College Counselor & Advisor

College Track • Sacramento, CA

2d • $69,575 - $83,375 • Onsite

About The Position

The College Counselor & Advisor plays a central role in delivering on College Track’s 10-Year Promise by supporting scholars to navigate their postsecondary journeys with clarity, confidence, and purpose. This cross-functional role merges leadership development and college counseling into one position, responsible for both group facilitation and personalized advising. Reporting to the College Counseling Director, the College Counselor & Advisor works in close partnership with the Academic Advisor to co-lead the development and implementation of each scholar’s Consolidated Education Plan (CEP); a dynamic, multi-year roadmap that integrates academic progress, social-emotional growth, and postsecondary goals.
The College Counselor & Advisor facilitates College Track’s LEAD curriculum and college readiness programming, helping scholars explore their purpose, develop leadership skills, and complete critical college access milestones. They also provide individualized college advising to a caseload of scholars, guiding them through the complex process of preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in and matriculating to college and a commitment to co-creating an integrated, scholar-centered experience in partnership with site teams and families.

Requirements

• Minimum 4-year college degree required; advanced degree or college counseling certification preferred.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in college access, youth development, school counseling, or a related field; direct experience working with first-generation college-bound students strongly preferred.
• Proven success delivering college readiness advising, including FAFSA completion, financial aid literacy, personal statement coaching, and enrollment decision-making.
• Strong facilitation and curriculum delivery skills with experience leading group-based workshops, particularly with high school youth.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze scholar data (e.g., GPA, college access milestones, workshop attendance) to guide individualized and group advising.
• Deep understanding of social-emotional development.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends aligned to key program milestones (e.g., FAFSA nights, college decision events).
• Physical Requirements: alternating between sedentary work that primarily involves sitting, standing, typing on a keyboard, manipulating a mouse to use a computer's operating system/internet, and more active work such as moving around an office environment, communicating with scholars/stakeholders, (conveying and receiving information), classroom management, far visual acuity, near visual acuity lifting/carrying/moving objects (20 pounds).

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in Spanish or Cantonese is preferred for this role.

Responsibilities

• Deliver dynamic workshops and experiences across the five LEAD pillars: College Preparation, Career & Purpose, Social-Emotional Wellness, Academic Skills, and Financial Literacy.
• Facilitate age-appropriate college access and leadership development content in group settings, integrating culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices.
• Engage in ongoing intellectual preparation to adapt LEAD and college-readiness content to meet diverse scholar needs and contexts.
• Leverage feedback and data to iterate and improve session delivery.
• Provide 1:1 college counseling and case management for a caseload of scholars, supporting them through all aspects of the college access process, including application planning, financial aid, college fit and match, and enrollment decision-making.
• Ensure scholars complete all required college milestones, including college visits, SAT/ACT, FAFSA/alternative site-based financial aid, personal statements, scholarship applications, and final college decisions.
• Track and report on college readiness indicators to inform supports and interventions.
• Maintain accurate records in College Track’s data systems to ensure timely, data-driven advising. Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Academic Advisors, College Thrive team members, and other staff to ensure seamless phase transitions and holistic support.
• Collaborate with school counselors, teachers, and community-based partners to build a coordinated network of support around each scholar.
• Implement College Track’s national college and university partnerships strategy with fidelity under the direction of the College Counseling and Partnerships Strategy team
• Partner with the College Access, Success, and Partnerships team to analyze matriculation and post-secondary scholar data in support of continuous improvement of our college counseling strategies
• Collaborate with colleagues and instructional leaders to continuously improve curriculum implementation through reflective practice, peer feedback, and shared planning.
• Co-develop and maintain the CEP alongside the Academic Advisor, ensuring it reflects each scholar’s evolving academic, social-emotional, and postsecondary goals.
• Support scholars in identifying their purpose, strengths, and support needs, both in school and in life, and integrate these into their CEP planning.
• Coordinate regularly with Academic Advisors to align on scholar supports, college readiness benchmarks, and transition planning from high school into the College Thrive phase.
• Facilitate structured scholar reflection and check-ins using the CEP as a tool for ongoing development.
• Build strong, trusting relationships with scholars and families that foster identity, agency, and high expectations.
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• College Track provides access to extensive benefits centered around three core areas of wellness: health care, work-life balance, and financial security.
• We believe time off is essential to success and provide up to 23 discretionary time off days (Sick and Vacation) in addition to 23 paid office closures and holidays in your first year of employment.
• Learn more about benefits here (bit.ly/JpBs22).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level