Full-Time Manager of College Access
Job Description
About Us and Our Philosophy
Breakthrough Greater Boston (BTGB) is a transformative college access and teacher training program. BTGB offers six years of academic enrichment and college preparation to middle school and high school students with high potential but limited opportunities. Simultaneously, BTGB recruits, trains and inspires a diverse cohort of high achieving college students to become the next generation of urban teachers. Leveraging a Students Teaching Students model, BTGB provides engaging, tuition-free academic programming during the summer and after school. Our students gain the skills and motivation to succeed in rigorous high school courses and, ultimately, in college. Meanwhile, our teachers gain hands-on experience, research-based training and coaching from professional educators.
Over the past eight years, 97% of our graduating students have matriculated to college, and 82% of them have persisted through their undergraduate years. On average, more than 70% of our graduating teachers have gone on to pursue careers in education. After two decades of success at our original Cambridge site, BTGB embarked upon a significant program expansion and opened a second site in Boston in the summer of 2013 and a third site in Somerville in 2018. As an independent 501c3 nonprofit, Breakthrough Greater Boston is part of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a national educational movement working to improve educational outcomes for youth across 25 U.S. cities.
With a deep commitment to our mission, BTGB operates with the highest standards of integrity and best practices, while also enjoying the ability to be innovative and flexible to meet the evolving needs of our students, families and teachers. Our team is diverse, high-performing and dedicated. We continue to build an organizational culture that emphasizes our core values for every member of our community:
- Spirit: We cherish and embody the youthful energy and spirit of our students and teachers
- Continual Learning: Everyone in our community has something to learn and something to teach
- Team Together: We all chip in to accomplish whatever is needed for our teammates and the broader organization
- Student Centered: Our students are our first priority and our decisions center around what benefits our students
- Equity and Opportunity: We value diversity of identity, background and thought. We treat everyone with dignity and respect
- Excellence in Everything: We maintain high expectations for ourselves
Breakthrough Greater Boston encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply for this position, and we do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law. We celebrate the diversity of our world and our community, and we seek to build a team that reflects that diversity in every way. We welcome and encourage all qualified applicants who share that same vision, as we wish to engage all those who can contribute to our work and this mission.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Breakthrough Greater Boston is currently seeking a highly motivated and talented Manager of College Access (MCA) to oversee all aspects of programming for 11th and 12th grade students at the Cambridge Campus. The MCA will be responsible for ensuring that 11th and 12th grade students at their campus are fully supported as they apply and matriculate to college by offering intentional programming, individualized resources, and advocacy. The MCA works closely with other members of a dynamic Program Team and reports directly to the Managing Director of College Access and Success.
POSITION OUTCOMES
A successful Manager of College Access will work in close alignment with the Managing Director of College Access and Success to:
- Develop and maintain meaningful relationships with 11th-12th grade students their campus, supporting their academic and social emotional growth while supporting their post-secondary planning
- Maintain positive, regular communication with students’ families and other important adults, nurturing trusting relationships and collaboratively ensuring students’ success
- Oversee development of innovative, responsive college access programming for their campus
- Collaborate with other Program Team members to create a seamless layer of support for students and families during Breakthrough’s six-year program
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
In this exciting role you will be responsible for a variety of responsibilities including:
Student and Family Support
- Directly support students at your campus through existing 11th and 12th grade school year programming, including course counseling, test prep, college visits, and the College Access Coach program
- Champion students by nurturing individual student strengths and providing holistic advocacy, interventions, and resources as needed
- Provide students with connections to supplemental career and enrichment opportunities during the summer and school year
- Maintain regular communication with students’ families, including annual family check-ins, relevant family workshops, and individualized support with college and financial aid processes as needed
- Oversee students’ transition from 12th grade to college success programming
Program Management
- Supervise a team of dedicated volunteer College Access Coaches at your campus to work one-on-one with juniors and seniors on various components of the college application process
- Develop and lead student and family workshops connected to the college and financial aid application processes
- Plan and lead the summer College Prep Institute for rising 12th grade students
- Support students in our College Transition Program through summer workshops, panels, and other modes of outreach as appropriate
- Create new programming as appropriate to further our vision of every Breakthrough student having the skills and knowledge needed to attend – and be successful in – college; collaborate with team members at other campuses to ensure thoughtful, site-specific implementation of this programming
- Ensure accurate and effective data collection to inform programmatic decision making and advance students’ eventual success
Partnership Management
- In collaboration with other Directors, maintain positive, frequent communication with school staff members, representatives from local community-based organizations, and target colleges
- Conduct semesterly guidance counselor check-ins to further inform individual supports for students and identify additional enrichment opportunities
- Oversee collection and analysis of 11th and 12th grade student academic records including report cards, progress reports and Individualized Education Plans
YOUR BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS
As the incoming Manager of College Access, you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:
- Passion for the mission of BTGB, closing opportunity gaps and training the next generation of urban teachers
- Two to three years of experience working directly with underserved students (preferably in grades 10-12) and ideally students who will be first generation to college, or in college admissions
- Knowledgeable about college admissions and financial aid processes
- An unwavering commitment to equity, in deepening your personal understanding and in advancing our collective work
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills with students, families and educators
- Superior organization and project management skills
- Ability to work on multiple projects, adjust quickly to shifting priorities, meet deadlines, exercise good judgment and handle high-pressure situations
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with a variety of audiences
- Team player who demonstrates a positive attitude, sense of humor, energy, entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to collaboration
- Prior experience with Breakthrough model highly desirable; familiarity with partner schools or districts a plus
- Flexibility that allows for periodic work on Saturdays and evenings
- Candidates of color and those from low-income backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply as are those with fluency in Amharic, Bengali, Arabic, Spanish, Haitian Creole, or Somali
- Bachelor’s degree
COMPENSATION
Breakthrough Greater Boston offers a competitive compensation package and is deeply committed to pay equity and transparency. The salary range for this position is $53,805-72,795; Breakthrough Greater Boston makes an offer based on relevant years of experience and does not negotiate salaries.
HOW TO JOIN OUR TEAM
If you are interested in learning more about how your passion and experience can help Breakthrough meet its mission and grow its impact, please submit your resume and a thoughtful and targeted cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity. Applications can be submitted to Amee Naik, Managing Director of College Access and Success, at
jo**@bt******.org
.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more about Breakthrough Greater Boston at www.breakthroughgreaterboston.org.
How to Apply
If you are interested in learning more about how your passion and experience can help Breakthrough meet its mission and grow its impact, please submit your resume and a thoughtful and targeted cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity. Applications can be submitted to Amee Naik, Managing Director of College Access and Success, at jobs@btgbmail.org.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more about Breakthrough Greater Boston at www.breakthroughgreaterboston.org.
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