Senior Recruitment Coordinator (Youth Programs)

Who We Are

Spark the Journey (Spark) is a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and a community of support for young adults to chart their own paths to achieving college and career success. Formerly known as Capital Partners for Education (CPE), Spark has been working with talented young adults in the Washington, DC metro region for over 30 years and currently serves over 400 mentees annually. Spark the Journey’s unique mentorship approach fosters long-lasting relationships between mentors and mentees as young adults choose to pursue the education, career path, or personal goals they want to achieve—with a community of support

About the Role

At Spark the Journey, you won’t just manage recruitment—you’ll help build a community that changes lives.

As our Senior Recruitment Coordinator, you will play a critical role in growing and strengthening Spark’s mentor and participant pipeline during an exciting period of expansion and partnership growth. You’ll serve as a trusted point of contact for mentors, students, families, and partners while driving recruitment strategy, improving systems, coordinating events, and ensuring a high-quality experience from first interaction through final match.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who thrives in a mission-driven, fast-paced environment and enjoys balancing relationship-building, operations, events, and data management.

This role is an exempt role reporting to the Associate Director of Recruitment and Admissions.

Your Responsibilities

Mentor Recruitment, Engagement & Onboarding

You will lead and strengthen Spark’s mentor recruitment pipeline by:

• Conducting mentor interviews, coordinating onboarding steps, and supporting orientations to ensure a positive candidate experience
• Planning and supporting recruitment events, information sessions, and outreach efforts to grow mentor engagement
• Maintaining accurate recruitment and pipeline data in Salesforce or similar systems while keeping listings and communications updated
• Building collaborative relationships with internal teams and community partners to support recruitment goals, mentor matching to reach growth goals, and process improvements based on recruitment trends

Events & Community Building

You will help create meaningful experiences that keep our community engaged and connected by:

• Planning, coordinating, and attending recruitment, recognition, and community-building events
• Managing event logistics including materials, communications, attendance tracking, and follow-up
• Supporting evening and weekend events as needed
• Ensuring events are executed professionally and within budget guidelines

Data, Applications & Operational Support

You’ll help ensure our processes remain organized, equitable, and people-centered by:

• Reviewing and processing student applications accurately and efficiently
• Tracking applicants and guardians through each stage of the admissions process
• Ensuring communications are timely, professional, and welcoming
• Partnering with Programs and Data teams to maintain accurate records and support equitable practices

Qualifications 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; Associate’s degree considered with relevant experience
• 2+ years of experience in recruitment, admissions, youth programs, community engagement, or a related field
• Strong organizational and communication skills with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Proven experience in event coordination, with strong facilitation and presentation skills and the ability to engage diverse audiences
• Skilled in conducting one-on-one interviews and handling sensitive information with empathy, professionalism, and confidentiality
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to establish trust across diverse stakeholders
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without sponsorship
• Must pass a criminal background check.

Preferred but not Required

• Experience working with low-income youth and/or students facing barriers to college completion strongly preferred
• Experience with data management and CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and proficiency in Microsoft Office tools

Availability, Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Must reside in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and maintain residency
• Ability to travel in the DMV metro area multiple days per month
• Flexibility to work occasional evenings and/or weekends in the Washington, DC metro area

This role has a mix of active and sedentary aspects. Candidates require the ability to stand and walk for extended periods, bend, reach, lift, carry, and set up materials up to 25 pounds. Regular use of a computer for administrative work in office and remote settings is also required.

How You Will Be Compensated

This position is salaried, exempt. The starting salary range for this position is $55,000.00 to $65,000.00 annually depending on skills and experience brought to the role.

To counter pay inequality and uphold internal parity, Spark uses a non-negotiable salary system. Our goal is to offer a competitive salary that also meets our equity guidelines. Rather than negotiating, we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with Flexible Spending Account options, effective the first day of the month following employment
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching of 3%
• Life and disability insurance with premiums fully funded by Spark
• 15 days of paid vacation in each of the first two years; 20 days in subsequent years
• Office closed on national and state holidays and between December 24-January 1
• Flexible teleworking policies in response to employee needs

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance with Flexible Spending Account options, effective the first day of the month following employment
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching of 3%
• Life and disability insurance with premiums fully funded by Spark
• 15 days of paid vacation in each of the first two years; 20 days in subsequent years
• Office closed on national and state holidays and between December 24-January 1
• Flexible teleworking policies in response to employee needs

English reading, writing, and speaking proficiency. Spanish proficiency a plus.