Description
ABOUT GREAT JOBS KC
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.
About The Role
Reports to: Program Manager – High School
Location: Kansas City, MO
Remote/Field (technology provided)
Status: Exempt, Full-time
Salary: Annual salary based on experience
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, Life Insurance, PTO, Holidays, leave program, 401k including employer contribution, and others
Operating hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm CST
Key Performance Indicators
I. Ensure 95% of Scholars in cohort meet with Scholar Advocate monthly to complete a progress monitoring check-in.II. Ensure 96% of Scholars in cohort complete orientation within the first two (2) months of accepting award and persist to high school graduation.III. Ensure 100% of eligible Scholars in cohort complete FAFSA by February 1.IV. Ensure 100% of Scholars in cohort complete at least three (3) PSN campus visit in-person or virtual by December 31 of senior year.V. Ensure 100% of Scholars in cohort complete a career plan profile and at least one of the following during junior or senior year; (a) internship, (b) apprenticeship, (c) embedded job training, or (d) employment.
Responsibilities
The Scholar Advocate will be a proven efficient, high-functioning professional with previous successful experience supporting high school students from diverse and low-income backgrounds including specific knowledge related to successful college advising, enrollment, and completion.
- Ability to work in a mobile and remote environment.
- Up to 75% travel; reliable transportation needed with liability insurance
- Ability to work some evenings and weekend hours.
- Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Build and maintain a safe and trusting relationship with Scholars.
- Leads and coordinates college and career planning for Scholars through collaboration with school counselors and career advisors.
- Serve as an advocate for a caseload of High School Scholars – conduct monthly in-person one-on-one and/or group progress monitoring meetings and assist students to identify and overcome barriers to college completion, including connecting them to resources on and off campus.
- Communicate frequently and maintain good customer service by being responsive to emails, phone calls, and text messages within 1 business day.
- Plan and deliver content according to the KCS programming content delivery model.
- Assist with designing, planning, and delivery of all required orientations and Student Success Sessions for Traditional and College Savings Match Scholars.
- Identify Scholars for dedicated events and invitations, such as luncheons, media opportunities, newsletter articles, speaking opportunities, and more.
- Evaluate processes and procedures related to Scholars transitioning to and in college to provide strategic minded feedback and improvements toward meeting established KPI’s.
- Follow established policies and processes related to supporting and communicating with Scholars.
- Collaborate with secondary network staff, including student support personnel, advisors, and school administrators to address gaps or challenges, and ensure aligned and accurate communication with students.
- Engage parents/guardians regularly through multiple communication platforms to keep abreast of the KC Scholars Scholarship Program and assist parents/guardians to better support their Scholar to successfully navigate the college-going process.
- Support marketing and community engagement teams with outreach to prospective scholarship applicants, in coordination with the overall marketing and community engagement strategic plan.
- Identify and make recommendations about obstacles or gaps that prevent Scholars from persisting in and completing college and propose action steps to be taken.
- Collaborate with College Savings Match and Traditional Scholars leadership team, to research, analyze, and present information as needed to demonstrate the impact of the program components, using effective data visualization techniques to clearly communicate program outcomes.
- Provide Scholars-specific content for cohort newsletters, overall program communication, and training.
- Assist with development of programs and initiatives to help with outreach and increase awareness of KC Scholars Scholarship Program in the community.
- Attend meetings and events as needed, serving as a representative of KC Scholars to external stakeholders.
- Other related activities and duties as assigned.
Requirements
Education and Experience
Education
- Bachelor’s degree is required, while an advanced degree is preferred.
Work Experience
- A minimum of 3+ years of relevant experience serving individuals from diverse and low-income backgrounds, with specific knowledge of successful student support strategies for persistence and completion.
- Proven experience collaborating with other organizations and team members to achieve program goals.
- Proven passion for increasing access to education and career placement among young adults—especially those from demographic groups traditionally underrepresented in the workforce.
- Experience working in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment with strong multi-tasking abilities and a track record of managing competing deadlines effectively.
Additional Knowledge, Skills, And Competencies
- Proficiency in Salesforce, Asana, and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).
- Deep knowledge of the college application process, admissions eligibility, financial aid, academic requirements, college enrollment, and college persistence—specifically for students historically underrepresented in higher education.
- Exceptional judgment with a solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to 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 the ability to work with large, diverse, multi-generational audiences.
- Ability to analyze data and recognize and articulate trends.
- Strong process development and attention to detail.
- Ability to multi-task and manage competing deadlines.
- Experience working with diverse, multi-generational audiences.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to lift up to 15 lbs.
- Ability to work in mobile and remote/field environments.
- Ability to travel from and to work, and weekly visits to high schools within the 6-county region as assigned by supervisor.
- 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.
