Program Manager - Success

College Possible • Full-time • Hybrid in Portland, Oregon, United States • 3w ago

Fast Facts

Join College Possible as a Program Manager for Success, where you'll lead initiatives to support over 2,000 college students in Oregon, ensuring they receive comprehensive advising to enhance their college experience and graduation rates.

Responsibilities: Oversee program implementation, manage a team of Advising Specialists, build partnerships with colleges, ensure quality advising, and utilize data for continuous improvement.

Skills: Strong leadership, project management, data analysis, and excellent communication skills are essential for this role, along with a commitment to supporting economically disadvantaged students.

Qualifications: Required: 3-5 years of relevant experience and at least 3 years in a supervisory role, preferably with a background in college academic processes and project management.

Location: This position is based in Portland, OR, with some limited travel required.

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $60,000 - $80,000.

Program Manager-Success

College Possible Oregon

This Work Is Our Mission

At College Possible, we believe talent is universal. For many students, the path to college can feel overwhelming or out of reach. That's where you come in.

We support students on their journey to higher education by providing personalized coaching, resources, and guidance. When you join College Possible, you become part of a team dedicated to making college access and success a reality. Together, we help students navigate the admissions process, overcome challenges, and earn their degrees.

Our Impact

87% of College Possible students are admitted to college and are enrolled at 866 colleges and universities across the United States. Nationwide, we've served 99,000+ students since 2000.

Why Join Our Team?

When you work at College Possible, you're not just taking a job-you're advancing a mission to help more students get to and through college. You'll play a direct role in helping students achieve their educational goals and build brighter futures.

Key Benefits

✅ Professional Growth Access training, mentorship, and career development opportunities as you support student success.

✅ Mission-Driven Impact Make a direct difference in students' lives by helping them access and complete college.

✅ Collaborative Community Join a team that values teamwork, innovation, and excellence in service of students.

✅ Work-Life Balance Enjoy flexible work options, unlimited PTO, and resources to support your well-being.

Position Summary

The Program Manager, Success plays a pivotal role in advancing College Possible's mission by leading the implementation and execution of high-impact college success programming. The success program supports over 2,000 college students and partnerships at 6+ Oregon colleges and universities. Reporting to the Director of Programs and supervising a team of Advising Specialists, the Program Manager is responsible for ensuring students receive high-quality, data-informed, equity-centered support to navigate through college. Developing and fostering impactful college partnerships to support student retention and persistence towards earning a bachelor's degree is paramount to the success of our work. The Program Manager brings strong leadership, project management, and student-centered strategy to day-to-day operations and long-term program goals.

This role is central in building a strong, mission-aligned team culture, providing coaching and supervision to direct-service staff, building and maintaining postsecondary partnerships, and ensuring each college student we serve receives consistent, quality advising that helps them thrive.

Key Responsibilities

Program Implementation and Quality Assurance

Oversee the delivery of high-quality, culturally responsive programming aligned with College Possible's mission and theory of practice.
Implement Oregon-specific programming strategies in partnership with the Director of Programs.
Ensure that the Success program operates with fidelity to the College Possible model and moves toward ambitious outcomes
Use data and feedback loops to continuously evaluate, improve, and adapt advising strategies to ensure student success and equitable outcomes.
Identify benchmarks that reflect the overall College Possible metrics and serve as programmatic tools for decision making and performance goals.

Staff Supervision and Development

Directly supervise a team of Advising Specialists, providing coaching, support, accountability, and performance management.
Observe Advising Specialists and provide feedback and support in their professional practice.
Facilitate regular team meetings, individual check-ins, and professional development plans.
Cultivate a positive team culture that supports both staff well-being and student outcomes.

Partnership and Stakeholder Management

Serve as the primary point of contact for college and community partners relevant to your advising team.
Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with Oregon's partners/colleges and universities, ensuring program alignment and responsiveness to student needs.
Collaborate with College Possible's national teams to align programming with organization-wide initiatives and resources.
The Program Manager is responsible for fostering working relationship with the retention liaison for post-secondary partners. Examples of partnership stewardship include:
Provide College Possible semester data on student engagement, key topics covered by coaching conversations, student progress completing registration and financial aid, and individual student needs.
Request partner data to inform enrollment verification as needed.
Collaborate with key campus staff on events that include College Possible students.
Build a communication line with key staff in offices such as (registrar, financial aid, academic advising and admissions).

Data Management and Reporting

Ensure accurate, timely tracking of student progress and program engagement via organizational data systems.
Use data to inform staff coaching, program decisions, and reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
Contribute to grant reporting, evaluations, and strategic planning as needed.
Utilize KPIs to track progress towards organizational milestones through data tracking and report development.

Recruitment and Outreach

Support the recruitment and onboarding of Advising Specialists and students as needed.
Represent College Possible in outreach efforts, student events, and partner convenings.

Manage Success Program Budget

Develop and implement Success program budget each fiscal year.
Evaluate program-related expenditures and analyze budget performance on a monthly basis.
Oversee Direct Student Aid implementationOther Duties as Assigned

Computer/Software Skills

Strong computer skills, including demonstrated proficiency in MS Office Products.

Relevant Experience:

Three to five years related work experience demonstrating an increasing level of responsibility.
At least three years of related supervisory experience required.
Familiarity with college academic process including financial aid, as well as project management preferred.

Other Skills and Requirements:

Significant commitment to the mission of helping economically disadvantaged students admission into college and persist to degree completion.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills across diverse audiences.
Strong attention to detail with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines.
Flexibility to work in multiple locations.
Demonstrated ability to use, collect, and analyze data.
Ability to recruit, select, and train qualified individuals.
Proven record of facilitation and collaboration with organizations and the community.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.

 Physical Requirements

Ability to lift up to 15 pounds when needed.
Office environment with limited travel.
Ability to stand and/or sit for a minimum of 7 hours a day.

What We Offer

In addition to joining a committed, diverse, values-based organization, we offer:

An opportunity for you to have a tremendous impact both internally and in the broader country.
A competitive salary commensurate with experience.
Excellent benefits including complete health, dental, life, short-term and long-term insurance.
401(k) retirement plan.
Encouraged sustainability through an unlimited paid time off program.
Personalized professional development and growth opportunities.

To Join Our Growing College Possible Team:

Please apply at: www.CollegePossible.org/careers Include a resume, cover letter.