Lead Career & Alumni Coach (Advisor)

Organization Overview

Since 1989, Making Waves Foundation has provided educational opportunities that change young lives. Today, Making Waves remains committed to providing historically underserved and underrepresented students access to an equitable education that will propel them to a successful and rewarding future.

What began in 1989 as the Making Waves Education Program, an academic afterschool tutoring and support program for 46 5^th graders, has evolved into the opening in 2007 of Making Waves Academy, a tuition-free public charter school serving 5^th-12^th grade students, and the creation of the College and Alumni Program (CAP), which provides a critical bridge between college acceptance and college graduation.

Serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 2013, CAP currently supports nearly 600 low-income and historically underrepresented college students, who we call Wave-Makers, through the successful completion of their degrees, as quickly and with as little debt as possible. CAP serves Making Waves Academy graduates, CAP Bay Area scholarship recipients, and students from the former Making Waves Education Program, as well as Making Waves Academy high school seniors. What makes CAP different is its combination of personalized coaching, financial literacy training, and need-based scholarships. Upon graduation, Wave-Makers are equipped with the skills to build meaningful careers and positively contribute to society.

While nationally only 11% of students from low-income households have a college degree by age 24, 86% of CAP college students are on track to graduate within six years (84% of CAP students come from low-income households, and 78% are first-generation college students). On average, CAP college students needed to borrow no more than $473 in student loans for the 2017-2018 academic year, which is 93% less than the national average of $7,270 in loans borrowed annually by undergraduates.

For more information, visit https://making-waves.org/how/cap/.

Position Summary

CAP is seeking a Lead Career & Alumni Coach based in Richmond to lead the growth of our professional development programming for CAP college students and alumni. The Lead Career & Alumni Coach is a new position that will manage a caseload of alumni, as well as work with current college students as needed, to ensure Wave-Makers are equipped with the skills and experiences needed to be competitive contributors to the global workforce. With the support of the Director of Coaching Services, the Lead Career & Alumni Coach will additionally develop and execute curriculum and events to promote Wave-Makers’ career readiness.

Position Responsibilities

Direct Service (40%)

• Provide career coaching sessions to CAP alumni and college students to deliver personalized, motivating, and actionable guidance consistent with CAP’s coaching framework
• Assist Wave-Makers in resume and cover letter creation, job searches, interview preparation, networking, and career mapping
• Provide perspective on life after college and act as a facilitator, guiding Wave-Makers to appropriate community and campus resources and helping them understand the commitment necessary to succeed
• Partner in addressing social and emotional issues that may arise in Wave-Makers’ transition to a career
• Work collaboratively with CAP and Making Waves Foundation staff to ensure that Wave-Makers receive excellent career services

Project & Event Management (30%)

• Work collaboratively with the Coaching and Program Operations Departments to deliver career-related presentations, workshops, and group working sessions for Wave-Makers
• Create and maintain an accurate database of job and internship opportunities for both college undergraduates and alumni
• Develop and manage career-related partnerships as needed

Administrative Responsibilities (10%)

• Maintain detailed and accurate records in CAP’s Salesforce database, including Wave-Maker communication, task completion, employment status, and career preparation
• Utilize Salesforce reports and list views to measure progress against goals and inform Wave-Maker outreach

Program Development and Organizational Support (20%)

• With the support of the Director of Coaching Services, lead and expand CAP’s professional development curriculum for Wave-Makers
• Create new professional development programming (e.g., workshops, events, and newsletters)
• Complete projects and support team members as needed
• Attend/staff CAP, Making Waves Foundation, and Making Waves Academy events as assigned
• Additional duties and responsibilities as needed

Qualifications

Required:

• Master’s degree and work authorization required
• 3-5 years of related work experience in career coaching and development
• Demonstrated leadership and project management experience
• Experience coaching, motivating, and developing others
• Experience delivering effective presentations
• Strong computer and database skills, with Salesforce experience a plus
• Demonstrated commitment to CAP’s mission to coach our students to graduate from college as quickly and with as little debt as possible while equipping them with the skills and experiences needed to be competitive contributors to the global workforce
• Demonstrated proficiency and/or growth potential in key CAP Skills for Success: Adaptability/Flexibility, Communication, Planning/Organization/Time Management/Prioritization, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Relationship Building, Self-Development, and Service Orientation
• Awareness of and respect for cultural, ethnic, religious, economic, and gender diversity
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for CAP events, as needed
• Driver’s license required
• Occasional local travel required

Preferred:

• Access to a car strongly preferred

Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Low $70,000s, commensurate with experience

Benefits:

• Significant COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) stipend, in addition to a competitive base salary (subject to annual approval by Making Waves Foundation)
• Group insurance plans with medical, dental, vision, group life insurance, and long-term disability plans (100% employer contribution for the employee)
• Retirement plan, including a matching contribution
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for medical/dependent care expenses
• 24 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 2 personal days per fiscal year (for full-time employees)
• 14 paid holidays per fiscal year
• Free lunch four days per week
• Student loan repayment or house down payment assistance retention bonus after 3 years (subject to annual approval by Making Waves Foundation)
• Retention bonus offerings
• Training and professional development opportunities

How to Apply

Apply online through the Making Waves Foundation careers page: https://making-waves.org/who/careers/. Submit your resume and cover letter as a single document in the online application. Please address your cover letter to Ms. May Melehan, Director of Coaching Services.

Application Deadline: TBD or until filled

Anticipated Start Date: TBD

Making Waves is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply for positions in which they feel qualified. We are committed to embracing diversity and consider all applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, ethnic background, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected classification.