Manager of College Persistence

Title: Manager of College Persistence

Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Department: College Persistence

Location: New York, NY

At Student Leadership Network, we believe in the potential of all students and are cultivating a generation of young people empowered to lead. We work with every student, developing their abilities to achieve their educational ambitions. Our 25+-year track record demonstrates higher rates of college enrollment and graduation, significantly surpassing national benchmarks.

We are advancing educational equity by increasing access to higher education in under-resourced public schools nationwide. Our Young Women’s Leadership model elevates practices in girls'+ schools that lead to success and change the face of leadership. Our co-ed CollegeBound Initiative develops college-going school cultures — creating high expectations and viable pathways for post-secondary success. To learn more, visit our website at: www.studentleadershipnetwork.org.

Position Summary: Student Leadership Network is seeking a Manager of College Persistence to support the development, implementation, and assessment of Student Leadership Network’s college persistence/ advisement program.

Primary Roles and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design, implement, and assess college persistence initiatives and programming for third (3rd) and fourth (4th) year college students.
• Collaborate with the Development team, corporate stakeholders, and collegiate partners to cultivate career awareness initiatives and create pipelines for student internships, fellowships, and research opportunities.
• Manage & foster positive campus relationships with college/university support services (academic advisement, career services, financial aid, counseling center, etc.) in order to facilitate student referrals for upperclass students.
• Collaborate with the Student Leadership Network consulting team to develop and deliver college persistence and career awareness training, resources, and support for partner organizations.
• Continuously evaluate and improve Student Leadership’s college persistence and career awareness models to ensure relevance, efficacy, and scalability for diverse partner contexts.
• Support the implementation and assessment of CollegeBridge, a direct service peer support program designed to increase college matriculation for graduating high school seniors.
• Support the implementation, expansion, and assessment of CollegeJourney, a direct service peer mentoring program for students enrolled in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
• Hire, train, and supervise Peer Leaders (part-time collegiate staff members). Provide on-going professional development opportunities throughout the academic year and summer.
• Design, codify, and deliver curriculum and network-wide events which foster college persistence for 2,000 graduating seniors annually across Buffalo, NYC, Rochester, and future consulting regions.
• Oversee text message campaigns in the SMS 360 platform and approve mass messages before delivery to college students. Regular collaboration with the Research, Innovation, Technology & Analytics (RITA) team and SMS 360 team to ensure collegiate staff are well trained in platform use.
• Data systems and reporting- work with the RITA team to track student data in Salesforce. Tasks include, but are not limited to:
  • Accurate data entry of completed student milestones;
  • Students’ progress to college matriculation and persistence;
  • Run reports to inform programming and staff initiatives.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Key Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, College Counseling, Social Work, or a related field preferred
• Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of experience in college success, higher education, or career counseling required
• Extensive knowledge of CUNY/SUNY admission and transfer policies, New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), corporate internship processes, and graduate school/fellowship admission processes
• Extensive experience in program/curriculum design and assessment. Strong writing and editing skills
• Excellent facilitation skills. Comfortable facilitating both youth and young adults in small and large group settings
• Ability to communicate in small groups, one-to-one, and in public speaking contexts. Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills
• Experience working with first-generation, low-income, and/or BIPOC student communities.
• Familiarity with New York City public school culture
• Decisive and demonstrated sound judgment
• Ability to self-organize, forecast, and manage multiple projects at once in a fast-paced environment
• Experience supervising staff, interns, and/or student employees
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout New York City’s five boroughs is required
• Ability and willingness to travel across NY State and regionally to support clients outside of New York City (approximately 10- 15%)
• A demonstrated passion for expanding educational opportunities for students from under-served communities and commitment to Student Leadership’s mission, vision, and core values

Benefits: Student Leadership Network offers a competitive benefits package to eligible employees, including:

• Medical (health, dental, and vision)
• Health Reimbursement Account (up to $14,000 for families)
• Flexible Spending Account (for Medical, Dependent Care, and Transit/Parking)
• 401K Retirement Plan with 4% Employer Match
• Generous Paid Family Leave, minimum twelve weeks based on tenure
• Life Insurance (100% of the insurance premium)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off:
  • Full-time employees earn 17 vacation days per year in the first three years
  • 11 Federal holidays and 2 floating holidays
  • 10 sick days per year + Safe Leave
  • 20 hours of Prenatal Leave
  • Annual Wellness Week between Christmas and New Year’s
  • Summer Fridays early dismissal

Student Leadership Network is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to cultivating a respectful, inclusive, and equitable workplace where diverse talents, skill-sets, and lived experiences are valued as essential to advancing our mission.