Program Director–College Access Program (various Montgomery County public high school locations)

POSITION SUMMARY
CollegeTracks seeks an energetic and passionate leader to serve as the Program Director for our College Access Program at our MCPS High Schools. The Program Director is responsible for students’ college admissions and financial aid outcomes and for managing the day-to-day operations of the CollegeTracks Access Program. The Program Director works in conjunction with the high school’s administration team, teachers, and school staff and is further responsible for managing full-time Program Coordinators and a group of volunteers working onsite.
 

The majority of the Program Director’s work will be performed at the assigned high school.
Each high school Access team works collaboratively to guide students and families through the following eight (8) milestones:
1. Plan Your Higher Education & Career Path
2. Prepare for Standardized Tests
3. Create Your Higher Education List
4. Submit Your Applications
5. Apply for Financial Aid
6. Apply for Scholarships
7. Decide Where to Attend
8. Enroll
 

The Program Director reports directly to CollegeTracks’ College Access Director.
 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management
● Develop and execute an annual operations plan and team goals for the Access Program
● Utilize computer and web-based tools (Google Suite, Salesforce, etc.) to provide efficient
and thorough programmatic oversight
● Manage, supervise, and direct CollegeTracks staff and volunteers to implement the
program in a fast and complex nonprofit environment with multiple competing priorities
● Strategically collaborate with school administrators, counselors, and staff to recruit
students into the program with the goal of active and continuous engagement
● Recruit students into the program with the goal of active and continuous engagement
● Provide college and career advising to students and families about the college
admissions and financial aid processes
● Manage standardized test preparation and registration for students (SAT, ACT, TOEFL,
Accuplacer, etc.)
● Maintain knowledge of current trends and execute best practices in college access,
college success, and student development
● Utilize various popular social media platforms (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter,
Remind, etc.) for effective student outreach and program engagement
Data Management & Analysis
● Manage data collection through an online Salesforce database platform and effectively
utilize student folders to track program activities and student outcomes
● Analyze and utilize data to inform programmatic and organizational needs
● Deliver regular programmatic reports entailing program narrative and quantitative data
Internal Program Collaboration
● Develop and nurture collaborative relationships with CollegeTracks staff and volunteers
● Use problem-solving skills to recognize programmatic challenges and opportunities and
report them promptly, with options for solutions, to the College Access Director
● Work in concert with other CollegeTracks’ Access teams to develop and update tools,
strategies, and solutions to meet student needs
● Collaborate with the CollegeTracks Success team to successfully identify and transition
CollegeTracks Access students to the CollegeTracks Success Program.
● Provide information and reports, as needed, for grant applications, other
funding/collaboration opportunities, and special projects.
External Partner Collaboration
● Develop and nurture collaborative relationships with high school administrators,
counselors, teachers and staff; community partners; and college admissions and
financial aid staff, university administrators, and campus departments to identify
opportunities and support services for the CollegeTracks student population
● Communicate effectively (verbally and in writing) to ensure that school staff are fully
aware and supportive of program expectations and knowledgeable about currently
enrolled CollegeTracks students
● Anticipate and address issues with a high degree of responsiveness and follow-through
● Serve as a CollegeTracks program champion to promote CollegeTracks with the public
school system, specific colleges, and broader community
 

QUALIFICATIONS
● Significant human services or non-profit leadership experience (5+ years preferred)
● Master's degree in education, counseling, social work, psychology or a related field
preferred
● Must have exceptionally strong management experience and leadership skills
● Prior work experience with under-represented students in high schools, college access,
college admissions, higher education (certificate, 2-year, and 4-year programs), youth
development, teaching and/or counseling, or college retention programs
● Working knowledge of college admissions, higher education (certificate, 2-year, and
4-year programs), college retention, and/or public school systems
● Understands and values diversity, equity and inclusion as an organizational operating
principle and is committed to continued learning on related issues related
● Proven interpersonal and relationship building skills with students, colleagues, high
school/college staff, volunteers, and community members
● Strong proven ability to analyze data to make and support strategic and operational
programmatic decisions (familiarity with Salesforce or similar relational database
platform a plus)
● Ability to exercise sound judgment in complex situations with competing interests
● Flexibility to transition between "big picture" and day-to-day operations thinking for
effective decision-making
● Work experience in multicultural and multilingual student and family environments
● Demonstrated adaptability to constantly changing situations with flexible and creative
approaches
● Must be extremely organized and detail-oriented
● Bilingual or fluent in Spanish is highly preferred
 

Other requirements
● Sense of humor
● Passionate about equal access to higher education
● Willing to advocate relentlessly on behalf of our students
● Access to reliable transportation and smartphone
 

The compensation for the Access Program Director position is $65,000, and is non-negotiable.
 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
CollegeTracks understands and values racial equity as an organizational operating principle and is committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion among our team is critical to our success and mission. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. CollegeTracks is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, or national origin, marital status, genetic information, or political affiliation, or gender identity and expression. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for open positions.