Assistant Director, Alternative Futures

Title: Assistant Director, Alternative Futures

Department: SEO Career

Reports To: Senior Director, Programs

FLSA: Exempt

Compensation: $94,000 - $110,000

Location/Hours

This is a full-time, hybrid position based out of our New York City office. It is expected that some duties will be performed on-site at least 2 days a week and some remotely, with the understanding that government and public health guidelines will help determine the extent to which it is safe to carry out in-person and onsite activities. 

All candidates must be within commutable distance of SEO’s offices at 55 Exchange Place, New York, NY 10005, upon hire. 

ABOUT SEO  

For more than 60 years, SEO has created a more equitable society by closing the educational and career opportunity gap for ambitious Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American young people. All are welcome to apply to our programs.   

OVERVIEW

The Assistant Director of Alternative Futures is a dynamic role central to the impact of SEO Career programming (career.seo-usa.org) with direct influence and accountability over outcomes for Black, Latinx, and Native American pre-professionals seeking coveted internships through our Alternative Futures Program. The Alternative Futures Program is a newly established sector of our Alternative Investments and Investment Banking track and aims to educate a targeted cohort of students on Alternative Investments as a career path and deliver programming and training to support those efforts. 

As Assistant Director, you will collaborate across SEO with individuals on the Alternative Investments team and members of the Career team including the Assistant Director of AIIB and Career Development Advisors (CDAs) with subject matter expertise in AIIB to drive toward program milestones and consult with our partnership and recruitment teams to ensure successful participant placements and conversion to hire. Moreover, you will develop curricula, design events and workshops, and collect, manage, and leverage data for continuous evaluation and improvement of Alternative Futures Program.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and implement new Alternative Futures programming including events, curriculum, and coaching in collaboration with the Alternative Investments and Career Program teams to creatively engage and develop participants to land internships and launch careers in Alternative Investments.
• Identify vendors, topics, and platforms to deliver relevant professional development content in collaboration with Alternative Investments and Career Program teams.
• Develop coaching rubrics and methodologies for a team industry experts to select participants, encourage engagement, reward commitment, developed skills, and measure outcomes.
• Plan and execute roadshows, bootcamps, and other events to drive recruitment, participation, and development and to showcase partner companies and career paths.
• Manage the development of talent pipelines by leveraging industry insight and expertise in partnership with Recruitment and Partnership functions.
• Leverage data to inform decision-making and develop strategies for continuous improvement of participant support, resource management, and performance metrics.
• Other duties to be assumed and assigned in support of Career team goals and the overall mission of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years of equivalent work experience within a corporate environment or a Master’s degree in Business, Finance, and Education, or Public Administration.
• Must have a working knowledge of financial services, preferably within Alternative Investments or Investment Banking.
• A background in project and/or program management; experience in nonprofit or educational program management is strongly preferred.
• Evidence of pre-professional or early professional coaching, mentorship, or professional development experience required. Working knowledge of adult learning and development practices and frameworks is a plus.
• General technical proficiencies within a cloud-based environment, including using MS365 products, Box, Monday.com, and advanced Excel. Direct experience with learning management systems (LMS) and Salesforce is preferred.
• A deep curiosity for or direct experience coaching and/or mentoring pre-professionals or early career professionals from under-represented and marginalized communities is non-negotiable.

COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

• Passion for SEO: A deep curiosity and awareness of the barriers to entry and obstacles for pre-professionals launching careers in Corporate America, and a passion and dedication to closing those opportunity gaps.
• Creativity: An affinity for generating new ideas through open exploration of diverse sources of information while grounding ideas in evidence, converting theory into practice, and evaluating creative solutions for continuous improvement.
• Initiative: Proactive in identifying ways to contribute to SEO’s goals and mission by setting achievable goals, addressing problems head-on, preparing for contingencies, and identifying opportunities as they arise. 
• Problem-solving: The capacity to anticipate needs, use the best resources, and employ careful decision-making. 
• Independence, Teamwork & Collaboration: The ability to be both a self-starter and a team player who builds people-first relationships and centers the SEO’s mission whenever possible. 
• Project Management: An affinity for strategic planning with the ability to break down issues into component pieces, build project work plans, assume accountability for timelines, lead cross-functional working teams, evaluate data for continuous improvement, and navigate ambiguity along the way. 
• Relationship Management: Proven ability to build relationships, influence key partners and stakeholders from the SEO community, and produce outcomes through collaboration.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

SEO offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plan including low-cost health, vision, and dental options, a generous holiday schedule and PTO policies, disability coverage, fully paid time off for new parents, and employer contributions to health reimbursement and retirement accounts. We are constantly working to improve our benefits each year based on the needs of our employees. We value wellness and strive to consistently use a DEIB lens to put people first and foremost.  

The compensation listed in this posting reflects what SEO believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and SEO reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.  

EEOC Policy 

At SEO we are committed to cultivating a team that embodies the backgrounds and experiences of the constituencies we serve and the communities we live in, and a workplace that reflects the impact we make in the world. Candidates from historically excluded and underrepresented communities – including people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ Community, veterans, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Equal Employment Opportunity is not just the law, it is our commitment. 

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – M/F/D/V. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other legally protected status. 

If you need accommodation while applying for a role with SEO, due to a disability, please email SEO Talent.