Manager, Student Success

Saybrook University; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School in Pasadena, California, is seeking a Manager of Student Success to lead the Department of Student Success and drive student persistence, retention, and degree completion. The role includes directing coaches, maintaining caseloads, teaching an introductory college course, and collaborating across campus to enhance the student experience.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree (with a Master’s preferred), several years of coaching/advising experience,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, student affairs, or a related field.
• Five (5) years of experience in student coaching, academic advising, or student support services.
• One (1) year of supervisory or lead experience.
• Experience with student information systems (e.g., Banner, Colleague) and CRM tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, and professional development for Student Success Coaches to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality advising, coaching, and case management services.
• Maintain an active student caseload, providing direct support, intervention, and guidance to promote student engagement, persistence, and degree completion.
• Teach one introduction to college course each semester.
• Monitor student success outcomes, coaching effectiveness, and operational performance using data-informed decision-making.
• Collaborate with academic and administrative partners to coordinate support services and remove barriers to student success.
• Ensure FERPA compliance and foster a culture of accountability and service excellence.

Skills

Student coaching

Academic advising

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Banner

Colleague

CRM tools

Job description

Job Description: Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School Student Affairs Manager, Student Success Full-time Salary: $70,304 - $80,000 Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School is recruiting a Manager of Student Success for their Pacific Oaks College campus in Pasadena, California.

About Pacific Oaks College and Children's School Pacific Oaks College and Children's School, located in Pasadena, California, is a nonprofit institution rooted in Quaker values and a strong social justice heritage. The College offers bachelor’s, master’s, a doctorate, and certificate programs in education, human development, counseling, and related fields, while the Children’s School is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in anti-bias education, emergent curriculum, and peaceful conflict resolution. Together, they foster inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments that honor the unique potential of every individual. Employees join a mission-driven community committed to respect, diversity, social justice, and lifelong learning.

About the Position

The Department of Student Success provides proactive academic advising, success coaching, and case management services that support student engagement, persistence, and degree completion. Student Success Coaches serve as the primary point of contact for students, assisting with academic planning, course registration, degree progression, and navigation of institutional processes while helping students overcome barriers to success. Through individualized Student Success Plans, degree progress reviews, targeted outreach, and coordinated referrals to campus resources, the department promotes student achievement and a positive student experience. In partnership with faculty and campus departments, the Department of Student Success advances institutional goals related to retention, persistence, graduation, and overall student success. The Manager of Student Success provides leadership, oversight, and direct student support to advance student persistence, retention, academic achievement, and degree completion.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, supervision, and professional development for Student Success Coaches to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality advising, coaching, and case management services.
• Maintain an active student caseload, providing direct support, intervention, and guidance to promote student engagement, persistence, and degree completion.
• Teach one introduction to college (Success at PO) course each semester.
• Monitor student success outcomes, coaching effectiveness, and operational performance using data-informed decision-making to drive continuous improvement.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex student situations requiring advanced intervention, policy interpretation, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Collaborate with academic and administrative partners to coordinate support services, remove barriers to student success, and enhance the overall student experience.
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies and FERPA requirements while fostering a culture of accountability, service excellence, and continuous improvement.

Note: While this list captures the core focus of the position, we look forward to sharing the full scope of responsibilities with finalists during our interview stages.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, student affairs, or a related field from an accredited institution.
• A combination of education and/or related technical or professional experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree on a year for year basis.
• Five (5) years of experience in student coaching, academic advising, or student support services, within a college setting, demonstrated increasing levels of responsibility.
• One (1) year of supervisory or lead experience.
• Experience collaborating with faculty, academic departments, and cross-functional student service offices to resolve complex student concerns and improve the student experience.
• Proven experience with student information systems (e.g., Banner, Colleague) and CRM tools, including data entry, record retrieval, and transaction processing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, counseling, or related discipline.
• Seven (7) years of experience in student coaching, academic advising, or student support services.
• Two (2) years of supervisory or lead experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through change and implement process improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with retention strategies and data-driven decision-making in higher education.

Location

This position requires the employee to work at the designated campus location.

Anticipated Salary $70,304 - $80,000

Compliance with Federal Antidiscrimination Guidance

Pacific Oaks College is committed to providing equal employment and educational opportunity to all people and strictly adheres to federal anti-discrimination laws. In accordance with DOJ guidance, the College affirms that no programs, hiring practices, promotions, admissions, or other decisions shall provide preferential treatment based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other protected characteristics without appropriate lawful rationale. The College will also ensure compliance of its third-party contractors or program partners in this regard.

Disclaimer

The duties listed above describe the general nature and level of work expected of faculty in this position and are not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The College reserves the right to amend or modify the job description as institutional needs evolve.

Compensation & Benefits

This opportunity is budgeted at $ base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation. To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, including generous paid time-off, medical and dental insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plan with employer contribution, multiple flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement. Pacific Oaks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pacific Oaks participates in E-Verify and verifies identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired.

Pacific Oaks College Grounded in its social justice heritage, Pacific Oaks College prepares students to be culturally intelligent agents of change serving diverse communities in the fields of human development, education, and related family studies. Central to the Quaker tradition and history of Pacific Oaks is the value we place on the individual. This translates into core values we live by at Pacific Oaks of Respect, Diversity, Social Justice, and Inclusion.

Founded on the principles of social justice and inclusion, we are internationally known for our pioneering accomplishments in the areas of anti-bias education, emergent curriculum, and peaceful conflict resolution. Our approach is to be responsive to the needs, interests, and emerging abilities of the children we teach.

Pacific Oaks College & Children's School is an affiliate of The Community Solution, a nonprofit system of fellow nonprofit institutions, each backed by a model of education that prepares socially responsible professionals in applied fields such as education, psychology, and law. Other The Community Solution affiliates include The Chicago School, The Colleges of Law, Saybrook University, Pacific Oaks Children’s School, Kansas Health Science University, and University of Western States.