The Opportunity
Harlem Village Academies is a community of educators working to build an urban school district based on the ideals and tenets of progressive education. HVA is the demonstration site for the Progressive Education Institute. Join an incredible community of educators who are passionate about progressive pedagogy while embracing a sense of urgency, a strong work ethic, and accountability for student learning. We select individuals who share our vision and are willing to put in the hard work to achieve it.
Harlem Village Academies’ alumni community is thousands strong--the Postsecondary Success team currently engages the community through programming and 1:1 advising structures.
The Alumni Support Advisor is the backbone of our program. A critical member of the Postsecondary Success Team, the Advisor is a vital resource for students as they transition from HVA High through college. Advisors are responsible for building deep and meaningful relationships with alumni; this is at the core of our program’s success. Advisors act as advocates, mentors, experts, and cheerleaders as they assist students with academic, socioemotional, and financial challenges associated with college enrollment and postsecondary success. As such, Advisors must have experience working with underrepresented students and understanding of the unique challenges they may face; experience with financial aid processes and organizational structures of higher education institutions is highly preferred as well. This position reports to the Alumni Support Manager.
Responsibilities
- Actively manage a cohort of HVA alumni, providing individualized academic, socioemotional, and financial support and group workshop and activities tailored to campus and student needs
- Conduct semester campus visits and facilitate connections with campus partners in key support offices (e.g. Opportunity Program advisors, Academic Support Services, Health and Wellness Centers, and Career Development Offices
- Assist alumni in navigating transfer, reenrollment, and financial aid processes
- Monitor alumni academic performance to proactively identify at-risk graduates and develop and implement intervention plans
- Maintain data integrity in Salesforce, tracking and storing all alumni communication and outreach and submitting reports as requested
- Maintain regular alumni contact via social media, text messages, phone calls, in-person meetings, and alumni newsletters
- Leverage alumni datasets to inform approach to alumni advising and perform ad hoc analyses of alumni cohort outcomes
- Build relationships with alumni family members to support HVA graduates through college
- Collaborate with the HVA College Guidance Team to provide transition programming and individualized support February-June of the senior year
- Support the execution of alumni engagement activities (both on and off HVA’s campus) including an annual Alumni Homecoming and Summer Sendoff
Qualifications
- Unwavering sense of hope and commitment to student success
- A passion for cultivating and maintaining a team-oriented, mission-driven culture
- Energetic, passionate, and zest for the work (sense of humor helps too)
- Minimum of two years of experience in secondary education, college access, college success, student affairs, or academic advising
- Experience working with underrepresented and diverse student populations
- Ability to travel to and work from college campuses inside and outside of NYC regularly; driver’s license strongly preferred
- Proactive problem-solver with an ability to identify and flag issues early
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail resulting in consistent follow-through
- Proven ability and desire to build relationships with students and families
- Self-starter with a desire to support the creation of new systems
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's a plus
Organizational Culture
Our team is passionately committed to the vision and values of Harlem Village Academies. The ideal candidate will have a positive mindset, a very strong work ethic, an inner drive for excellence, and will thrive working in an entrepreneurial and results-driven environment.
Harlem Village Academies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to diversity among our staff. Applicants of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.