Scholar Advocate - Coaching & Enrollment

Kansas City Scholars•Kansas City, MO

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Great Jobs KC (www.greatjobskc.org) is a 501(c)(3) college scholarship and tuition-free job training program. Its goal is to support persistence and increase the college completion rate for low- and modest-income students across the six-county, bi-state service region and secure family-sustaining careers. The organization was designed to change thousands of individual lives and transform the region by preparing the local future workforce and contributing to the regional economy. The KC Scholars Scholarship Program awards traditional college scholarships to high school juniors, adult learner scholarships to adults 18 years and older, and college savings match awards to high school freshmen. The Great Jobs KC program provides tuition assistance to approved career training programs in high-demand industries such as construction, healthcare, information technology, logistics/warehousing, manufacturing and service careers. With the support of Great Jobs KC, adults 17+ and older can learn the skills needed in one year or less to secure a job with family-sustaining wages. Great Jobs KC supports all its Scholars throughout their college or job training and into their first year of employment.

Requirements

Relevant certification or technical training required.
A minimum of 3+ years of relevant experience in serving individuals from diverse and low-income backgrounds including specific knowledge related to successful student support strategies for persistence and completion.
Experience working in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment with the ability to set and meet clear deadlines.
Commitment to and complete belief in the mission of Great Jobs KC.
Quick learner with the ability to develop a solid understanding of the content, processes, deliverables and overall objectives of a complex, multi-faceted program.
Personal values system that encompasses the highest standards of honesty, confidentiality, integrity, loyalty, and professional ethics.
Passion for increasing workforce preparedness among young adults who are first-generation to college, low-income, or historically underrepresented in higher education and the regional workforce.
Desire for feedback and ability to use it to drive quality.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to multi-task and meet multiple deadlines.
Keen sense of responsibility, high level of poise, ability to think independently, ability to maintain confidentiality, and a customer service orientation.
Tactful and diplomatic with good listening skills and an approachable personality.
Ability to be self-directed, take initiative, anticipate demands, and problem solve.
Ability to hold oneself and others accountable for enacting and following processes to ensure that work is accurate and complete and “completed correctly the first time.”
Ability to maintain a calm and competent demeanor in uncomfortable and demanding situations.
Experience working successfully with multiple demands, shifting priorities and constant change in an ambiguous environment.
Cultural competency.
Proven and successful experience collaborating with other organizations and team members to achieve program goals.
Passion for increasing access to certifications and career placement among young adults-especially among those who may be a member of a demographic group traditionally underrepresented in the workforce.
Working knowledge of industry specific opportunities, certifications and requirements, specifically in, but not limited to, the areas of healthcare, IT, construction, and manufacturing.
Ability to work under competing deadlines/demands.
Ability to be proactive and consider the bigger picture.
Exceptional judgment that augments an ability to be solutions-oriented and then act appropriately to solve problems.
Strong organizational skills, well-developed process skills, attention to detail, and ability to multi-task in a rapidly scaling organization.
Excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to work with large diverse, multi-generational audiences.
Ability to analyze data and recognize and articulate trends.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Power Point, and Excel).
Ability to lift up to 15 lbs.
Ability to work in an office and remote environment.
Ability to travel from and to work and occasionally to regional sites as the organization grows.
Ability to work 20% of the workday outside traditional office hours each week.
Ability to interact with others via technology, face-to-face and collectively, especially in a virtual setting via webcam.

Nice To Haves

An undergraduate degree in a relevant field is highly desired but not required.

Responsibilities

Work 1:1 with skills-focused scholars to support their personalized short-term career pathways and placement journey.
Maintain an open schedule to accommodate scheduling needs for scholars, primarily for pertinent touchpoints such as coaching calls, career navigation calls, and training program check-ins.
Complete occasional in-person site visits with training partners and respective scholars.
Maintain consistent and on-going professional communication with actively enrolled scholars through various methods, including phone calls, text messages, virtual meetings, and emails.
Support scholars in identifying strengths and how they align with career opportunities.
Administer career exploration tools and/or readiness assessments to prepare for training enrollment.
Monitor training progress reports and make updates accordingly.
Coach scholars through identified roadblocks or gaps that prevent skills-focused Scholars’ from persisting in and completing programs and proposing action steps to be taken.
Effectively manage a high caseload of active Great Jobs KC scholars.
Organize and keep up to date caseload data (i.e., updating appropriate scholar stages, notes, files, and program information).
Maintain Scholar data and record keeping in Salesforce on a consistent basis to maintain an organized caseload.
Engage in professional development to develop strategic thinking and acting directly related to Scholar success.
Maintain and follow written policies and institutional documents that describe processes, specifically related to supporting and communicating with skills-focused Scholars.
Assist with planning and delivery of all required short-term career program orientations and planning education/workshops.
Communicate Scholar success stories for organizational newsletters, overall program communication and trainings.
Attend required meetings and events, serving as a representative of Great Jobs KC to external stakeholders.
Other related activities and duties as assigned.