College Advising Mentor Specialist

IMPROVE YOUR TOMORROW•Oakland, CA

1d•$29 - $39•Onsite

About The Position

The College Advising Mentor Specialist is the primary relationship-builder, college advisor, and college-going culture builder for students in grades 9–12. The role is the senior site-based leader for daily programming, with a consistent on-campus presence each school day and responsibility for the daily IYT experience and connections among students, families, and college pathways. The position is field-based at an assigned local school campus in the Bay Area, Oakland, California, and includes travel of up to 25%. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; some weekends, evenings, and organization-wide events are required. The role provides mentorship and academic monitoring, runs study hall and structured programming, engages families, and supports students’ academic progress and college readiness. For seniors, the specialist coordinates readiness activities with the College Completion Mentor Specialist and completes a documented warm handoff before graduation. The role also maintains detailed Salesforce records and shares approved site content with the Associate Program Director. Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), founded in 2013, works to increase the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from colleges and universities. Its vision is for men of color to be overrepresented in higher education, underrepresented in the criminal justice system, and leaders in their communities. IYT’s core values are Character, Service, Teamwork, and Liberation.

Requirements

Commitment to IYT’s mission, vision, and values.
Ability to self-motivate to achieve results.
Ability to multitask and work under pressure.
Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and produce quality results.
Excellent communication and management skills, including the ability to inspire and encourage others to achieve their goals.
Ability to act with an appropriate, responsible level of transparency and vulnerability to build confidence and trust.
Demonstrated commitment to equity and supporting young men of color.
Strong relationship-building skills and ability to connect authentically with students, families, and school partners.
Commitment to meeting students where they are and building relationships before asking anything of them.
Strong case-management instincts, including ability to track, follow up, and document a rolling caseload.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
Ability to use G-Suite, Microsoft Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in Spanish is strongly preferred.
A degree in education, social work, youth development, or a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior site-based leader for daily IYT programming and maintain a consistent, visible presence on campus every school day.
Provide one-to-one mentorship to students across all grade levels on the site roster.
Own and operate open and structured study hall on dedicated programming days, maintaining a welcoming, structured, and purposeful environment.
Lead structured programming at the site, including the full Brotherhood experience and Member Development Workshop.
Conduct a family touchpoint after every mentorship session to affirm student growth, share a success, or invite the family to an upcoming opportunity.
Lead quarterly family engagement touchpoints: Q1 Orientation/Welcome, Q2 Milestone, Q3 Mid-Semester, and Q4 Celebration.
Monitor GPA, A–G/college eligibility progress, and attendance across the assigned caseload.
Coordinate FAFSA/CADAA timelines, college applications, and senior readiness for 12th graders with the College Completion Mentor Specialist.
Introduce every senior to the College Completion Mentor Specialist by spring semester and document the required warm handoff before graduation.
Log mentorship sessions, programming attendance, and family touchpoints in Salesforce within 24 hours.
Maintain current academic records for each student, including GPA, A–G/college eligibility progress, attendance, and D/F flags, and promptly raise concerns with the Associate Program Director.
Track and document grade-level milestones for 12th graders, including FAFSA/CADAA completion, college applications, intent to enroll, orientation, registration, declared major, education plan, and counselor connection.
Maintain accurate intervention notes and academic recovery plans for students with D/F grades or a GPA below 2.0, including follow-up actions and progress.
Complete end-of-week Salesforce logging and review students not yet seen to ensure each member has been contacted or has a scheduled follow-up.
Capture and submit regular site content, including photos, short videos, student stories, and impactful program moments, with required consent and release documentation on file.
Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life and AD&D insurance, with additional voluntary options
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
403(b) retirement plan with a 3% employer match after one year of employment
Sick leave
Two weeks of accrued paid vacation leave
11 paid holidays
Additional paid time off during select school breaks, about three weeks of additional PTO in total