Admission Assistant

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Position Title : Admission Assistant

Reports To : Director of Admission

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.

Department and Position Overview :

The Admission Department is tasked with building awareness of the Steppingstone Scholars Program among Boston students, families, schools, and community-based organizations in order to attract and recruit a highly qualified pool of applicants and inform constituents about opportunities that lead to college success.

The Admission team supports students, families, and teachers through the recruitment and application process and leads the internal Admission process, consisting of file reading, interviewing, exam proctoring, and facilitating the Admission Committee.

The Admission team also participates in the execution of Steppingstone's summer and academic year programs. The Admission Assistant will work collaboratively on a small team to support the annual recruitment and enrollment of Steppingstone Scholars.

Schedule

The Admission Assistant will primarily work a Monday-Friday schedule, except in the fall when some weeks will have a Tuesday - Saturday schedule.

Some evening work will be required throughout the year. Steppingstone has adopted a hybrid work model requiring staff to work a minimum of 2 days a week in the South End office between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with the remaining 3 days of the week remote.

Recruitment of Steppingstone Scholars will take place through a mix of in-person and virtual initiatives and events that necessitate a keen interest building and refining public speaking and communication skills.

Program staff support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program, including interviewing prospective students and families.

Due to the nature of those interviews, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis in February. In addition, this role supports the execution of Steppingstone's summer program.

PTOs are granted on a limited basis June-August.

The Steppingstone office is hybrid with the expectation that employees will work in the office a minimum of two days per week, with some flexibility around work hours.

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.

The Steppingstone office is accessible by public transit and has very limited parking availability.

Salary : $47,000 / year

Start Date : June 2024

Responsibilities : Recruitment

Recruitment

• Communicate the value and requirements of participation in the Steppingstone Scholars Program to various external audiences at assigned schools to attract qualified applicants.
• Support families and teachers requesting information about Steppingstone, primarily by responding to phone calls, texts, emails, and website inquiries.
• Attend classroom visits, open houses, and other school events and present information about Steppingstone at family information sessions.
• Coordinate a team of Outreach Assistants (part-time Admission staff) OR Admission Ambassadors (student volunteers) who support the recruitment process.

Internal Admission process

• Support applicants, families, and teachers throughout the admission process.
• Gather, maintain, and review all application components and conduct any necessary follow up.
• Train, support staff with, and participate in office-wide admission processes (ex. file reading, student / family interviews, and the Admission Committee).

Administrative projects and data management

• Provide administrative support to admission team including daily email and text communication, preparing necessary materials for admission events, and ordering supplies.
• Coordinate the creation of marketing and communication materials to enhance our recruitment efforts.
• Enter and maintain integrity of admission data in the program database.
• Produce and analyze regular data reports to help the Admission team track recruitment and enrollment benchmarks.

Other responsibilities

Participate in some program activities that take place during the academic year.

Requirements

Required Knowledge and Skills :

• Ability to make a minimum two-year commitment required
• Enthusiasm for a direct-service role in a mission-driven organization
• Demonstrated commitment to educational and racial equity in college access and success
• Experience working with diverse populations
• Strong relationship-building skills across differing stakeholders, including various internal departments, external community-based organizations, and the Boston Public Schools
• Strong customer-service orientation, utilizing communication, public speaking, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills
• Effective project management skills combined with organization, attention to detail, adaptability, and problem-solving capabilities
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong computer skills; experience with Google Suite and Salesforce or similar CRMs is desirable
• Preference is given to candidates who are fluent in Spanish. Consideration will also be given the following languages : Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Arabic, or Haitian Creole

Education and Work Experience :

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent 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
• 15 days PTO
• 5 wellness days
• 12.5 holidays
• 2 weeks paid office closure
• 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 a 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.

A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment with Steppingstone and automatically disqualified if they use threatening language or behavior either written, verbal, or physical during any phase of the interview process.

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.

Salary Description

$47,000 / year