Student Success Coach-Special Programs

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Franklin Cummings Tech in Boston is seeking a dedicated Success Coach to advocate for students and drive graduation and retention across Continuing Education, Early College, and Reentry programs. You will manage a substantial caseload, provide academic, career, and personal support, and work closely with Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to improve the student experience.

This full-time on-site role requires an Associate’s degree and 2–4 years in advising; strong communication and

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree required; background in education, counseling, or related field a plus.
• Two to four years in advising or student success.
• Strong written and verbal communication; able to work independently.
• Ability to relate to diverse student populations.
• Experience with Microsoft Office and student information systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Advise and coach a large caseload to promote graduation and job placement.
• Monitor student progress and coordinate with faculty to support success.
• Review policies with the Director to improve student experience.
• Participate in Student Affairs initiatives and college committees.
• Onboard new students and assist with enrollment processes.
• Support job readiness skills and career events.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Independent work

Education

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Canvas

Handshake

Job description

Description

Who We Are:

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (now known as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non‑profit, technical college serving Eastern Massachusetts and beyond. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to education and level the playing field for aspiring talent with meager financial means.

Today, Franklin Cummings Tech continues to build on that legacy by offering post‑secondary education in high‑demand technical and skilled trade fields that lead to excellent careers. Our majors intentionally focus on select industries connected to sustainability and the clean energy transition including electric vehicle technology, smart manufacturing, practical electricity, power engineering, heat pumps/HVAC, biotechnology, automation, construction management, and more.

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, we offer a unique mix of certificate and degree‑granting programs that appeal to enterprising students and respond to employer’s demand for a well‑prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation.

Last year, Franklin Cummings Tech educated more than 1,000 learners across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education clients, and 3) high schoolers pursuing early college. As further evidence that our mission holds resonance, this year the college tracked a 25% year‑over‑year jump in fall new student enrollment and applications surged.

We seek team members who are optimistic, entrepreneurial, data‑informed, and excited about the prospect of continuing to strategically increase student success outcomes and total enrollment from 1,000 learners today to at least 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission‑driven work!

Job Description:

The Success Coach is a passionate advocate for students and actively leads and contributes to institution‑wide efforts to further improve graduation and retention rates of our student body. The Success Coach manages a caseload of Continuing Education and Workforce Programs, Early College, and Reentry Empowerment Program students by providing academic, career, and personal support. The Success Coach of Special Programs reports to the Director of Special Programs and collaborates closely with all members of the Academic Affairs department, as well as members of Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, Student Accounts, and faculty. The Success Coach will lead or participate in additional functional areas in Student Affairs or college committees.

This is a full‑time staff position. Staff are expected to assist the department chair and participate in department trainings and meetings.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a hands‑on academic advisor, career and life coach to a large caseload of advisees for Special Programs students (Continuing Education and Workforce Programs, Early College and the Reentry Empowerment Program) by promoting student engagement that leads to graduation and job placement in high‑demand fields.
• Promote academic success by continually monitoring student progress throughout the semester. Work closely with faculty to ensure that students are engaged and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
• In collaboration with the Director of Special Programs, review policies and operational practices, and recommend changes with the goal of improving the student experience.
• Lead or participate in additional functional areas in Student Affairs or college committees as needed, such as: Student Life, Leadership Programming, Equity and Belonging, CARES team, hiring committees, etc.
• Serve on the weekly Students of Concern Committee to review student attendance, grades, trends, and develop outreach strategies.
• Transition new students from the Admissions process to Student Affairs by meeting with each student to complete an onboarding process.
• Register students for courses each semester ensuring that they are on track and working to resolve any holds on their accounts.
• Assist students with job readiness skills, including resumes, mock interviews, and job search. Connect students to employment opportunities, assist with events such as the annual career fairs, career seminars/workshops, track alumni employment.

Expectations of Special Programs Team Members:

• Be a highly motivated self‑starter with the ability to collaborate, effectively and respectfully, with staff, faculty, other offices, and third parties.
• Contribute to and participate in major campus events and activities, including new student orientation, career fairs, and commencement.
• Participate in the collection and analysis of data regarding student success to help increase student retention and graduation rates.
• Keep current on all aspects of academic programs, student information and career tracking systems, enrollment processes and procedures, college policies and mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree required, with a background in secondary education, higher education administration, social work, counseling, or special education a plus.
• Two‑to‑four years of successful experience employed in an advising or student success capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and develop interpersonal and organizational relationships.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to understanding the needs and concerns of a diverse student population, many of whom are first generation college students.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• STEM, vocational, or trade education/experience
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, student information and early alert systems, such as Canvas, and familiarity of online career platforms such as Handshake.

Application Process:

Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names, titles, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Employee Expectations:

All employees are expected to support the college’s student‑centered mission, contribute to institutional growth and innovation, and collaborate across departments to improve student recruitment, retention, graduation, and career placement outcomes.

Our college is an in‑person institution. Campus presence is the default expectation for all employees. In‑person presence remains the expectation and the standard for all staff. Flex arrangements are a discretionary privilege, not a right, and may be modified or discontinued if it is determined that flex arrangements are diminishing service quality, team cohesion, or responsiveness to students, external partners, and colleagues. The student experience and fidelity of institutional operations take priority over individual schedule preferences.

The role is a minimum of four days a week onsite at the Franklin Cummings Tech Boston campus.

Most of the work is from 9 AM to 5 PM, with occasional evening and weekend events.

The salary range for this position is:$50,000-$58,000 annually DOE.

Franklin Cummings Tech is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on an ongoing basis without sponsorship to be considered for this position at Franklin Cummings Tech.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Franklin Cummings Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.