Administrator, Scholarship & College Success

San Diego Foundation•San Diego, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Administrator, Scholarship & College Success provides administrative support primarily to San Diego Foundation’s Community Scholarships Program within the College Success team. The role supports the scholarship cycle, responds to student inquiries, maintains student and award data, prepares scholarship documentation, assists with award processing, and supports donor communications and stewardship. The position follows established procedures, receives training on SDF’s systems and scholarship processes, and works with team members to resolve questions and discrepancies. Additional College Success team support may be assigned as needed. This is a hybrid role with weekly onsite requirements at SDF’s Liberty Station headquarters in San Diego. The position is hourly and non-exempt, with a stated pay range of $26.00–$29.00 per hour. The anticipated application closing date is November 25, 2026.

Requirements

At least one year of experience in administrative support, customer service, operations, or a related function in a professional office environment.
Comfort working with large datasets, spreadsheets, and tracking tools.
Ability to maintain administrative records and follow established workflows accurately and on time.
Strong customer service orientation and ability to interact professionally with students, donors, fundholders, colleagues, and external stakeholders.
Ability to work independently, manage multiple assignments, prioritize competing responsibilities, and meet deadlines.
Initiative and problem-solving skills, including resolving routine issues using established procedures and referring exceptions to the appropriate team member.
Dependable, collaborative, positive, professional, and adaptable approach.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Experience with database applications, data entry, record management, and report generation.
Ability to learn new systems, processes, and technology.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and changing environment.
Commitment to the mission and values of San Diego Foundation.
Fluency in English, including reading, writing, and speaking.

Nice To Haves

Experience in scholarships, higher education, nonprofit administration, or donor-facing programs.
Familiarity with scholarship platforms or CRM or database systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as the first point of contact for scholarship students and applicants, manage the scholarship inbox, provide accurate and empathetic guidance, and route requests across the College Success team as needed.
Prepare and send student communications, track follow-up needs, and maintain student records and communication histories in accordance with confidentiality procedures.
Develop working knowledge of scholarship and grantmaking workflows to respond to inquiries and prepare scholarship award documentation and communications following established approval processes.
Support donor stewardship through impact reports, correspondence, mailings, and the annual review and preparation of student ThankView videos.
Provide administrative and logistical support for donor meetings, events, and engagement activities.
Enter and maintain scholarship data and student and award records in Foundant, Raiser's Edge, Financial Edge, GrantedGE, and other applicable systems.
Review and verify recipient information and more than 1,000 award installment records annually against approved award details, coordinating with team members to resolve discrepancies or missing information.
Maintain renewal, award, outreach, and contact tracking spreadsheets for communications, follow-up, and reporting.
Prepare routine queries, exports, and reports related to scholarship awards, funds, donations, and donor activity using established procedures.
Manage a high volume of records accurately, meet processing deadlines, and follow confidentiality and data quality standards.
Learn relevant system functions and workflows and update procedural documentation as directed.
Support the College Success team throughout the scholarship cycle, managing multiple tasks and deadlines with particular attention to student records, payments, and donor-facing materials.
Maintain organized electronic files, tracking systems, templates, and administrative records; process and track scholarship documentation for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with established procedures and reporting requirements.
Support process improvements that strengthen accuracy, consistency, efficiency, and the donor experience.
Cross-train on key College Success team responsibilities and provide backup coverage as needed.
Assist with special projects, department initiatives, and additional duties that support scholarship operations.
Collaborate with Grants, Development & Stewardship, Finance, Information Technology, Communications, and other departments on donor services and scholarship operations.
Provide administrative and logistical support for organizational initiatives, events, and projects as assigned.
Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, service-oriented team environment and help identify solutions to operational challenges.

Benefits

Supportive, inclusive company culture; recognized as a Top Workplace by the San Diego Union-Tribune six years in a row.
Hybrid work environment with support for home office setup.
Option for a 9/80 work schedule, providing every other Friday off.
100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance for employees.
75% employer-paid premiums for eligible dependents.
403(b) retirement plan with up to 4% employer match, plus annual discretionary contributions.
Earned Incentive Program.
Three weeks of paid time off annually, plus an additional organization-wide paid week off in July.
13 paid holidays, plus 2 paid volunteer days each year.
Extended Health Care Time accrual for sick leave, family care, and parental leave.
Four-week paid sabbatical after every five years of service.
$100 monthly cell phone and internet reimbursement.
$75 quarterly wellness or gym reimbursement.
Annual $600 match to a nonprofit of your choice through a Donor Advised Fund.
Annual service recognition with a $100 donation to a nonprofit of your choice.