Pre-College Success Manager, TeenSHARP

Posted by TeenSHARP on May 10, 2022

Founded in 2009, TeenSHARP prepares talented Black, Latino, and low-income students for top colleges and community-centered leadership. We do so in pursuit of a vision that, one day, the diversity of those occupying our nation’s highly-skilled jobs and highest leadership positions will be as rich as the diversity of our population.

The Pre-College Success Manager holds the primary responsibility for working with TeenSHARP scholars towards becoming strong candidates for top colleges in the short-term, and top careers in the long term. This role serves as a main strategist in helping students access necessary resources inside and outside of schools, and ensuring that students meet the standards of absolute excellence.

Key competencies:

• Problem-solving: you are able to identify the root cause of challenges that students experience, while providing a secure space for students to take agency over solutions. You use a partnership approach with students and parents to develop and implement advising strategies, using scaffolding techniques to support students’ progress. Your recommendations are based in research and unapologetically student-centered.
• Strategic thinking: you are adept at designing and implementing strategies to help students make up for the gaps in their record and accelerate their growth in TeenSHARP’s five guiding behaviors: Striver, Starter, Giver, Applier and Connector. Your processes thrive in a collaborative team environment, incorporating accepting and giving feedback to coworkers with love and candor.
• College counseling: you have an in-depth understanding of the college admissions process, including how admissions officers evaluate students’ applications, the steps to writing successful essays and personal statements, and the ins and outs of financial aid, particularly when it comes to elite colleges and universities. You are confident and experienced in guiding students to develop the strongest profile possible, starting from freshman year to long after Decision Day.
• Communication: you maintain a consistent communication flow with all students and their parents to ensure goal progression, and are consistent in following through on deliverables and check ins. You are comfortable working in a remote setting, and take initiative to maintain open channels with direct reports and team members through our various platforms (Slack, Gmail, GroupMe, etc.).
• Team management: you are confident and comfortable with managing a team of volunteers, coordinating the flow of inputs from our AmeriCorps Academic Coaches to make sure they align with strategies outlined for students. You lead with humility and respect for diversity of perspectives, and seek out opportunities for growth and team learning whenever possible.
• Training and facilitation: you can independently deliver workshops for students and parents, facilitating small group advising sessions with ease. You are competent in creating relevant, engaging content for our community of scholars and families, from initial research to final product. You are a dynamic public speaker who can retain an audience of varying ages and backgrounds.
• Relationship-building: you are thoughtful, authentic, and are skilled at connecting with people. You are able to be a spokesperson for the organization and are effective at turning cold contacts to warm contacts. You are the type who remembers and acknowledges birthdays, sends thank you notes, and wins others over.
• Student advocacy: You are able to interface with schools and districts to advocate for student needs (e.g. more rigorous courses) and opportunities. You maintain a “Whatever It Takes” approach to ensure our students have access to classes, extracurriculars or summer programs that will develop them into well-rounded leaders and exemplary scholars. You do not shy away from hard conversations, and embrace opportunities to break down institutional barriers relating to education, social justice and youth development.

Learn more and apply.