About Breakthrough Central Texas

Breakthrough is the leading college access and success nonprofit in Central Texas. For more than 20 years, we have partnered with thousands of middle and high school students who aspire to be the first in their family to graduate with a degree or certificate. We make a radical, long-term commitment to students, to and through college, unlocking the power of education and a lifetime of opportunity. We support the whole student with personalized services, work closely with community partners, campuses, and employers, and advocate for our students with lawmakers. Breakthrough students attend 60+ public schools and persist at nearly 100 colleges and universities. The result is that 55% of Breakthrough students graduate from college, compared to 17% of low-income students in our region. Our work has resulted in more than 550 college graduates, with 4,000 on their way, positively impacting families for generations, our region’s educational access, and the Central Texas economy.

Why Work at Breakthrough Central Texas
By working for Breakthrough Central Texas, you will help hundreds of students achieve their dreams of success and receive the high-quality education they deserve. Breakthrough is an organization committed to its students and recognizes that our greatest resource to support them is our dedicated and talented staff. If you believe all young people deserve the opportunity to achieve postsecondary success and you desire to work at an organization committed to its employees and building the strongest team culture anywhere, then join us!

ABOUT THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE ACCESS PROGRAMS ROLE

The Associate Director of College Access Programs provides critical leadership, supervision, and support to the 12 Year College Access team supporting students in the Central Texas area, with a primary focus on working with students who attend schools either in Austin ISD or in Manor and Del Valle ISDs. The Associate Director of College Access Programs trains and supports a high-performing team to implement best practices in advising 11th and 12th grade students and their families on the steps to applying to and securing financial aid for a variety of postsecondary pathways, and on overcoming any obstacles that come their way. The Associate Director of College Access Programs works alongside other high school Associate Directors to align goal outcomes, track case management standards, and high school team development. Specific responsibilities of the Associate Director of College Access Programs include

Advising & Student Support

Manage an average caseload of 15-20 students to support them to take academic and non-academic steps necessary to achieve postsecondary success.
Develop and maintain relationships with a diverse group of students and families.
Track student progress and identify critical needs in order to provide timely and appropriate interventions for students across the College Access team.

Supervision & Team Leadership

Supervise 3-4 Program Coordinators directly and 2-3 AmeriCorps members indirectly.
Nurture a high-functioning team culture that balances student outcomes with human-centered advising, and prioritizes supporting students’ academic progress and postsecondary and career goals.
Design and facilitate regular high school student progress meetings, and provide accountability for team next steps.
Support program evaluation efforts and progress towards goal outcomes and make continuous improvements along the way.
Plan and facilitate regular high school team meetings and attend weekly high school leadership team meetings.

Stewarding Partnerships

Strategically develop relationships with key partners, including teachers, school administrators, district leaders, counselors, and leaders of other community-based organizations
Meet regularly and work collaboratively with other staff members, including other associate directors, directors, chiefs and the Student and Family Support Specialist in order to support students and families.

Programmatic Leadership

Support the design, planning and implementation of high school Saturday and after-school programs to promote school success and foster a college-going culture.
Provide leadership and support in the design, planning, and implementation of the summer programs for rising 12th graders and high school graduates.
Manage large groups of students to build a positive learning community aligned with Breakthrough’s core values and college-going culture
Design and provide timely reports regarding program outputs and outcomes to drive continuous improvement

ABOUT YOU

You are a strong candidate for the Associate Director of College Access role if, above all, you are a champion for increasing social and economic opportunity through educational attainment. You are a servant leader, and feel at your best in a deep relationship with the communities in which you serve and in collaboration with others you work and partner with. You are passionate about building authentic relationships with your team members, students, family members and caregivers, and the educators at the schools our students attend. You bring content expertise in talent development, youth development, college access, and in event or program operations. You will also bring experience or demonstrated capacity in the following competencies:

Talent Development & Managing Through Layers: Coaches, provides effective feedback and training, and supports direct reports, and others on the team who supervise others, to set priorities, build skills, meet goals, and grow toward professional aims. Supports direct reports to provide effective supervision and engages in skip level management when needed with an awareness of positional power and lived experience to ensure that all staff have a high level of support, direction, developmental coaching and impact.
Team Leadership and Culture: Sets priorities, delegates effectively, manages conflict, promotes inclusion, stewards team culture and climate, and coaches the team to ensure steady progress toward goals while maintaining a sense of belonging and connection.
Inclusive Communication: Operates with cultural humility and demonstrates written, verbal, and digital communication skills, in 1:1, in small group and whole group settings, that foster and contribute to an inclusive environment that effectively engages others across diverse identities and experiences.
Campus, Institutional, and Systemic Navigation and Partner Cultivation: Works effectively with relevant campuses, systems, and institutions, developing productive relationships with key staff to support students in getting needs met and reaching their goals while stewarding Breakthrough partnerships.
Operational and Project Management: Ensures systems and resources are aligned to support success, organizes projects to stay in scope and meet outcomes, and adapts quickly and learns new skills as needed to ensure impact.
Managing Complexity & Activating Others: Exhibits sound judgment and inclusive decision making in ambiguous situations, responding with flexibility, agility, and bias towards action. Able to influence and motivate direct and indirect reports to follow processes, deliver outcomes, meet deadlines, and work together to get things done.
Program Design and Delivery: Uses age-appropriate content knowledge to design programs that support postsecondary success, maximizes program design by delivery experiences that achieve program outcomes, and inspires and engages groups of varying sizes.
College Access Advising & Direct-to-College Enrollment Advising: Support and hold College Access advisors accountable for ensuring that students successfully navigate the college/postsecondary application process including applying to strong “fit” programs, securing funding, finalizing housing and lifting holds during the school year and the summer after high school.
Data Tracking & Evaluation: Leads the team to submit timely, accurate, comprehensive case notes and other information, and oversees the team’s analysis and use of data to drive action that supports student success, informs program design, and ensures meeting team, advising and persistence goals.
Continuous Learning and Improvement: Embraces and applies feedback, demonstrates a curiosity, creativity and growth mindset, and pursues opportunities to strengthen individual performance and collective products and outcomes.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Associate Director of College Access site reports to the Director of College Access. Direct reports will include 3-4 Program Coordinators, and indirect reports include 2-3 AmeriCorps members.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive salary between $72,000-$91,000 depending on experience and qualifications
Health, dental and vision insurance; Breakthrough pays 100% of employee only premiums
Long-term disability and life insurance
Matching 401K retirement plan
Thirty days of annualized PTO
Generous leave policy

At Breakthrough, we want to support growth within our team. For this role, internal candidates will be reviewed first.

Breakthrough Central Texas is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its relations with its applicants, staff members, and families, without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender identity and gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. People of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation details: 72000-91000 Yearly Salary

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Breakthrough Central Texas

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Associate Director of College Access Programs