Academies Site Director - Commuter
About The Position
The Program: Summer Academy - Residential & Commuter: Summer Academy has long been the keystone of Thrive Scholars’ Six-Year Program, offering a signature summer experience through intensive college-preparatory courses taught by college instructors. Thrive’s current strategic direction builds on the success of our residential Summer Academy to expand our impact by establishing commuter-based Academies in cities across the United States. We launched our first two commuter programs in Los Angeles and New York City in 2024 and Chicago in 2025, while simultaneously continuing to offer the residential Summer Academies for Scholars who do not have an academy in their community. We expect to continue extending our reach to other cities in the coming years. The Students: Our students are high-achieving, including first-generation college-goers from under-resourced communities, with an average high school GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. They are eager to learn, inquisitive, and highly motivated to succeed. In general, they see themselves as good students who perform well in school and are determined to live up to that expectation. When scholars attend their first summer academy, whether commuter or residential, they are a rising high school senior. The Opportunity: Thrive Scholars is seeking three (3) Site Directors (Dir), one for each of our three commuter academies in summer 2026. The Site Director will be the lead local daily operations of the summer programs at the assigned host University. Ensuring a positive, enriching, & safe experience for Scholars. The Site Director will be the primary Thrive on-site representative. The Site Director will administer program logistics, act as the main point of contact between campus and Thrive, support the development and implementation of programming, and provide supervision/support to the onsite team.
Requirements
- Minimum of 3 years of experience working with youth in a full-time role
- Experience managing people and programming in a learning environment, such as an summer camp, school, academic summer program, a residential high school or a college/university
- Experience in and passion for working with a diverse community of high school & college students
- Superior interpersonal skills & ability to build effective relationships with students, faculty, & staff
- High level of dependability & strong commitment to ensuring the health & safety of participants at all times
- Enthusiasm & ability to work in a high-energy environment, foster positivity & energy among high-school & college students
- Ability to train/manage a team of professional staff and college-age staff members
- Valid driver's license
- Must pass a background check and complete required safety trainings
- Bachelor's degree required
Nice To Haves
- CPR & First Aid certification preferred
- Experience in school counseling or social work preferred
Responsibilities
- Serve as primary liaison with the host university for all operational and program matters while in session
- Oversee daily management of program logistics, including budget, student transportation plan, and supplies
- Track and manage class attendance and supporting classroom needs
- Keep Thrive's Director of Academies informed via regular check-ins & communication; work collaboratively with Thrive staff to troubleshoot as necessary & implement approved decisions
- Host staff meetings to provide feedback and guidance as needed to ensure strong performance for on-site team
- In collaboration with Thrive program staff and site staff, co-lead student orientations
- Assist with planning & chaperoning off-site field trips and special events
- Monitor student safety, well-being, & program participation; provide support around student issues that may arise; & work as a liaison with parents, medical, mental health, or safety services, as needed
- Support and monitor participants to ensure that students abide by Thrives Community Standards and attendance policies, and administer appropriate response for students who are not meeting expectations
- Mediate conflicts among Scholars is needed
- Maintain objectivity and strict confidentiality in all sensitive matters and with student information
- Serves as point person for parents during the program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
