Assistant Director of Professional Advancement - Prep for Prep - New York, NY

Prep for Prep develops leaders from under-represented communities through access to a superior education and life-changing opportunities. Since 1978, Prep has identified New York City’s most able students of color through a highly selective admissions process and, following 14 months of rigorous academic preparation, placed them at leading independent schools in the City and boarding schools throughout the Northeast. Once placed, Prep offers its students a sense of community, peer support, critical post-placement services, and a host of leadership development opportunities through college graduation. The results are compelling: more Prep students have graduated from Harvard than any other institution, and over 90% of Prep’s 2,546 college graduates have earned degrees from the most competitive colleges in the country; nearly 40% have graduated from Ivy League schools. They are emerging leaders in every field from business and law, to education and the arts, to science and medicine. Prep shares its best practices with like-minded organizations through an initiative called Smart Connections. Through Smart Connections, Prep has impacted over 250,000 students around the world, including in Argentina, India, and South Africa.

All employees of the organization should see their roles as, one, contributing to achieve this goal in the highest quality manner possible and, two, working in conjunction with all other members of the staff. In light of this, the tasks listed below are intended as a general framework of the responsibilities of each position. Flexibility and continued quality improvement are necessary to this institution and require that individuals not perceive any job description as fixed.

The Assistant Director reports to the Director of Professional Advancement.

Responsibilities

1. Manage execution of College Internship Program including:

Manage travel schedule and interview calendar

Process applications

Oversee interview process

Interview students to assess their interests for appropriate job placement

Manage student selection

Counsel students regarding career interest and internship availability

Assess student suitability for opportunities

Format and finalize resumes

Refer students to multiple positions based on skills, experience and position availability

Coach students prior and subsequent to interview and throughout the summer

Strongly advocate on behalf of individual applicants

Negotiate employment terms with employers (wage, hours, project assignments)

Understand competitive programs and their impact on Prep

Track placement activities and employer outreach

Check-in with students during summer internships to discuss progress / address issues

Collect and analyze performance evaluations

Work with PA Director to determine program modifications

Coordinate, develop and implement activities including workshops and career seminars

Manage the planning, facilitation and curriculum for workshops on various aspects of job-seeking, i.e. interviewing, resume writing, etc.

2. Understand Hiring Employers Requirements:

• Cultivate and maintain ongoing relationships with hiring managers in order to understand the business unit and its recruitment needs within the context of their mission


• Develop and maintain a strong rapport with key leaders in the department


• Attend meetings as requested to acquire substantial knowledge about the business objectives, goals, operations and work culture.

3. Disseminate information about career programs and scholarships for students, and where warranted, recruit alumni/ae for such opportunities. Review and assist with students’ applications and submissions.

4. Track and evaluate placement outcomes

5. Communicate student progress and concerns with Undergraduate Affairs Team

6. Support the Director

• Communicate with Development Office to report on latest placement and event activities related to key employers and grant outcomes

7. Plan and publicize Professional Advancement Initiatives/Projects

• Assist with specific projects that could include:

Collect and analyze student and employer performance evaluations

Outreach to potential employers. Attend meeting with Director with potential/actual employers to solidify commitments and to develop specific challenging jobs

Research on internship programs, hiring practices, etc.

Qualifications

• BA and minimum 3 years experience


• Dedication to the Prep for Prep mission

Please visit our website: www.prepforprep.org