Director, College Success Office

Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York — seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned Director to join the College Success Office.

The Director will bring a passion for the mission of Harlem Children's Zone: break the cycle of intergenerational poverty with comprehensive, on-the-ground programming that builds up opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life.

In this key leadership role, you will oversee the college counseling program and provide strategic direction to ensure that all students receive exceptional support as they navigate the college admissions process. As a member of the leadership team, you will play a pivotal role in advancing the organization's mission and promoting a college-going culture throughout the community.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know.

Minimum Requirements

• A master's degree in counseling, education, or a related field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in college counseling, advising, or admissions, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.

Who you are

• Demonstrated success in guiding students through the college admissions process and achieving high rates of college enrollment and completion.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team of professionals.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with students, families, colleagues, and college representatives.
• Strong writing and public speaking ability;  must be well-organized, efficient, and energetic.
• Deep understanding of equity and access issues in higher education and a commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Knowledge of best practices in college counseling, including familiarity with standardized testing, financial aid, and admissions requirements.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion, with demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity to the needs of diverse student populations.
• Passion for working with high school students and empowering them to achieve their academic and career goals.
• Proficiency in data analysis and technology tools used in college counseling, such as Naviance or similar platforms.
• Special consideration is given to those who are accessible for emergencies and require support after work hours and on the weekends. 

What you'll do

• Develop and implement a comprehensive college and career counseling program aligned with best practices and tailored to the needs of Harlem Children's Zone scholars.
• Work with the CSO Managing Director, school leadership, and Wealth Builds to establish strategies and set ambitious goals for college and career exploration, application, acceptance, enrollment, persistence, and completion.
• Recruit, train, and supervise a College Readiness Manager and a team of college counselors in Promise Academy I and II and HCZ’s High School After School Sites.
• Provide ongoing professional development and support to ensure that counselors have the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to effectively support students.
• Oversee delivering high-quality college counseling services to students in grades 9-12, including individual meetings, group workshops, and parent education sessions.
• Ensure that counselors build strong relationships with students and families and provide personalized guidance based on students' interests, strengths, and goals.
• Collaborate with educators and administrators to integrate college readiness initiatives into the school curriculum and extracurricular programs.
• Develop and facilitate workshops on college exploration, application strategies, financial aid, and career planning.
• Research and build a database of quality external scholarship opportunities for which our scholars can apply.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with colleges, universities, scholarship providers, and community organizations to expand opportunities for Harlem Children's Zone students.
• Advocate for our students with college admissions officers and secure partnerships that benefit our community.
• Oversee the coordination of college visits, campus tours, college fairs, and on-site transition engagements to expose students to a variety of post-secondary options and connect them with college representatives.
• Create a coordinated post-acceptance approach to visiting days and on-campus tours for all high school seniors