Alumni Advocate

About exalt

exalt elevates expectations of personal success for youth ages 15-19 who’ve been involved in the criminal justice system. We inspire youth at a critical crossroads to believe in their worth, from the first steps in contemplation through the journey to create lasting behavioral change. Our powerful combination of structured classes for tangible skill development, individualized support to navigate the education and justice systems, placement in paid internships and an alumni network of resources equips youth with the tools and experience to avoid further criminal justice system involvement. At exalt, we empower youth to see a future filled with hope – and we provide the road map to get there.

Job Summary

exalt is seeking an Alumni Advocate as part of a board-endorsed strategic plan for expansion and growth of the organization’s alumni program. The Alumni Advocate will serve as a pivotal staff member within the organization by providing support, guidance, and resources to our alumni pool for two years post-graduation from exalt’s core program. The Alumni Advocate is responsible for ensuring that exalt alumni continue to make gains in the organization’s three key focus areas of academic advancement, employability, and criminal justice avoidance. The Alumni Advocate will be expected to accomplish this through strategic support of exalt alumni’s high school matriculation as well as targeted collaborative planning with alumni on their post-secondary pathways, including exposure and access to educational, employability and workforce opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Individualized Education, Employability, and Criminal Justice Avoidance Support

• Develop and implement Individual Program Plans (IPPs) aligned with exalt’s three pillars; employability, education and criminal justice avoidance.
• Deliver targeted individual and group interventions that promote sustained school enrollment, employability, and avoidance of further justice system involvement.
• Prepare alumni for court proceedings, including drafting letters and providing direct support during court appearances, contributing to high rates of sentence reductions and low recidivism outcomes.

Secondary and Post-Secondary Education Support

• Facilitate high school, GED/HSE enrollment and transfers with the goal of graduation by age 20; ensure organizational benchmarks for enrollment and transfers are met.
• Connect alumni annually to post-secondary education and workforce development opportunities and co-facilitate college and vocational school tours.
• Lead the College Readiness Workshop Series and provide 1:1 college access coaching for participating alumni.
• Support alumni access to internal and external scholarship opportunities.

Tutoring and Academic Intervention

• Utilize a Freirean-inspired engagement model to support youth to make academic gains.
• Coordinate tutoring services with external partners, including transcript collection, contract administration, data, and ongoing communication.
• Support leadership in evaluating tutoring and academic outcomes annually.

Employability and Professional Development

• Support alumni during graduate internships and transitions to employment.
• Assist alumni in securing external internship placements and employment-related resources.
• Plan, schedule, and lead professional development workshops, alumni events, corporate partnerships, and youth advocacy initiatives.

External Engagement

• Cultivate and maintain partnerships with post-secondary institutions, vocational schools, and workforce development organizations.
• Collaborate with leadership to strengthen education and workforce pathways for students and alumni.

Data Management and Reporting

• Maintain timely and accurate data through daily and weekly updates across all program areas.
• Manage and update Salesforce records, reports, and dashboards on a quarterly and semiannual basis.
• Support leadership in strengthening organizational data capture and reporting systems.
• Share internal and external opportunities with the alumni community in collaboration with program staff.

Culture of Excellence

• Support a positive, professional organizational culture by setting expectations for student behavior, maintaining welcoming office environments, and ensuring appropriate communication and procedures with internal and external stakeholders.

Competencies

• Adaptability: Able to adapt quickly to new information and unexpected obstacles, and approach change positively. Able to adapt exalt’s curriculum to the specific needs, learning styles and personalities of each cohort of students.
• Applied learning: Able to learn and apply new position-related information quickly. For example, all exalt youth interface with the juvenile or criminal (adult) justice systems. The Lead Teacher must become familiar with these systems to understand their role in students’ lives and meaning in curriculum.
• Communication: Clearly and effectively convey and receive information and ideas to/from students and colleagues through a variety of media. Demonstrate strong written, oral and listening skills.
• Planning and organizing: Organize work, set priorities, determine resource requirements and seek input and support from supervisors/colleagues; determine necessary sequence of activities needed to achieve goals.
• Classroom management: Demonstrated ability to manage a classroom of high school aged youth typically resistant to educational settings. Balance clear structure, accountability and discipline with an engaging teaching style to facilitate high participation and interest from students.
• Stress tolerance: exalt students face a plethora of obstacles in their lives and often have pending court requirements that put their freedom in jeopardy. Staff must be able to make challenging decisions (e.g., potentially releasing a student from the program who cannot meet standards despite program flexibility) and balance the emotional aspects of working with young people facing severe challenges.

Compensation

• The Alumni Advocate Salary is $62,500 per year.
• exalt offers competitive benefits to all full-time employees that include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; 401k matching; commuter and parking flexible spending; paid time off; and more.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• 2 to 3 years of experience at a CBO or educational institution working with youth on post-secondary pathways (college access and/or workforce development).
• Experience with youth of similar profile to exalt participants, included but not limited to: criminal justice involvement, academic challenges, lack of professional skills development.
• Demonstrated understanding of NYC DOE structure
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Strong Relationship Building abilities
• Experience with group facilitation, with a focus on job readiness and/or workforce development curricula.
• Strong project management skills and ability to effectively manage multiple priorities at a high level.
• Ability to research and develop opportunities for alumni
• Ability to develop and cultivate partnerships with external stakeholders.

exalt is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, or any other protected class under Federal, State and Local law.

exalt offers competitive benefits to all full-time employees that include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; 401k matching; commuter and parking flexible spending; paid time off; and more.