College Access Program Manager

About Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Breakthrough Silicon Valley launches talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspires high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. BTSV’s seven-year college access and success program, which supports students from 7th grade to first year of college, has proven to be effective in preparing these students for college: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school.

BTSV’s tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, counseling, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. Through our students-teaching-students model, BTSV also provides a consummate professional development experience providing talented high school and college students the opportunity to understand the K-12 system and the drivers of educational inequities, and to design and teach classes under the direction of seasoned educators.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for 25 Breakthrough sites across the country.

The Position

The College Access Program Manager is one of two managers who lead BTSV’s 9th and 10th grade team, working closely with students and families as they navigate the early high school years. You’ll manage 1-2 AmeriCorps members serving as Academic and College Planning Advisors, plan and lead student programming, advise a cohort of students, and serve as the Dean of Students for BTSV’s hallmark 9th grade summer program.

The College Access Program Manager reports to the Director of College Access and Success (DCAS).

In collaboration with the AmeriCorps Program Director, you’ll grow your own leadership skills as you support the professional growth of the AmeriCorps members you manage, as they learn academic advising techniques, take on their own cohorts of students, and support the delivery of workshops.

During the school year, you’ll introduce students and families to the ins and outs to college readiness, through 1:1 support, workshops, field trips, and other community-building activities. With the support of your AmeriCorps members, you’ll oversee the logistical tasks that support this programming, such as scheduling, securing facilities, and arranging transportation as needed.

You’ll lead BTSV’s academic advising services for 9th and 10th grade students and own the collection of grades and other student data, including providing 1:1 advising to a cohort of students. This includes monitoring academic progress, setting goals for inside and outside of the classroom, and navigating school and other community resources, to ensure students stay on track for college. When needed, you’ll coordinate with personnel at our partner schools, both to ensure that resources and academic support are provided to students and to build relationships that will deepen our partnership in ways that will benefit BTSV, our students and families, and our school district partners.

Over the summer, you’ll lead one of BTSV’s summer program sites for 80+ rising 9th grade students, managing a small team to build community and support academic readiness and the transition to high school. You’ll oversee day-to-day operations, serve as the primary point of contact for students and families, and partner with a Dean of Faculty to ensure smooth execution of the daily schedule.

Throughout the year, you’ll work with the DCAS to develop a programming calendar and create systems to evaluate and improve program effectiveness, particularly through analyzing student data.

What background and skills do you have?:

At least three to five years of experience at a youth development or educational organization, particularly one focused on college access for first-generation students and students of color.
Experience with college advising and supporting high school students on the path to college.
Comfort with public speaking and the ability to deliver workshops and engage with families. Bilingual (Spanish or Vietnamese) speaking skills are highly desirable but not required.
Experience developing engaging curricula for workshops: college-readiness, professionalism, and social-emotional learning curricula which support students’ growth.
Comfort with data collection and analysis, student assessment, and program evaluation.
Strong project manager with the ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and delegate when needed while executing multiple time-sensitive priorities.
“Breakthrough Spirit”: You’re a collaborative team player who is committed to excellence and open-minded, demonstrates a growth mindset, thinks creatively to solve problems, and works with a sense of humor and humility.
Commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s mission and goals as well as a passion for educational equity.
Bachelor’s degree.

Bonus points if you’ve got:

Experience as a counselor, preferably with 9th and 10th graders.
Experience leading project teams and/or managing interns or other direct reports.
Experience with curriculum development.
Experience with Salesforce.

We know that many strong candidates will not have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position.
The salary range for manager-level positions at BTSV is $65,000-$80,000. BTSV typically makes salary offers between the range minimum and midpoint, taking into consideration the candidate’s qualifications, our budget, and internal equity.
Health benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of employee premiums and 75% of dependent premiums covered by BTSV.
Retirement Benefits: 401(k) plan with immediate, fully vested 3% company match.
Paid time off: 15 days of PTO, plus 11 holidays and two “shut-down” weeks.
Professional development fund for professional association memberships and to pursue growth and learning opportunities.

Location and Hours

This is primarily an in-person position, and you will work at BTSV’s San Jose Unified School District office at Herbert Hoover Middle School (1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126). Travel to other partner school sites in San Jose during BTSV’s summer program is also required. You will have occasional flexibility to work from a home office when in-person work is not required.

As BTSV is an “out of school time program,” you can expect to work some early evenings during the school year and early mornings during the summer. You will also need to work occasional weekends to support program events.

The position is available now; if you are currently in a school-based role and plan to finish out the school year, the latest start date we can accommodate is June 10, 2024.

COVID-19 Information

BTSV is continually monitoring the COVID-19 situation locally and will continue to comply with all state, county, city, and/or school district directives on PPE, social distancing, vaccination, and remote work as they evolve.

Application Process

Apply through this site and attach your resume and cover letter as PDFs. Please indicate where you heard about the position in your cover letter. We will review applications on a rolling basis.

BTSV engages with individuals of all backgrounds and we are committed to embracing diversity within our organization, including developing a team who represents the communities we serve.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, BTSV is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.