College Access Program Manager, Middle School

*Cover Letter and Resume Required*

Oakland Promise

Oakland Promise’s (“OP”) mission is to engage the Oakland community to advance equity and economic mobility through cradle-to-career achievement.  OP is available to young learners (from newborns to college students) and their families who reside in Oakland.  We offer every child the financial resources, educational programming, mentorship, and supportive community to help them and their families seek out and thrive in higher education and the career of their choosing.  OP achieves its work through four key programs: Brilliant Baby, College Access, College Access, and College Completion.

Oakland Promise College Access is dedicated to enhancing college and career readiness and access for all students in Oakland. We achieve this by providing, coordinating, and aligning essential resources, structured activities, and events. Our collaborative partnerships with schools and other college and career access organizations strengthen our ability to support students in grades 6-12, ensuring that every student can maximize their educational and career opportunities.

Oakland Promise is a place-based organization, necessitating all team members to be available in person at our office, located at 484 9th Street, Oakland, California 94607. Our staff currently follows a hybrid schedule, spending at least three days collaborating either in the office or schools/community and two days working remotely. As a community organization, we prioritize doing what is best for our community work, and as such the requirement to be available for a full in-person work week may be mandated at any time.

About the Role

 

The College Access Program Manager will lead and oversee middle school partnerships, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission to advance equity and social mobility through post-secondary success. This role involves supporting College Access Coordinators in implementing family outreach and education initiatives, fostering strong community engagement. The Program Manager will also oversee the planning and execution of school-based workshops and college tours, ensuring these activities align with the annual budget and deliver high-quality, developmentally appropriate college bound identity programming. Success in this role requires strong leadership, the ability to steward complex programmatic relationships, and a commitment to empowering students and families to navigate the path to higher education.

Under the supervision of the Director of K-12, the College Access (MS) Program Manager will:

School Partnerships Work

• Manage the annual process of enrolling schools in our site-based partnership agreements and identify points of contact for each school
• Ensure that the College Access (MS) team is delivering the services stipulated in program agreements
• With support of the Director of K-12, manage any complexities that arise with school partners
• Solicit feedback from school stakeholders and incorporate into program design
• Manage our Middle School innovation Grant program

Family Education & Support

• Coordinate with the other K-12 Managers to deliver family workshops designed to promote a college bound identity & review Oakland Promise’s scholarships
• Ensure that Oakland Promise is represented at high-impact school based family events & programs
• Stay up-to-date on college financing options, including FAFSA, CADAA, scholarship programs, and college funding best practices for families

Program Management

• Lead the College Access Middle School team in periodic program step-backs taking into account alignment with Oakland Promise objectives, operational constraints, and data
• Assure the mitigation of all liabilities for college tours and other programs
• In collaboration with the K-12 managers and director, establish new initiatives that support the Cradle to Career model of Oakland Promise that builds upon foundational K2C and BB programming and supports the work in the College Access HS & College Completion teams
• Track all programmatic expenses for the College Access Middle School program and provide input for the mid-year budget review
•  Lead College Access data management efforts. Use data to drive outcomes and measure and communicate program impact internally and externally

Scholarship Support

• Own key engagement metrics for middle school family awareness of Oakland Promise’s K-8 scholarship
• Support with programming developed to help families enroll in CalKids and My529 savings plans
• Learn about and be well versed on Oakland Promise’s additional scholarships

Staff Management

• Manage a team of two College Access Middle School Coordinators
• Be familiar with all Oakland Promise policies and support direct reports in maintaining compliance with employment expectations
• Foster a positive workplace culture that promotes collaboration, ingenuity, and accountability

Other

• Engage actively in professional development opportunities, including conferences, workshops, team meetings, observations, debrief cycles, webinars, department meetings, and team step-backs
• Support with at least three organization-wide events each year, outside of K2C and College Access requirements.
• Other related duties and projects as assigned
• Some evening and weekend hours will be required

Required Qualifications 

• A Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 3 years experience working with under-resourced youth and managing programs/projects with a proven track record of successful relationships and program impact. 
• Minimum 2 years experience cultivating partnerships with community-based organizations to deepen the impact of college and career readiness programming
• Knowledge of best practices in college and career readiness programming for students in grades 6-12 as well as higher education financing, up-to-date student financial aid processes for FAFSA and DACA, and postsecondary education entrance processes
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple competing deadlines
• Experience with data management and reporting tools and techniques
• Excellent interpersonal and writing skills
• Experience with public speaking
• Deep commitment for the vision of Oakland Promise: That every child in Oakland will graduate from high school with the expectations, skills, and resources to complete college and be successful in a career of their choice. 
• Ability to pass a background check, and TB test
• Proficient in Google Suite, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Own a vehicle for travel to sites

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with high-priority students, families, and communities in 6-12 schools
• Experience in either college access/persistence, high school counseling, or related skills
• Experience with Salesforce, Survey Monkey, and Outcome Tracker is desirable
• Knowledge of, and connections to, Oakland’s educational climate and communities
• Fluent in a second language other than English
• Familiarity with project management & communication platforms, such as Asana, Airtable, Slack

Compensation and Benefits

• Full-time exempt position
• The hiring salary range for this role is $79,650 – $84,000 based on skill sets and experience
• Oakland Promise offers a competitive benefits package, which includes dental / health/ vision, paid vacations and sick days, and a 401k match of up to 3%.
• Oakland Promise currently has a hybrid work policy
• The ability to learn and grow within a supportive team environment
• An opportunity to network and interact with leaders in the community

Application Process

To apply: Please send a thoughtful cover letter and resume with the job title,  “College Access (MS) Program Manager” to [email protected].

Unfortunately, the volume of applications will prevent us from responding to all applications received.

Failure to follow these instructions may delay the review of your application. Applications will be reviewed immediately and candidates with the best fit will be contacted for interviews. Unfortunately, the volume of applications will prevent us from responding to all applications received. 

Oakland Promise is a place-based organization located in Oakland, California. Oakland Promise requires that employees work in person at various engagements. Currently, Oakland Promise staff are working in a hybrid model, with some work being done remotely and some work being done in the office or at specific locations in or around Oakland. It is a requirement that all staff reside within commuting distance to the main office, located at 484 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607. Please note that at any time, a full in-person work plan may be required, and it is of utmost importance that all staff are able to meet this requirement. 

Oakland Promise is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Oakland Promise is committed to providing a work environment free of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and disrespectful or other unprofessional conduct based on sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), sex stereotype, race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), color, gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and transgender), national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code section 12801.9), ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, military, and veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. It also prohibits discrimination, harassment, disrespectful or unprofessional conduct based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.