College Access Counselor

Job Description

Job DescriptionSalary: $65,097-$100,410

Job Title: College Access Counselor

Work Year: 11 months

Employment Type:Exempt, Full-Time

Salary Range: $65,097-$100,410

Supervisor:School Principal

_______________________________________

OUR MISSION

Invictus Academy of Richmond prepares 100% of students in grades 7-12 to thrive in the colleges of their choice, solve relevant problems, and communicate with confidence.

_______________________________________

OUR SCHOOL

Invictus Academy is a high performing independent public charter school located in El Cerrito, and we are seeking team members who want to join our team and create an exceptional school.

Invictus creates joyful, rigorous classroom cultures where students understand the importance of the content they are learning, and how it connects to their everyday lives and ambitions. We work to ensure that in every lesson, the heavy lifting is done by our students.

We build trusting, authentic relationships with students, families, and colleagues. With these relationships as our foundation, we work closely with each other to support students in meeting the highest academic and behavior expectations. At Invictus, we are eager to learn about and implement restorative approaches to support students to be their best selves.

Invictus Academy of Richmond embodies humility and constantly strives to strengthen our knowledge, skills, and practice. We crave feedback and welcome opportunities to grow through observations, coaching meetings, and professional development.

We are fiercely solutions-oriented. We never shy away from a problem that we must solve to achieve our mission, but always bring potential solutions to the table.

____________________________________________________________________________

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Invictus Academy is an independent public charter school located in El Cerrito and we are seeking a College Access Counselor to join our team who believes deeply that the mission, model, and values at Invictus are driving improved educational outcomes for students.

The College Access Counselor
is a visionary, equity-driven leader responsible for designing, implementing, and leading a comprehensive college and career readiness program that supports all Invictus students in achieving postsecondary success. This individual will build and sustain a college-going culture across the school, ensuring that every student has access to the guidance, resources, and opportunities needed to pursue college, career, and life goals with confidence and clarity.

Collaborating closely with school leaders, teachers, families, and external partners, the College Access Counselor
will lead strategic planning, data-driven advising systems, and programming that prepare students for college application, admission, financial aid, and matriculation. The ideal candidate brings a deep understanding of the barriers first-generation students may face, along with a demonstrated commitment to culturally responsive, student-centered advising.

We are seeking exceptional individuals to execute the following essential job functions and professional responsibilities:

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Develop and disseminate college knowledge resources, including originally designed lessons, at regularly scheduled intervals during the school year
• Plan, organize, and coordinate college visits for students
• Calendar, plan, and coordinate college access programming with students and families
• Provide grade-appropriate college awareness resources and programming for students and families
• Plan, organize, and coordinate parent conferences, including leading training for staff
• Collaborate with school leadership to earn WASC accreditation
• Support and monitor student course credits to ensure all students are on track to meet Invictus graduation requirements
• Lead and plan events relating to graduation, College Acceptance Night, the senior trip, and other events relating to the graduating class.
• Lead college readiness and graduation rate data collection and analysis
• Provide individual student and family consultation regarding the college application, admissions, and financial aid process
• Support student access to summer enrichment opportunities
• Develop trusting, authentic relationships with students, their families, and staff

• Support continuous growth of school program through identifying school-wide challenges and working towards solutions
• Give and receive honest and direct feedback to improve your practice, that of your peers, and school leaders
• Create and maintain open, honest, and respectful lines of communication with all stakeholders

• Actively supervise students during transitions such as arrival, bathroom, homeroom, passing periods, lunch, and dismissal.
• Attend and participate in assigned school-wide events including Back to School Night, Parent/Teacher conferences, End of the Year events, Grade Level Meetings, Department Meetings, Summer Professional Development, weekly Professional Development during the school year, and other assigned meetings.
• Demonstrate proficient use of technology to communicate with staff, families, and community members using multiple school-based platforms.
• Utilize Educational Technology platforms for curriculum development and planning.
• Other duties as assigned by the Principal or an administrator.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Demonstrate regular and consistent attendance in order to perform essential functions of the role.
• Collaborate with staff and leadership to continuously improve practices and address student needs effectively.
• Foster open and respectful communication, offering and receiving constructive feedback to enhance personal and team performance.
• Set and hold high expectations for academics and behavior.
• Develop trusting, authentic relationships with students and their families.
• Create and maintain a joyful, safe, structured, and engaging school and classroom culture.
• Demonstrate passion for the content area you coach.
• Encourage students to take risks and learn from their mistakes and create opportunities for students to leverage the power of their voice.
• Supervise and engage with students in-person to ensure student safety and learning.
• Uphold and model core values, including purpose, perseverance, productivity, growth mindset, integrity, leadership, joy, gratitude, mindfulness, and kindness.
• Perform any other reasonable duties or responsibilities as assigned by your supervisor.
• Participate in the performance evaluation process, which is based on adherence to the outlined responsibilities and qualifications.

______________________________________________________________________________

PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Earned Bachelors Degree.
• Pass a Criminal Background Check through the Department of Justice.
• Obtain a negative TB reading prior to starting employment.
• Bilingual in Spanish.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Deep commitment to educational equity and a strong belief in the potential of all students, particularly first-generation college students and those from historically underserved communities
• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree in education, counseling, or a related field strongly preferred
• 5+ years of experience in college access, academic advising, college counseling, or related roles, with a track record of increasing postsecondary outcomes for students
• Demonstrated success supporting students through the entire college process, including application strategy, FAFSA/CADAA, scholarship search, and matriculation
• Deep understanding of college admissions trends, financial aid systems, and the unique needs of first-generation college-bound students
• Experience building college-going culture in K12 settings, ideally in a charter or urban public school
• Strong data analysis skills with the ability to track progress, identify trends, and drive program improvements based on outcomes
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with students, families, staff, and external partners, including colleges, universities, and scholarship organizations
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to design and execute school-wide events (college fairs, application drives, etc.)
• Experience designing or leading workshops and presentations for diverse audiences
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and mission-driven school environment

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This full-time and on-site position requires sufficient mobility to report to campus, work in an office, and engage with students, families, and colleagues, with or without reasonable accommodations. The role may involve light lifting, pushing/pulling, standing, sitting, and bending for extended periods. Success in this role requires working well under pressure, meeting deadlines, and adapting to stressful and unpredictable environments. The employee must effectively prioritize and organize tasks while maintaining open and respectful communication with families and community members using school platforms and technology. Attendance and active participation in school-wide events, professional development sessions, and other assigned meetings are essential.

NON-DISCRIMINATION

Invictus Academy acknowledges and agrees that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity. Invictus Academy shall not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by California or federal law. Equal employment opportunity shall be extended to all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including but not limited to recruitment, selection, hiring, upgrading, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall, and dismissal from employment.