Director of College Access

The Organization

At Thrive Scholars, our goal is to see talented low-income students of color develop inter-generational wealth and financial security, and become the diverse corporate, civic, and academic leaders our country so desperately needs.

Our comprehensive, data-driven, high-touch program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between just graduating from any college, and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. Over our six-year program, Scholars benefit from admissions and intensive academic preparation before college and a comprehensive set of academic, personal, social-emotional, financial, and career supports throughout college.

The Program

The two primary components of our High School program are the Summer Academy and college counseling.

• Summer Academy is a 6-week rigorous academic preparation program that gives students 210+ hours of instruction in college-level writing and math taught by college professors, to ensure that Scholars have the preparation they need to excel academically in selective college settings. Our Summer Academy for rising high school seniors typically takes place at Amherst College, but due to COVID, will be a virtual model for the summer of 2021.
• Throughout Summer Academy and during their senior year of high school, Thrive Scholars provides group-based and individual college counseling programming to students, ensuring that students are competitive applicants at selective colleges where they receive low-loan or no-loan financial aid.

The Position

Thrive Scholars is poised to triple the number of students served in the next 5 years, and we are seeking an experienced, dynamic, and strategic leader to manage our College Access program to support the organization through this significant growth. The next Director must have expert knowledge of the selective college admission and financial aid process; experience working with academically high-performing students; and a deep understanding of the experiences of low-income and first-generation college student populations. Reporting to the Senior Director of Programs, the Director will drive the continuous improvement of all College Access initiatives, ensuring effective programming that is informed by best-practice and continuous improvement.

This position is based in Boston, MA or Los Angeles, CA. Post-COVID, some travel to the other site required. Once Summer Academy returns to its in-person format, the Director will be responsible for providing on-site leadership at Summer Academy and is expected to be on-site at Amherst College during a minimum of 4 weeks within the six-week program.  

Key responsibilities

• College Access Program Leadership (40%): The Director will be responsible for the leadership of all aspects of the Thrive Scholars College Access program.
• Management and Program Design: The Director will lead the College Access team, including 3 College Access Managers currently, with plans for additional managers as we grow the number of Scholars served. The Director will be responsible for hiring, management, and talent development, and ensuring that the team is equipped to reach ambitious goals, including in the areas of shaping and building the structure and design of college counseling support, ongoing workshops, digital programming, and key events, including an annual college fair. 
• Campus Relationships: The Director will also be responsible for cultivating relationships with college admission representatives, and advocating on behalf of Scholars in the college selection process when necessary.
• Program Evaluation and Data: The Director will ensure attainment of program goals and engage in ongoing program evaluation and redesign; gather and report on qualitative and quantitative data.

• College Counseling (40%): Provide holistic, individual college counseling support to a caseload of approximately 25 Scholars with the goal of enrolling at Top 100 colleges with no or low loans. The Director will also write letters of recommendations for Scholars on their caseload and serve as the primary Thrive Scholars contact for those Scholars.

• Summer Academy Program Leadership (15%): In collaboration with the Senior Director of Programs, manage the planning and execution of the Summer Academy program on the campus of Amherst College. This will include the hiring and management of a Summer Academy Director and a Faculty Liaison, and coordinating campus logistics, Scholar arrangements, and enrichment programming. 

• Cross-Program Support (5%) Support cross-departmental and organization-wide events and initiatives, including student recruitment and selection.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree with five or more years of professional experience required
• Minimum of three years of experience in college admissions, financial aid, or college counseling, with a focus on selective colleges
• Minimum of three years of experience managing a team
• Expertise in the college admission and financial aid process, particularly as it relates to first generation, low-income, and students of color
• A passion for working with a racially, culturally, and socially diverse community of academically talented high school students
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead presentations and workshops
• Highly skilled relationship-builder, who is able to build trusting relationships with colleagues, high school students, guidance counselors, and college admissions professionals
• Goal-oriented, motivated by impact and results
• An entrepreneurial attitude and focus on continuous improvement and innovation
• Ability to leverage technology to provide remote support to and maintain strong rapport with students across the country
• Excellent people management skills, and ability to coach and develop a team towards ambitious goals
• Excellent workflow management skills and the ability to evaluate outcomes and make data-informed decisions

Salary Range: $80,000 – $90,000

The desired start for this position is early April 2021 or sooner; however, the start date may be flexible and candidates who require a later start should indicate this in their cover letters.

Thrive Scholars offers a robust compensation and benefits package including high-quality health and dental insurance, three weeks of paid vacation, generous professional development funding, and access to an employer-matched retirement plan.

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Thrive Scholars provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Knowing its importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. We appreciate your time and will review and respond to all applications received.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org