Manager, Student Success

Pacific Oaks College & Children's School; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

generous paid time-off

medical and dental insurance coverage

life and disability insurance

retirement plan with employer contrib­

tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Pacific Oaks College and Children’s School in Pasadena, California, seeks a Manager of Student Success to lead a team of coaches and oversee direct student support for persistence and degree completion.

The role combines supervision, strategic program design, and hands-on advising across online and campus-based programs, with a focus on improving outcomes and student 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, 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

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.

Skills

Coaching & Advising

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, student affairs, or related field

Master’s degree in higher education administration, counseling, or related discipline

Tools

Student information systems (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. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Students and working closely with the other Manager of Student Success, the Manager supervises Student Success Coaches while maintaining an active student caseload. They are responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality advising, coaching, and case management services; monitoring student success outcomes; implementing best practices; and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Working closely with faculty and campus partners, the Manager develops and implements strategies and interventions that support student success across online and campus-based programs.

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. Pacific Oaks College provides equal employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or any other protected status under applicable law.

Compensation & Benefits

This opportunity is budgeted at $ base compensation. Additional compensation factors may impact total compensation.

• generous paid time-off
• medical and dental insurance coverage
• life and disability insurance
• retirement plan with employer contribution
• multiple flexible spending accounts
• tuition reimbursement

To learn more about our competitive benefits and additional rewards, visit https://www.pacificoaks.edu/about/careers-pacific-oaks/.

Pacific Oaks is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Pacific Oaks participates in E-Verify and verifies identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired.