In 2021, Steppingstone implemented its new strategic plan which resulted in the restructure of our student programming and, thus, updated admission criteria and procedures, including the transition to the Salesforce database. Steppingstone admits approximately 110 new Scholars each year, over 80% of whom will be first generation college students and the majority of whom come from low income backgrounds. With the recent Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action, the landscape around college admission policies has changed. Given these realities, Steppingstone seeks to build Scholars’ and families’ knowledge about college, beginning with the Steppingstone admission process. 

Steppingstone seeks a candidate who has a vision and desire to lead and manage its Admission Department and help navigate the organization through these changing circumstances. The Director, whose charge is to recruit, select, and admit a new class of Steppingstone Scholars each year, will lead this department successfully by ensuring a supportive process for families, effective staff management and training, skilled use of Salesforce, and strategic and data driven decision making. The Director will oversee the development and execution of the recruitment strategy and admission process and, in consultation with the program leadership team, will lead the internal decision-making process around admissions.

Responsibilities:

Staff Management

• Supervise a staff of three direct reports and a team of Outreach Assistants by providing effective support, coaching, and management to all direct reports
• Train and support 20+ org-wide staff in developing their knowledge and execution of the admission process 
• Facilitate cross-program teams as necessary

Program Management

• Lead department in selecting and designing recruitment activities, including school visits, family information meetings, etc., that will yield sufficient appropriate applicants
• Support team to maintain positive relationships with feeder schools and community partners
• Oversee updating of recruitment materials and application pieces
• Work with team to plan and execute all parts of the admission process including application review, interviews, exam administration, and admission committee
• Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices into all aspects of the admissions process, from recruitment to enrollment
• Utilize project management and group facilitation skills to effectively lead organization-wide admission decision-making process that results in a diverse and highly qualified class of Scholars
• Serve as the Dean of Operations in the summer, including managing the packing and moving process, facilities, bus transportation, staff training, main office operations, and daily meals

Knowledge Management

• In collaboration with the Data and Evaluation Department, implement systems to track and analyze data over time to improve the quality of admission decisions
• Enable and ensure optimal use of data and organizational resources such as staff time, department budget, and technology, to ensure that goals are being met and strategic decisions are implemented
• Contribute to other cross-team office-wide efforts such as internal task forces and committees

• Demonstrated commitment to educational and racial equity in college access and success
• Ability to communicate effectively with students and staff from diverse cultural, social, economic, and educational backgrounds
• Strong leadership and staff management skills with experience leading an effective team
• Strong relationship-building and group facilitation skills across differing stakeholders, including various internal departments, external community-based organizations, and Boston Public Schools
• Effective project management skills combined with ability to problem-solve, set and drive priorities, and monitor progress towards goals
• Strong customer-service orientation, utilizing communication, public speaking, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills
• Exceptional strategic, analytical and critical thinking skills with an ability to use data to make decisions and to translate strategy to plan and action
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRMs is desirable
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Drive, especially Excel and Google Sheets
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Fluency in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Arabic, or Haitian Creole a plus

About Steppingstone

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