Dean, Student Success

Santa Monica College; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 201,000; Full time

Job summary

Santa Monica College seeks a Dean of Student Success & Counseling to lead a broad portfolio of counseling, career, retention, transfer, and student success services. You will guide a comprehensive counseling framework and work with faculty, administrators, and campus partners to ensure accessible, data‑driven support for diverse students.

The role includes directing articulation, career services, DREAM/CalWORKs, EOPS/CARE, and veteran programs while advancing equity and inclusive excellence

Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• One year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.
• Must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse socio‑economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.

Responsibilities

• Supervise classified staff and provide direction to counseling faculty leaders, counselors, and advisors.
• Oversee Academic, Transfer, Vocational, and Career Counseling services.
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive career services program, including counseling, workshops, and job development.
• Lead new student orientation initiatives and equity planning committees.
• Collaborate with community and four‑year institutions to enhance educational outcomes.

Skills

Staff supervision

Strategic leadership

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Diversity awareness

Policy development

Education

Master's degree

Leadership training/experience

Diversity sensitivity

Job description

Dean, Student Success & Counseling

Santa Monica College

Salary: $173,449.00 - $201,075.00 Annually

Job Type: Academic Administrator

Job Number: 00338

Location: 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405, CA

Closing: 12/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Duties

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

With the goal of ensuring the equal educational opportunity of all students, Santa Monica College embraces diversity among students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve as an integral part of our history, a recognition of the complexity of our present state, and a call to action for a better future. Embracing diversity means that we must intentionally practice equity and respect toward one another, and understand that discrimination and prejudices create and sustain privileges for some while creating and sustaining barriers for others. In order to embrace diversity, we also acknowledge that institutional discrimination and implicit bias exist, and that our goal is to eradicate those vestiges from our system. Our commitment to diversity requires that we strive to eliminate those barriers to equity, and that we act deliberately to create a safe and positive environment where individual and group differences are valued and leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational community. To advance the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice for the success of students and employees, we must honor that each individual is unique and that our individual differences contribute to the ability of the college to prepare students on their educational journeys. This requires that we develop and implement policies and procedures, encourage individual and systemic change, continually reflect on our efforts, and hold ourselves accountable for the results of our efforts in accomplishing our goals. We are invested as a community in cultivating and maintaining a climate where equity and mutual respect are both intrinsic and explicit by valuing individuals and groups from all backgrounds, demographics, and experiences. Individual and group differences can include, but are not limited to the following dimensions: race, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, religion, creed, military or veteran status, socioeconomic status, and any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. We acknowledge that the concept of inclusion and diversity is ever‑evolving, thus we create space to allow our understanding to grow through the periodic review of this statement. In service of these goals, Santa Monica College is committed to fostering an employment environment that offers equal employment opportunity for all and an educational environment that ensures the equal educational opportunity of all students.

Position Profile

Under the direction of the Vice President of Student Success, the Dean of Student Success and Counseling provides strategic, administrative, and operational leadership for a comprehensive portfolio of counseling, career, retention, transfer, and student success services designed to advance student access, persistence, completion, transfer, career development, and equitable educational outcomes.

The Dean provides leadership for the College's comprehensive counseling framework and works collaboratively with faculty, classified professionals, administrators, and campus partners to ensure that counseling and student support services are coordinated, accessible, student centered, data‑informed, and responsive to the diverse needs of the College's students.

The Dean has administrative responsibility for areas that include:

• Articulation
• Strategies for Academic Success (Academic and Progress Notice Services)
• Black Collegians (UMOJA Community)
• CalWORKS
• Career Services Center
• Dream Program
• EOPS/CARE
• Foster Youth Programs (Guardian Scholars and Next‑Up)
• General Counseling/Transfer Services
• Latino Center/Adelante
• New Student Orientation
• Pico Partnership
• Rising Program
• Veteran Success Center

The incumbent will also provide guidance and recommendations for policy formulation in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities

(Examples of key duties are interpreted as being descriptive and not restrictive.)

Leadership

• Supervise classified support staff and provide direction to counseling faculty leaders, counselors, and advisors.
• Oversee Academic, Transfer, Vocational, and Career Counseling services.
• Ensure comprehensive transfer counseling services and activities while maintaining relationships with four‑year institutions.
• Manage the creation and maintenance of articulation agreements, addressing curricular issues as they arise.
• Develop and oversee a comprehensive career services program, including individual counseling, career‑planning workshops, and job development activities.
• Participate in hiring, training, and supervising managers, faculty, and support staff.
• Co‑lead new student orientation initiatives.
• Implement and manage the Student Success Team Model for Area of Interest Communities.
• Develop and maintain documentation systems related to student applications and eligibility for special program services.
• Participate in Institutional Redesign Team and Equity Planning committees.
• Co‑Chair the Student Retention Committee.
• Collaborate with community agencies to enhance educational success for disadvantaged populations.
• Represent the District at relevant local, state, or national meetings.
• Communicate effectively with all college constituencies.
• Attend trainings and meetings pertinent to the role.
• Other duties as assigned.

Budget and Fiscal Oversight

• Establish and manage the various Counseling Department budgets.
• Develop and monitor program budgets, assessing staffing and productivity needs.
• Collaborate with the college Foundation to secure and manage relevant grants.

Evaluation and Compliance

• Monitor student progress and implement interventions for success.
• Oversee program evaluations and audits.
• Provide written and oral reports on all areas.
• Ensure adequate personnel coverage for various academic sessions.

Success Programs

• Black Collegians: Coordinate program activities, supervise staff, and manage budgets.
• CalWORKs Program: Supervise staff and oversee the services provided to participants and maintain community relations.

• Career Services Center: Supports students with career exploration, employment preparation, and connections to workforce opportunities
• DREAM Program: Supervise staff and services for undocumented students and manage related grants.
• EOPS/CARE Program: supervise staff and organize services for eligible students and ensure compliance with reporting requirements.
• Foster Youth Programs (Guardian Scholars and Next‑Up): Supervise staff and services for foster youth students and manage budgets.
• Latino Center/Adelante Program: Supervises staff and organize services for Latinx students.
• Pico Partnership: Supervise staff and services for participants and manage the grant budget.
• RISING Program: Manage the program, supervise staff and organize services for previously incarcerated students.
• Veterans Success Center: Supervise staff and oversee the services provided to veterans and ensure compliance with reporting requirements.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Ability to work as part of an administrative team to achieve the College's vision and goals.
• Strong interpersonal skills for effective communication with diverse constituencies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Creative problem‑solving skills and strong analytical abilities.
• Proficient in using technology for data analysis and program assessment.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing environments and needs.
• Ability to lead and manage staff in a collaborative governance structure.
• Understanding of the challenges faced by underrepresented and marginalized student populations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• One year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.
• Must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse socio‑economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, including those with physical and/or learning disabilities as these factors relate to differences in learning styles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of administrative and leadership experience in education, relevant to the assignment.
• Three (3) years of professional experience in student services, preferably within a college setting.

• Two (2) or more years of experience teaching or counseling in an academic environment.

Additional Information

Academic Administrator ApplicationRequirements

• Online District Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Transcript

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE SELECTED FOR A FINAL INTERVIEW YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THREE (3) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION TO BE REVIEWED AS A PART OF THE FINAL PROCESS.

Diversity Statement

Recent experience working with African American, Latinx, Native American, and other racially minoritized students in the classroom; and a willingness to use culturally responsive instructional practices.

Demonstrated sensitivity to issues of diversity, and ability to motivate and teach community college students of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, cultures, and learning styles, as well as students with disabilities or varied levels of academic preparation.

Equity Statement

Santa Monica College encourages candidates that are equity-minded to apply. SMC is a minority‑serving, Hispanic‑serving institution. We actively seek to attract candidates from minority groups that value equity, diversity and inclusion. Equity, diversity and inclusion are built into the culture at SMC and are an essential component of the work that we do. SMC is committed to racial and socioeconomic diversity as it is a reflection of our student population and we strive to hire candidates that share this commitment.

EqualEmployment Opportunity Disclosure

The Santa Monica Community College District is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants for employment, as well as District employees, shall have full and equal access to employment opportunity. No person shall be subjected to unlawful discrimination in any program or activity of the District. The District's Board Policy 3420 (Equal Employment Opportunity) may be accessed at: http://www.smc.edu/ACG/Documents/Board_Policy_Manual/Updated%20Board%20Policies%202017/Board%20Policy%20Chapter%203.pdf

Equivalency Statement

The Santa Monica Community College District, in its desire to select outstanding employees from the largest possible pool of qualified applicants, recognizes the fact that candidates may attain expertise in a discipline through a variety of means. Certain combinations of education, experience and other accomplishments in the field may be judged by the District as equal to the stated minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who feel they possess such equivalent qualifications are encouraged to apply and provide appropriate documentation of their qualifications. If you are applying for the recruitment through equivalency based on work experience, you will be required to submit proof of your work history. For further details regarding equivalency criteria, please download the Equivalency Application Statement Form available at: https://www.smc.edu/administration/human-resources/employment/documents/equivalency-statement-for-application.pdf

Conditions of Employment

Appointment is subject to verification of official transcripts, current or previous employment, tuberculosis and fingerprint clearance. Selected candidate must provide identification and work authorization. In response to significant budgetary pressures facing the institution, this position is subject to two furlough days each month. Please note the salary listed does not consider the two furlough days each month.