Job Description

The Student Success Coach is dedicated to providing essential coaching and support to college students to facilitate their entry into college and to offer continuous academic assistance. The coach collaborates closely with counselors and participates in educational initiatives to facilitate referrals and resource sharing. Key responsibilities include helping students overcome barriers to college enrollment and supporting returning students through their academic and reentry challenges. This role requires flexibility with non-traditional work schedules, off-site service delivery, periodic travel, and adeptness with new technology. The position also involves visits to correctional facilities to engage potential students and mandates regular attendance at weekly meetings to stay updated on changes within the field.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE:

As a champion of institutional, structural, and personal transformation, the John Jay College Institute for Justice and Opportunity (The Institute) opens doors and eliminates barriers to success for people who have been involved in the criminal legal system. The Institute is one of twelve research entities that collectively comprise the Research Consortium of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The Institute has a diverse portfolio of projects that focus on identifying what it takes for people to live successfully in the community after justice involvement and on increasing the effectiveness of the professionals and systems working with them. Recognizing the transformational power of education, the Institute focuses much of its work on increasing access to higher education for people with criminal histories. The Institute’s comprehensive and strategic approach includes direct service, research, technical assistance, and policy advocacy. To learn more please visit our website:

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide individual and small group coaching to assist students in navigating the crucial steps towards continuing their education, including college enrollment, document/transcript recovery, and financial aid enrollment.
• Conduct assessments of students' college readiness (both academic and social) and make appropriate referrals to campus and community-based resources.
• Co-facilitate student outreach and program orientations in various settings, including the programming office, various correctional facilities across New York State, community-based organizations, and criminal justice agencies.
• Engage in all programming aspects across the Educational Initiatives continuum of services.
• Travel frequently throughout the five boroughs of New York City and periodically in Upstate New York for outreach.
• Regularly track student progress using systems like Salesforce, CUNYfirst, and any higher education database systems to verify enrollments/semester completions, and maintain detailed records to support student retention and outreach efforts.
• Identify and foster relationships with relevant stakeholders to enhance support for students both on and off campus.
• Assist in the development and implementation of academic success programs and strategies.
• Collaborate closely with the Manager of Student Success Initiative, Director of College and Career Pathways, and Senior Director of Programs to advance division priorities for improving student persistence, retention, and graduation rates among at-risk populations.
• Assist in designing, organizing, and implementing events and programs dedicated to the academic success of institute students.
• Prepare comprehensive communication plans with the Manager of Student Success Initiative to maintain and enhance contact with students through various methods, including face-to-face contact, group sessions, email, social media, etc.
• Develop, plan, and implement programs to facilitate students' transition to the campus environment and collaborate with other departments and faculty to support program and activity implementation.
• Assist students with financial aid, College, Advance Certificate, and Continue Education applications.
• Design, deliver, and evaluate interventions, programs, and services for underrepresented, marginalized, and targeted minority students.
• Develop and coordinate high-impact practices, academic support, and advising initiatives for identified student populations.
• Perform administrative tasks and complete additional duties as assigned by the Manager of Student Success Initiative.
• Attend all Institute-wide events.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to respond calmly and thoughtfully to emergencies, developing solutions in partnership with students and relevant stakeholders.
• Proven experience engaging diverse stakeholders in professional development and networking activities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a demanding and complex work environment, carrying out complex assignments in a timely manner and adapting to changing situations and priorities.
• Proficiency in using database systems like Salesforce, CUNYfirst, and other higher education systems.
• Experience working with justice-impacted individuals and delivering trauma-informed services with motivational interviewing skills.

Education and Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in a related field is required.
• At least two years of experience in counseling, college readiness programming, or reentry services.

Candidates with lived experience are strongly encouraged to apply. Please submit cover letter and resume.

At the Institute, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Institute believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

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