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 and data-driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. 

Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars (“SCS”) twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally; reaching more high-achieving underrepresented students, growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact.  Looking ahead, Thrive Scholars is embarking on a new strategic plan which will include launching new program offerings and continued organizational growth. Thrive Scholars has approximately 85 permanent employees and 170 summer employees. 

The Position

Thrive Scholars seeks a strategic, student-centered leader to oversee our College Access program. In this role, the Director of College Access (CA) will manage a team of 6 College Access Managers who provide 1:1 college counseling to a caseload of high school seniors to support their competitiveness for and enrollment in selective colleges with no or low loans. The Director will be responsible for leading and developing the CA team to provide holistic advising that keeps economic mobility and career optionality at the forefront of college decision-making. The Director will also manage and direct the operations of the CA Team, including evaluating and assigning duties to College Access Managers, building the team’s proficiency in college counseling, and supporting challenging student issues. The Director will leverage their extensive knowledge of the selective college admission and financial aid landscape, and deep understanding of the experiences of low-income and first-generation college student populations to drive the continuous improvement of all College Access initiatives, ensuring effective programming that is informed by best practices.

This position is remote and reports to the Managing Director of High School and College Programs. During our 6-week residential Summer Academy at Amherst College, the Director of College Access will be expected to be on-site for 3 - 4 weeks.  

Key Responsibilities:

College Access Program Leadership (40%)

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the College Access program and provide proactive leadership and structure to ensure successful program delivery and outcomes, including supporting Scholars in matriculating to their best-fit, highly selective schools of choice, with at least 85% attending a Top 100 school with great financial aid. 
• In close collaboration with the MD of High School and College Programs, Director of College Success, and Managing Director of Career Pathways, develop processes and programming that align with goals and strategies across Thrive’s college access, success, and career programs. 
• Cultivating relationships with college admission representatives, and advocating on behalf of Scholars in the college selection process when necessary.
• Provide ongoing program evaluation and redesign, including refining our College Access approach and benchmarks
• Strategically monitor scholar progress and provide regular reporting of student application and enrollment rates in organizational databases

College Access Team Leadership (40%)

• Be responsible for hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and talent development of 6 direct reports
• Promote ongoing learning and development for the team by identifying areas for growth to develop appropriate learning and development strategies
• Foster a positive team culture and facilitate staff engagement by effectively connecting tasks to mission impact, promoting a team practice of dialogue, feedback, accountability, and celebrating success

Summer Academy Program Leadership (10%)

• Support with Summer Academy strategy as it relates to College Access programming
• Collaborate with the MD of High School and College Programs and the Director of Summer Academy to support the planning and execution of Summer Academies, including but not limited to community programming, and broader programmatic and logistical support 
• Lead the College Access Team in the planning and execution of College Access at Summer Academy including, but not limited to large group workshops, digital programming, annual college fair, and college tours. 

Cross-Program Support (10%)

• Support cross-departmental and organization-wide events and initiatives, including student recruitment, selection, and enrollment efforts

Experience & Qualifications:

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. The qualifications and experiences listed below are intended as a guide; we do not expect candidates to check every box.  If you believe you can meet the expectations and responsibilities of this position, we want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work.

• Bachelor’s degree required 
• 5+  years of experience in selective college admissions and/or college counseling 
• 3+ years of direct team leadership and management experience
• Alignment to Thrive’s mission and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
• Strong understanding of college admissions as well as socio-emotional experience of first-generation, low-income, and students of color in selective college environments
• Strength in data tracking, management, and analysis
• Ability to design and implement enhancements to improve the efficiency and quality of advising service 
• Ability to design and implement training for student advisors
• Excellent people management skills, and ability to coach and develop a team toward ambitious goals
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead presentations and workshops
• Skilled relationship-builder, who can build trusting relationships with colleagues, scholars,  and college professionals
• Skilled project manager with the ability to evaluate outcomes and make data-informed decisions

Compensation and Benefits:

Thrive Scholars offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including high-quality health, dental, and disability insurance, three weeks of paid vacation (four weeks after two years of employment), generous professional development funding, and access to an employer-matched retirement plan. This is a full-time, exempt position.

Salary Range: $89,198 - $95,893

COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

Thrive has instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees, including remote staff. Individuals selected for job opportunities must be fully vaccinated and up to date, per CDC guidelines, and will be required to provide proof of vaccination status in advance of your hire date. 

If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely held religious beliefs, Thrive will consider requests for reasonable accommodations consistent with our policy.  Accommodation requests cannot be guaranteed, Thrive will consider requests where we are able to provide such accommodations without undue hardship to the organization pursuant to applicable law.  Any such accommodation must be approved in advance of signing an offer letter.

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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 their importance to the success of our work, Thrive Scholars is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community. We strongly encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

For more information, please visit thrivescholars.org