Community/Outreach Counselor and Educational Advisor

Company Description:

North Shore Community College is a diverse, caring, inclusive community that inspires our students to become engaged citizens and to achieve their personal, academic, and career goals through accessible, affordable, rigorous educational opportunities that are aligned with our region’s workforce needs and will prepare them for life in a changing world. NSCC is one of 15 Massachusetts community colleges, which serves the 26 cities and towns north of Boston. Since its founding in 1965, NSCC has grown from a single leased building to an urban campus in downtown Lynn and a suburban campus in Danvers, and from five to 80 academic programs of study. Nearly 50,000 students have graduated from NSCC. The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). 

Job Description:

Community/Outreach Counselor and Educational Advisor

Professional Grade 3, MCCC, TRIO Grant-funded Position 

Location: Lynn Campus

37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday)

Occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends, remote work, and travel as needed.

SALARY:  Anticipated starting salary is $47,597.00 – $50,000.00.  Actual salary will be commensurate with education and experience in accordance with the MCCC/MTA collective bargaining agreement. Full time benefited employees at North Shore Community College are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package offered through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTER

The North Shore Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) is a federally funded TRIO program that provides educational planning, career counseling, and assistance with admissions and financial aid applications for low-income and first-generation individuals planning post-secondary education. The North Shore EOC is part of a statewide network of service sites under MassEdCO, Inc. 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES: 

As a part of the North Shore EOC team, the Community Outreach Educational Advisor will provide educational support services to program participants in order to enhance their postsecondary access opportunities and successful enrollment in post-secondary education programs appropriate to the client’s educational and career goals. The EOC Advisor will provide one-on-one counseling and group work sessions to help participants identify a potential career path and the education programs to help them achieve their goals.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Engage in in-person and virtual outreach efforts; leverage phone, email, text messaging, social media, and other creative solutions to inform and connect with target populations about educational opportunities and available EOC services;
2. Recruit, select, and enroll eligible participants, 2/3 of whom must meet 644.3 eligibility; collaborate with EOC team members to meet overall recruitment goals for the program.
3. Provide (in-person and virtual) permissible services, including: 
   • Career advising for clients who have not yet formulated career goals and assistance in determining post-secondary education
   • Counseling to improve the financial and economic literacy of participants, including basic financial planning skills; money management, and assistance with the rehabilitation of defaulted student loans
   • Academic advice and assistance in course selection
   • Individual assistance with the college application, admissions, and/or transfer processes
   • Comprehensive financial aid information, including types of aid available, the difference between grants and loans, how to research private scholarship monies, and assistance with the rehabilitation of defaulted student loans
   • Assistance with the Federal and school financial aid forms (FAFSA, CSS Profile) and the Federal and State scholarships and loans, and advocates on behalf of students with agencies and schools regarding financial aid, account, and academic status
   • Referrals of assistance (i.e. childcare services, tax, and welfare information, GED/HiSet, and job training programs);
4. Leverage phone, email, text messaging, social media, and other creative solutions to inform and connect with target populations about educational opportunities and available EOC services;
5. Develop and deliver (in-person and virtual) post-secondary education access workshops and presentations for potential clients and their families at area schools and community organizations, and agencies; interact with individuals to coordinate activities;
6. Coordinate logistics for EOC off-site services at area high schools and community organizations or agencies;
7. Maintain confidential records of participants served and assistance provided;
8. Assist with the preparation and completion of various program documentation, including annual performance reports and grant proposals; complete reimbursement and other related paperwork;
9. Participates in training and staff meetings. Supports the overall goals of the EOC and broader TRIO team;
10. Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Reports to the Director of EOC/TS/UB

Requirements:

The successful candidate is energetic, approachable, and a customer-service-oriented professional. He or she has excellent interpersonal skills, strong organizational skills, solid reasoning abilities, and an entrepreneurial spirit. He/she is committed to working with faculty, students, and staff of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, levels of academic preparation, or/and varying physical and learning abilities. The successful candidate is able to maintain strict confidentiality of student records and information, is able to work independently, is adept at managing changing priorities, and is tolerant of ambiguity. He or she must also have:

1. A Bachelor’s Degree;
2. Two (2) years of relevant experience in a student service role
3. Solid knowledge of the higher education enrollment process, including familiarity with and knowledge of college admissions, financial aid, FAFSA, and career information and planning processes
4. Strong communication skills, dynamic presentation skills, and a proven ability to design and facilitate events/presentations/workshops for small and large groups
5. Strong computing skills including working knowledge of Microsoft Office; database and student records management experience and experience using social and mobile applications to promote services/reach constituents is preferred
6. Professional or personal experience having succeeded in overcoming barriers similar to those confronting the project’s target population; experience with TRIO programs a plus
7. Reliable transportation and ability to travel to off-site locations
8. Ability to work occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends, or remotely as needed
9. Bilingual strongly preferred
10. Candidates will be required to pass a CORI/SORI background check as a condition of employment
11. Candidates will be required proof of vaccination as a condition of employment

Additional Information:

North Shore Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran or military status, genetic information, gender identity, or sexual orientation in it programs and activities as required by Title IX or the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Action of 1964, and other applicable statutes and college policies.  The College prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Inquires or complaints concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sexual violence shall be referred to the College’s Affirmative Action and/or Title IX Coordinator, Nick Royal, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination or the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission or the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. North Shore Community College will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Prospective employees are encouraged to review the College’s Annual Security Report (ASR), in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistic Act, which can be found on the disclosure page of the College’s website by clicking here.

Application Instructions:

Submit cover letter and resume. Applicants selected for an interview will need to provide unofficial transcripts or foreign degree evaluations and the name, address, email and telephone number of at least three current professional references to Human Resources before the interview takes place.