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese). Employees may be asked to provide translation services for members of the Steppingstone community and may be eligible to receive a stipend for their assistance. 

Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required in a relevant field
• 1+ year of management experience 
• Successful experience working with high school and/or college students in an urban, multicultural setting

Academic Year Schedule:

This position is a hybrid role with at least two days per week in office with some flexibility around work hours. A $500 home office set-up stipend will be provided upon hire, followed by quarterly stipends of $50. Laptops are provided to each employee to enhance the hybrid experience.

The Director will work a Monday-Friday schedule. Some evening and Saturday work is required, and work schedules can be adjusted accordingly within that week. Evening work usually ends around 7:00 p.m.

Program staff support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program, including interviewing prospective students and families. Due to the nature of those interviews, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis in February.

Periodic travel to local college campuses for Scholar meetings, and our academic year and summer program site is required.

Physical Demands:

• Lifting up to 20 pounds, standing, walking, sitting, reaching, operating computer and office equipment 
• Pursuant to the ADA, Steppingstone will provide reasonable services and accommodation(s) to employees with qualified disabilities in order to perform the essential functions of their employment, except when doing so would be unduly disruptive and/or result in undue hardship to the organization.

Employee Benefits:

• Generous paid time off (over 8 weeks total, as outlined below)
• 15 days PTO
• 2 days Discretionary Time Off
• 5 wellness days
• 12.5 holidays
• 2 weeks paid office closure (the weeks before Labor Day and New Year’s Day)
• $500 Home Office Set-up Stipend; plus $50 quarterly
• Health, Dental and Vision coverage
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance
• Healthcare Reimbursement Account Plan (HRA)
• Pet Insurance
• Flexible Schedule     
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition & Professional Development reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health and Dependent Care
• Pre-tax Transportation Plan (Transit & Parking)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Membership to the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA)

Compensation philosophy:

At Steppingstone, we believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization. As a result, to ensure organizational parity, Steppingstone does not negotiate salary offers; instead each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. If you have questions, we welcome you to raise them during the hiring process.

Steppingstone Core Values

Mission First - Keep Scholars front and center in all we do.

Lead with Inclusion - Elevate every voice, consider every perspective. 

Stronger Together - Team up and trust each other.

Own It - Act with integrity, stay accountable, and be transparent. 

Learn. Grow. Innovate. - Embrace change, drive creativity, and never stop learning.

A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment with Steppingstone and automatically disqualified if they use threatening language or behavior either written, verbal, or physical during any phase of the interview process.

Steppingstone is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for employment in accordance with law.