Title: Director of Admission

Reports To: Vice President of Academic Programs

Organization Overview:

Steppingstone prepares students from marginalized communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college through two initiatives, the Steppingstone Scholars Program and the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA). The Steppingstone Scholars Program is a direct-service program in Boston that provides academic, social-emotional, and college-readiness services to students, called Scholars, beginning as early as fifth grade and continuing all the way through college graduation. The Steppingstone Scholars Program consists of five components: Admissions, the Academy, Middle School Success, High School Success, and College Success. NPEA connects the people, practices, and innovations for eliminating barriers to educational access, and college and career success for underserved students.

Position Overview:

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. 

Academic Year Schedule:

During the school year, this position will be a hybrid role with two days in office (at minimum) and three days remotely, with some flexibility around work hours. The Director will work a Monday-Friday schedule, though some Saturday and evening work will be mandatory.

Summer Schedule:

During the summer, the Director will work a Monday-Friday schedule. Steppingstone hosts a 6-week in-person program for Scholars, which will be held at Milton Academy in July and August. The Director must be able to work in person at Milton Academy, Monday-Friday from approximately 7:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m., and until 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays for faculty meetings. Due to the nature of the summer session, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis from the middle of June through August. The Director will provide support to other program teams as needed.

A $500 home office set-up stipend will be provided upon hire, followed by quarterly stipends of $50. Laptops are provided to each employee to enhance the hybrid experience.

Salary: $65,000 - $70,000 

Start Date: August 2023

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

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• 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

Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree is required
• At least three years experience in admission or related field
• At least one year of staff management experience

Physical Demands:

• Lifting up to 20 pounds, standing, walking, sitting, reaching, operating computer and office equipment
• Pursuant to the ADA, Steppingstone will provide reasonable services and accommodation(s) to employees with qualified disabilities in order to perform the essential functions of their employment, except when doing so would be unduly disruptive and/or result in undue hardship to the organization. 

To Apply: Please input your resume and a thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position, and how you learned about this position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

As a condition of employment, all Steppingstone employees, including full-time, part-time, temporary and contract employees, and interns, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. To be considered fully vaccinated, individuals must have received two doses of the approved Pfizer/Moderna COVID-19 vaccine or single dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and remain up to date with all boosters recommended by the CDC prior to the finalization of the hiring process. Finalists will be given details about how to demonstrate receipt of vaccination.

Reasonable accommodations will be considered on a case-by-case basis for exemptions to this requirement in accordance with applicable law. Applicants should be aware that for external-facing roles, particularly those involving close contact with students, accommodations that involve remaining unvaccinated against COVID-19 may not be deemed reasonable. Steppingstone will engage in the interactive accommodation process on an individualized basis in light of each particular role.

Employee Benefits:

• Generous paid time off (over 8 weeks total, as outlined below)
• 15 days PTO
• 2 days Discretionary Time Off
• 5 wellness days
• 12.5 holidays
• 2 weeks paid office closure
• $500 Home Office Set-up Stipend; plus $50 quarterly
• Health, Dental and Vision coverage
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition & Professional Development reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health and Dependent Care
• Pre-tax Transportation Plan (Transit & Parking)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Membership to the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA)

Steppingstone Core Values

Power of One

• We honor every voice and believe we are strongest when we work together.
• We recognize, respect, and nurture the fullness and complexity of each member of our community.
• We believe in the power of belonging and seek to create a welcoming and inclusive culture.

Walk the Walk

• We partner with every Scholar and family, supporting them holistically throughout their own educational journey.
• We work with clear and measurable purpose, using data to drive collective decision-making and challenge assumptions.
• We create spaces for difficult conversations to transform our thinking and move us forward.

Embrace Growth

• We strive to operate as an anti-racist organization and commit to continuous learning and action in the service of this goal.
• We provide opportunities for everyone in our community to flourish and reach their full potential.
• We make time for reflection, learn from past experiences, and take initiative in response to changing needs and new ideas.

The Steppingstone Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for employment on the basis of race, color, marital status, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or handicap, as defined by law.