Director of Admissions and Middle School Programs

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

As the Director of Admissions and Middle School Programs (DAMSP), you will own the strategic implementation of BTSV’s school-year and summer programs that establish the foundation for our students’ college-going journey, which begins the summer after 6th grade. Additionally, you will oversee BTSV’s annual recruitment and admissions process that identifies, recruits, evaluates, and enrolls up to 120 new students, working closely with school leaders and community partners, and leveraging word-of-mouth recruitment strategies.

To accomplish the work, you will manage and develop a team of two Middle School program staff members, a Family and Community Engagement Manager, and two AmeriCorps members who serve as academic advisors for students. As the leader of this team, you will develop, execute, and evaluate program and recruitment strategies, oversee the development of high-quality and engaging content, provide oversight over program planning and delivery, and work to ensure alignment of the Middle School program with BTSV’s high school programming.

As a member of BTSV’s leadership team, you will shape our organizational culture, inform the strategic direction of our organization, and help translate our organizational vision and strategies into programs that meet the evolving needs of our students and their communities.

The Director of Admissions and Middle School Programs reports to the Senior Director of Programs and Instruction.

Key Responsibilities

Student Recruitment and Admissions

Develop and oversee the implementation of recruitment strategies that will meet targets for applications and enrollment into the Middle School summer program.
Personally develop and leverage relationships with community partners as well as school district administrators, principals, teachers, and counselors to identify and recruit potential BTSV students.
Track and monitor data to enable data-driven decisions that will drive effective admissions and enrollment strategies.
Oversee the training of BTSV staff and possibly alumni and community volunteers to assist with the recruitment process, including presentations, application readings, and new family interviews.
Select the incoming class of 120 rising 7th-grade students and fully prepare new students and their families for successful enrollment and onboarding to the program.

Middle School Program Development and Delivery

Lead your team in the planning, execution, and evaluation of BTSV’s hallmark Middle School Summer Program and 8-week After-School Program in the fall and spring.
Lead your team to thoughtfully engage families during the Middle School years through 1:1 conferencing, parent education, and exposure to high school options.
Working closely with the Senior Director of Programs and Instruction, oversee the implementation of 1:1 student advising throughout the school year by staff and AmeriCorps members, including staff training and professional development, implementing best practices, providing structured feedback to advisors, and evaluating the efficacy of advising work.
Ensure that all programming is aligned with BTSV’s strategic priorities and annual operating plans.

Program Evaluation & Data Collection

Collaborate with the Senior Director of Programs and Instruction and the Executive Director to develop program impact metrics and KPIs (such as student attendance, engagement, academic performance, and admissions data).
Oversee data collection and analysis across Admissions and the Middle School programs in a way that contributes to our culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Partnership Management & Development Support

Develop and manage relationships with outside organizations, including but not limited to school counselors, administrators and teachers, and community-based organizations to amplify the impact of BTSV’s work, increase BTSV’s visibility, and support students to get to and through college.
Represent BTSV at professional and community events, including educational forums and other speaking engagements.
Support the efforts to collect student and family testimonials; identify compelling student stories to showcase impact of BTSV’s programs.
Work collaboratively with the Development Team to design and implement high-quality volunteer opportunities that support student success.
Assist the Executive Director with fundraising and/or board-related activities, as needed.

What background and skills do you have?:

7+ years of progressive leadership experience at a youth development, educational, or other nonprofit organization that serves middle or high school-aged students, particularly one focused on college access for first-generation students and students of color.
Understanding of the unique challenges and assets of aspiring first-generation college students and their communities.
Experience developing and implementing engaging and results-oriented programming, particularly in the out-of-school time space, to prepare students from historically excluded communities for success from middle school through college.
Understanding of the higher education landscape and an ability to translate college success factors for first-gen students into program strategies for middle-school students and their families.
Demonstrated ability to develop pipelines of prospective students via prior experience in student recruitment, community organizing, partnership development, or a similar role.

Experience managing partnerships and relationships, particularly with public K-12 schools, other educational institutions, and/or community-based organizations.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; comfort with public speaking and the ability to engage with diverse audiences; fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred; fluency in Vietnamese is also desirable.
Knowledge of program evaluation best practices; experience collecting, analyzing, and incorporating data into decision-making; proficiency with data tools such as Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets and Salesforce (or a similar CRM).
Minimum of 2 years of experience leading a team of direct reports; committed to people development with a growth-mindset approach; ability to coach staff working directly with students, including those new to the full-time workforce.
Strong project manager with the ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, and delegate when needed while executing multiple time-sensitive priorities; knowledge of Asana or other project management software is a plus.
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in a related field is a plus.

“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.
A commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s mission and an unwavering belief in the potential of BTSV students to succeed in rigorous, 4-year universities.

Bonus points if you’ve got:

Prior experience with Breakthrough summer programs.
Experience implementing 1:1 student advising methods.
Knowledge of and experience partnering with public, charter, parochial, and independent middle and high schools in the South Bay.
Experience marketing and promoting nonprofit services to diverse communities, including through word-of-mouth, partnerships, and social media.
Expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices within educational settings.

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 starting salary range for this role is $90,000-$110,000. 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 growth and learning opportunities.

Location and Hours

BTSV maintains two offices in San Jose:

Bridges Academy: 1702 McLaughlin Ave, San Jose, CA 95122
Herbert Hoover Middle School: 1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126

This is primarily an in-person position, and you will work at BTSV’s offices above. Travel to other partner school sites in San Jose is also required. You will have occasional flexibility to work from a home office when in-person work is not required, typically two days per week during the school year.

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.

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.

Breakthrough 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, Breakthrough 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.