Instructional Support Academic Affairs Director – Aurora
Job Description
About College Track
College Track is a national nonprofit that empowers students from underserved communities to graduate from college. From ninth grade through college graduation, students access academic, financial, and social-emotional support along with one-on-one coaching, career exposure, and other holistic growth opportunities. Our uniquely seamless, 10-year commitment to students and individualized approach are the keys to our ongoing transformative impact: College Track students graduate from four-year colleges at double the rate of their low-income and first-generation peers; and, five years after graduation, 87% of alumni earn more than their parents.
Over more than 20 years, College Track has grown from a cohort of 25 students in a single East Palo Alto center to a network of 10 College Track centers across California, Colorado, New Orleans, and the D.C. Metro Area that now serve more than 3,200 students. With a disciplined approach to growth, we have increased the number of students we serve and continuously improved the quality and impact of the services we provide. By 2020, College Track will empower more than 3,650 students as they pursue four-year college degrees and celebrate 750 alumni rising in the workforce as models to their families, friends, and communities.
To learn more, please visit www.collegetrack.org
Our Impact
College Track students graduate from college at a rate that is more than double the national average for low-income and first-generation students. Five years out of college, our graduates are employed full-time, and over 85% report earnings greater than their parents. By helping our students maximize the value of their four-year college degree, which includes minimizing student loan debt, securing internships, and limiting the need to work while in college–we prepare them to succeed in the 21st century economy.
Our Values
At College Track, our values drive the way we do our work, and we look for individuals who share our passion. We blend an entrepreneurial spirit with our nonprofit roots, cultivating a dynamic culture where everyone’s contributions are valued and encouraged.
- COMMITMENT: We have an unwavering belief in our students.
- PASSION: We are dedicated to changing our nation’s college completion story.
- JOY: We create environments rich with smiles and laughter.
- AUTHENTICITY: We believe relationships matter.
- EXCELLENCE: Our students deserve nothing but the best.
Position Overview
The mission of the Academic Affairs Director role is to ensure the high academic achievement of all College Track students so they matriculate to and graduate with a bachelor’s degree within six years. Additionally, this position is responsible for implementing a high quality Academic Affairs program, managing the Academic Affairs budget, partnering with school staff to best serve students, and effectively managing full time and part-time staff members to achieve site goals.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Program Development and Implementation: Lead, design and implement high quality academic programs that result in significant gains in GPA, ACT and math readiness. Successfully implement programs and services including tutoring, summer programming, case management and ACT preparation.
- Individual Student Planning and Monitoring: Assess student data continuously and provide meaningful interventions to ensure that students are on track to graduate from high school and thrive in a four-year college.
- Staff Management: Hire, manage and develop a team of full-time and part-time employees who are highly effective in achieving site goals.
- High School and Community Outreach and Engagement: Develop strong and formalized partnerships with schools, district, families and community partners that result in additional resources for our students and improvements to our program model. Keep abreast of emerging trends and practices within the education landscape and community, and understand impact on our students.
- Financial and Resource Management: Manage the Academic Affairs program budget. Develop and oversee academic resources, including tutoring support, ACT preparation, workshop instruction, academic advising, student case management, and support for the college admission process.
- Projects as assigned by the Site Director.
Skills & Experience Required
- Minimum 3-5 years of teaching and/or assisting students to excel academically; history of driving significant gains in student achievement
- Holds the highest expectations for students. Demonstrated success in motivating, influencing and managing students. Strong interpersonal skills and has an empathetic approach to challenging conversations
- Experience in hiring, developing and supporting talent. Creates the conditions for staff to learn, grow and do their work with ever increasing excellence
- Skilled at relationship building with students, families and schools. Builds relationships and communicates in ways that foster trust, value differences and further College Track’s mission
- Focuses on delivering outcomes despite obstacles, seeks out challenges as opportunities to grow, takes unexpected
setbacks in stride, and is able to galvanize self towards goals and impact. - Manages people, project and oneself to achieve excellent results and expand organizational impact.
- Skilled at analyzing student data and developing targeted interventions
- Minimum 4-year college degree (Master’s Degree preferred)
Compensation & Benefits
College Track offers a competitive salary based on the organization’s compensation philosophy, which is grounded in market data. We also offer comprehensive health & welfare benefits and top of the market paid time off.
To Apply
Please upload a resume and a thoughtful cover letter with your application. We will only contact candidates chosen for further consideration. No phone inquiries please.
College Track is an equal opportunity employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce. College Track does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
