Career Success Associate

Description

Join a mission-driven team supporting and empowering future college graduates!

Who We Are

At Steppingstone, our mission is to prepare students from under-resourced communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college. 

• Through the Scholars Program in Boston, we provide academic, social-emotional, and college readiness programming from as early as fifth grade and continuing through college graduation.
• Through the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA), we connect the people, practices, and innovations essential for eliminating barriers to college and career success.

Who You Are

The Career Success Associate role is a strong fit for an early career professional who is passionate about educational access and committed to making a lasting impact on Scholars' lives. Career Success is a brand new department at Steppingstone, and this is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor with a program designed to equip Scholars from as early as middle school with the tools they need to explore careers, develop skills, and build social capital in a rapidly evolving workforce. To that end, the ideal candidate will have experience in workforce development and career education, working with middle through college-aged students, and will excel in curriculum development, workforce education, and program design and implementation. In this role, you will develop deep knowledge of current career trends and resources available to assist Scholars in career exploration while working as part of a collaborative, cross-functional team.

Start Date: July 2025

Salary: $60,000

Reports to: Director of Career Success

Responsibilities:

Program Implementation

• Support the development, execution, and continuous improvement of Steppingstone’s Career Success initiative, including: 
• Strategic planning and program implementation
• Event promotion and recruitment
• Assist in the delivery of key career success programs, such as Steppingstone’s mentoring program, internship preparation, and networking nights, and others to be added
• Prepare, refine, and support facilitation of career success curriculum based on appropriate age group, experience level, and feedback
• Utilize data collection, tracking, and documentation to inform program improvements and monitor career success progress
• Research, write, and send all career newsletter communications using HubSpot
• Participate in the process for admitting new Scholars and families to the Scholars Program

Partnerships

• Collaborate with the Director of Career Success and the Corporate Relations Manager to build and sustain impactful corporate partnerships
• Coordinate logistics for internship placements and other career-related opportunities, ensuring students have access to high-quality experiences
• Design and execute outreach campaigns that demonstrate the benefits of Steppingstone’s career program and services, and drive Scholars to participate

Continuous Learning

• Stay current with industry best practices in career development, advising, and preparation to continuously enhance program offerings
• Partner with Advisors to assess Scholars’ career needs, offer targeted supports when needed, and coach program staff to strengthen Scholars’ success in this area 

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated commitment to educational access and success
• Experience working with individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences
• Experience working with students in an academic, advising, or mentorship role
• Experience as an effective team member in a changing environment; ability to manage multiple projects and priorities
• Strong relationship-building and group facilitation skills across differing stakeholders; resolves conflicts constructively and respectfully
• Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and independent problem-solving capabilities
• Clear written and verbal communication style; ability to adapt communication style to different audiences
• Strong attention to detail
• Knowledge of different career industries and interests is a plus
• Ability to make a minimum two-year commitment required. Two years will allow the Associate to fully dive into our work and provide consistency for Scholars and families.
• Preference given to candidates who are bilingual in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Haitian Creole, or Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese). Employees may be asked to provide translation services for members of the Steppingstone community and may be eligible to receive a stipend for their assistance. 

Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required in Education, Counseling, Human Resources, or a related field
• Two years in workforce development, education, career services, or a related area
• Experience using Salesforce and program management tools is a plus

Academic Year Schedule:

This position is a hybrid role with at least two days per week in office with some flexibility around work hours. A $500 home office set-up stipend will be provided upon hire, followed by quarterly stipends of $50. Laptops are provided to each employee to enhance the hybrid experience.

The Associate will work a Monday-Friday schedule. Some evening and Saturday work is required, and work schedules can be adjusted accordingly within that week. Evening work usually ends around 7:00 p.m.

Program staff support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program, including interviewing prospective students and families. Due to the nature of those interviews, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis in February.

Physical Demands:

• Lifting up to 20 pounds, standing, walking, sitting, reaching, operating computer and office equipment 
• Pursuant to the ADA, Steppingstone will provide reasonable services and accommodation(s) to employees with qualified disabilities in order to perform the essential functions of their employment, except when doing so would be unduly disruptive and/or result in undue hardship to the organization.

Employee Benefits:

• Generous paid time off (over 8 weeks total, as outlined below)
• 15 days PTO
• 2 days Discretionary Time Off
• 5 wellness days
• 12.5 holidays
• 2 weeks paid office closure (the weeks before Labor Day and New Year’s Day)
• $500 Home Office Set-up Stipend; plus $50 quarterly
• Health, Dental and Vision coverage
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance
• Healthcare Reimbursement Account Plan (HRA)
• Pet Insurance
• Flexible Schedule     
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition & Professional Development reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health and Dependent Care
• Pre-tax Transportation Plan (Transit & Parking)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Membership to the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA)

Steppingstone Core Values

Mission First - Keep Scholars front and center in all we do.

Lead with Inclusion - Elevate every voice, consider every perspective. 

Stronger Together - Team up and trust each other.

Own It - Act with integrity, stay accountable, and be transparent. 

Learn. Grow. Innovate. - Embrace change, drive creativity, and never stop learning.

A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment with Steppingstone and automatically disqualified if they use threatening language or behavior either written, verbal, or physical during any phase of the interview process.

Steppingstone is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for employment in accordance with law.