College Success Counselor

Job Description

Job Description

Originally   founded in 1991  as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of seven PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools —growing our organization’s impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more, visit wearedream.org .

DREAM (formerly known as Harlem RBI), an innovative educational and youth development organization, is seeking a dynamic individual to serve as a College Success Counselor to support DREAM’s alumni community. Reporting to the Director of Post-Secondary Success on the Legends team, the primary responsibility of the College Success Counselor will be to support college students as they pursue their college degree and launch into their careers. Additionally, the ideal candidate should have demonstrated experience forming deep relationships with young adults and be a collaborative individual with strong initiative and follow-up.

Responsibilities

• Provide counseling to a caseload of 100 Legends (former participants of DREAM’s programs) who are pursuing college pathways by providing mentoring, academic support, career development, and social-emotional development support, including work with 3rd and 4th year students at CUNY;
• Provide re-enrollment support and engage in consistent follow-up with Legends that are seeking to re-enroll in college;
• Ensure milestones and regular one-on-one check-ins are accurately and efficiently tracked in Salesforce; 
• Collaborate with team members to support Legends events (promotion to ensure high attendance, coordinating partnerships) including reunion events, workshops and mentoring/leadership events;
• Collaborate with Dream Charter High School staff to leverage opportunities to build relationships with high school seniors, such as senior events, college access events, etc.
• Co-facilitate 12th Grade studio class in second semester, to support post-secondary decision counseling and readiness;
• Maintain close relationships with key university stakeholders by attending networking groups, college information sessions, and success workshops;
• Provide additional support as needed to all DREAM afterschool and summer programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• At least two years of experience working in post-secondary success or case management; 
• Experience within the CUNY/SUNY system and knowledge of associated support programs (ASAP, CD, etc), preferred;
• Demonstrated ability to form relationships with young adults;
• Strong case management skills;
• Knowledge and understanding of post-secondary success including academic, financial, and social/emotional considerations;
• Familiarity with college application and financial aid process, preferred;
• Experience in coordination, facilitation and program planning both in remote and in-person settings;
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with colleagues and across departments; 
• Experience with digital platforms including but not limited to Salesforce (or other CRM), Google Suite (Drive, Slides, Forms, Voice, etc) and Zoom (or similar video conferencing system);
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities;
• Bilingual (Spanish speaker) preferred.

Working Expectations

• Start Date: Immediate
• 4 days in person & Fridays remote
• Hours vary seasonally depending on afterschool and summer programming, with occasional evenings and weekends, as needed.

Benefits and Paid Time Off

We offer comprehensive benefits including:

• Flexible Medical Health Plans, subsidizing the majority of costs for the employee, their spouse/domestic partner and children;
• The ability to select between a variety of medical plans according to what best suits the employee’s needs;
• Dental and vision plans;
• Disability benefits;
• Life insurance;
• Up to 12 weeks fully paid of Parental Leave; 
• Flexible spending account options;
• Pre-tax commuter benefits (parking and transit);
• Fitness and entertainment discounts;
• A variety of support through our employee assistance program (EAP);
• A 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching up to 4% after one year of employment
• Referral bonuses;
• All full-time Network Support Team employees are eligible for approximately 48 days off throughout the year including holidays, sick days, personal days and summer Fridays.
• Benefits are subject to change.

Compensation

• DREAM offers a competitive salary commensurate with relevant experience with the potential for an annual performance-based increase. The incoming salary range for this position is $65,000 to $75,000 per year. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary closer to the start of the range depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. All staff are eligible for annual performance-based increases. Because we value staff tenure in each role, we do not currently cap salary ranges.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At DREAM, diversity, equity, and inclusion are a matter of mission.

From our schools to our playing fields, DREAM is committed to building a team where each individual can bring their full identity and experience to work because representation matters—it enriches our team culture, enhances our ability to innovate, and strengthens our impact in and out of the classroom. DREAM engages staff that represent and appreciate the diversity of our majority Black and Hispanic student body, while working to ensure that our practices are equitable, welcoming, and productive. We are dedicated to creating a world where youth, especially youth of color, have permission to dream—along with the tools and opportunities to make their dreams reality.

Come dream with us .

DREAM Maxims

All Kids Can. This Kid Can.

DREAM is Family.

Fun is a Serious Value.

Teamwork Makes the DREAM Work.

Fail. Persist. Exceed.

DREAM Big.

Applying to DREAM

We know applying for a new job can be a daunting process. In addition, studies have shown that historically underrepresented individuals often only apply to roles if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage all applications! You may be just the person we need. If you have any questions about your application or interview process, do not hesitate to ask your recruiter; we are here to help!

DREAM provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local laws. If accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact your recruiter.

If you are a current DREAM employee, please click here to review our Internal Selection Process before applying.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.