COLLEGE & CAREER Post Secondary Advisor

Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Innovation Schools of Springfield Public Schools (ISSPS) seeks a highly relational, student-centered College & Career Bridge Counselor – Postsecondary Access & Persistence to guide students from high school through their transition into college and other postsecondary opportunities.

The Bridge Counselor will travel to college campuses, maintain a caseload, support FAFSA and admissions, and use an AI-enabled support tool to identify students needing intervention while coordinating with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with high school and/or college-age students.
• Knowledge of college admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and postsecondary transition processes.
• Strong communication, organizational, case-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with students, families, school staff, college personnel, and community partners.
• Ability and willingness to travel to college campuses and partner organizations.
• Ability to maintain student confidentiality and appropriately manage sensitive information.
• Experience supporting first-generation college students and families and with FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, and college affordability.
• Familiarity with college/career platforms and technology-enabled student support tools.

Responsibilities

• Grades 11–12: Relationship Building & Postsecondary Planning
• Develop strong, trusting relationships with students and families beginning in 11th grade.
• Maintain a student caseload and develop individualized college, career, and postsecondary plans.
• Guide students through college exploration, applications, admissions, FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, and enrollment decisions.
• Collaborate with school counselors, Early College staff, higher education partners, and community organizations.
• Matriculation & Summer Melt Prevention
• Maintain regular contact with graduating seniors through the summer after graduation and track students from acceptance through actual enrollment.
• Identify students at risk of not matriculating and provide timely intervention.
• Help resolve barriers involving financial aid, deposits, registration, orientation, housing, transportation, documentation, and other enrollment requirements.
• Connect students and families directly with college personnel when needed.
• Year 5: First-Year College Persistence
• Year 5 is defined as the first year following high school graduation.
• Maintain an active caseload of ISSPS graduates enrolled in college or other postsecondary programs and conduct proactive check-ins throughout their first year.
• Travel to college campuses to meet directly with ISSPS graduates and collaborate with appropriate college personnel.
• Help students navigate academic, financial, social, and administrative challenges.
• Identify students at risk of stopping out or withdrawing and coordinate interventions that support first-year completion and transition into the second year.
• AI-Enabled Student Support & Early Intervention
• Help graduates successfully utilize the ISSPS AI-enabled student support platform.
• Review appropriate alerts and escalations identifying students who may require additional human support.
• Proactively contact students, provide individualized intervention, and connect them with appropriate college, community, financial, and academic resources.
• Identify trends in student needs and maintain appropriate student privacy and confidentiality.
• Technology will supplement—not replace—the relationship, judgment, advocacy, and support provided by the Bridge Counselor.
• Outcomes, Data & Accountability
• Track key outcomes including applications, FAFSA completion, acceptance, matriculation, summer melt, first-semester persistence, credit accumulation, first-year completion, and first-to-second-year persistence.
• Maintain accurate student-level data, document interventions, and provide regular updates to ISSPS leadership.
• Use data to identify systemic barriers and improve future college and career programming.

Skills

Relationship building

College admissions knowledge

Communication

Organizational skills

Case management

Travel to campuses

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Position Overview

The Innovation Schools of Springfield Public Schools (ISSPS) seeks a highly relational, student-centered College & Career Bridge Counselor — Postsecondary Access & Persistence to support students from high school through their transition into college and other postsecondary opportunities.

The Bridge Counselor will begin developing relationships with students in 11th and 12th grade and continue supporting graduates through the summer after graduation and their first year of college (Year 5). The goal is not simply college acceptance, but successful matriculation and first-year persistence.

This position combines high-touch relationship building with an AI-enabled student support tool that will assist graduates during their first year and provide appropriate alerts when additional counselor intervention may be needed. The Bridge Counselor will also travel to college campuses to maintain relationships and provide direct support to ISSPS graduates.

Core Responsibilities

• Grades 11–12: Relationship Building & Postsecondary Planning

Develop strong, trusting relationships with students and families beginning in 11th grade.

Maintain a student caseload and develop individualized college, career, and postsecondary plans.

Guide students through college exploration, applications, admissions, FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, and enrollment decisions.

Collaborate with school counselors, Early College staff, higher education partners, and community organizations.

• Matriculation & Summer Melt Prevention

Maintain regular contact with graduating seniors through the summer after graduation and track students from acceptance through actual enrollment.

Identify students at risk of not matriculating and provide timely intervention.

Help resolve barriers involving financial aid, deposits, registration, orientation, housing, transportation, documentation, and other enrollment requirements.

Connect students and families directly with college personnel when needed.

• Year 5: First-Year College Persistence

Year 5 is defined as the first year following high school graduation.

Maintain an active caseload of ISSPS graduates enrolled in college or other postsecondary programs and conduct proactive check-ins throughout their first year.

Travel to college campuses to meet directly with ISSPS graduates and collaborate with appropriate college personnel.

Help students navigate academic, financial, social, and administrative challenges.

Identify students at risk of stopping out or withdrawing and coordinate interventions that support first-year completion and transition into the second year.

• AI-Enabled Student Support & Early Intervention

Help graduates successfully utilize the ISSPS AI-enabled student support platform.

Review appropriate alerts and escalations identifying students who may require additional human support.

Proactively contact students, provide individualized intervention, and connect them with appropriate college, community, financial, and academic resources.

Identify trends in student needs and maintain appropriate student privacy and confidentiality.

Technology will supplement—not replace—the relationship, judgment, advocacy, and support provided by the Bridge Counselor.

• Outcomes, Data & Accountability

Track key outcomes including applications, FAFSA completion, acceptance, matriculation, summer melt, first-semester persistence, credit accumulation, first-year completion, and first-to-second-year persistence.

Maintain accurate student-level data, document interventions, and provide regular updates to ISSPS leadership.

Use data to identify systemic barriers and improve future college and career programming.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with high school and/or college-age students.
• Knowledge of college admissions, enrollment, financial aid, and postsecondary transition processes.
• Strong communication, organizational, case-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with students, families, school staff, college personnel, and community partners.
• Ability and willingness to travel to college campuses and partner organizations.
• Ability to maintain student confidentiality and appropriately manage sensitive information.

Preferred

• Experience supporting first-generation college students and families and with FAFSA, financial aid, scholarships, and college affordability.
• Familiarity with college/career platforms and technology-enabled student support tools.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate believes that a high school’s responsibility to its students does not end at graduation. This individual is a relationship builder who will know students personally, understand their goals and challenges, and remain connected when obstacles emerge. The successful candidate will be persistent, resourceful, comfortable working across high schools and college campuses, and committed to ensuring that students do not simply get into college—but successfully get to college and persist once they arrive.

Compensation & Funding

Salary consistent with the applicable Unit Z Senior for the Innovation Schools of Springfield Public Schools (ISSPS), commensurate with education and experience.

This is a grant-funded position currently funded for one full year upon hire. Continuation beyond the initial grant period is contingent upon the availability of grant or other funding sources and program needs.

Benefits and other terms and conditions of employment will be provided consistent with applicable Springfield Public Schools and ISSPS requirements.

If you BELIEVE, we have a place for YOU on our team! Come work for us!

About Our District

Springfield Public Schools is a cultural gem in Western Massachusetts that is committed to providing a learning environment that opens the doors of infinite possibilities to our amazing students and staff. We strive to equip each of our approximately 24,000 students with learning experiences that enhance their knowledge and critical thinking skills. We are the 3rd largest district in Massachusetts. Our district has over 44 languages spoken and over 60 countries represented by both students and staff. We foster a positive and professional environment in our schools and work sites where people feel valued, respected, supported, seen and heard. Our students and staff share their ideas and perspectives, learning from and appreciating each other. We are a district that is committed to equity and excellence.

Join a team that Empowers Educators

In addition to offering competitive salaries and benefits, we provide numerous cutting-edge professional development opportunities for all staff. We let our data shape the professional development of the district, therefore, it is relevant and actionable. We support our teaching staff with mentors such as instructional leadership specialists and effective educator coaches to work with them throughout the year in lesson planning, data analysis and management. Our district offers career advancement opportunities and is invested in "Grow our Own" and educational pipeline programs. These programs help our staff achieve a college degree or lead to certification pathways.

If there is something that you would like to know specifically about the position that you are applying for or assistance with matching your skills to a position, Carmen Molina-Figueroa will be happy to assist you at [e-mail].

NONDISCRIMINATION EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT

The Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy related conditions, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status.

NOTICE OF SEX NONDISCRIMINATION

Springfield Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and its regulations, including in admission and employment.

Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to the Springfield Public Schools’ Title IX Coordinator, [e-mail], the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights at https://ocrcas.ed.gov/contact-ocr, or both.

The Springfield Public Schools Title IX Coordinator is Jeremy Saint Laurent, Chief Legal Counsel in Legal Services, 1550 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103, 413-787-7100 ext. 55325, [e-mail].

Springfield Public School’s sex nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedures can be located on the Springfield Public Schools website, www.springfieldpublicschools.com/non-discrimination.

To report information about conduct that may constitute sex discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, please refer to [e-mail]