College Access Program Manager (Dollars for Scholars) (Marketing)

Organizational Overview

Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars (DRDFS) empowers and supports students throughout Southeast Michigan to achieve post-secondary success. Founded in 1990, DRDFS provides equitable opportunities for students to access and earn a post-secondary degree, reach their goals, and strengthen our communities.

Through our Next Level Scholars Program, scholars are engaged beginning in 10th grade and continue through post-secondary credential or degree attainment. The program inspires and prepares scholars to pursue post-secondary education, which we accomplish through tailored campus visits, SAT preparation, leadership workshops, FAFSA completion, one-on-one coaching and more. DRDFS awards each scholar a $4,000 scholarship upon high school graduation and continues to provide resources, coaching and support until they earn a post-secondary degree or credential.  We are proud that our scholars outpace their peers in post-secondary enrollment, persistence, and graduation.

Over the past 35 years, what started as a small group of committed neighbors who established the organization to support their local school has evolved into a comprehensive, award winning post-secondary access and success program, serving 16 partner high schools and more than 1,000 scholars across Southeast Michigan annually.

Opportunity

Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars is currently seeking a highly-organized, reliable and self-motivated Program Manager. This role will lead the execution and continuous improvement of our college access programming, including managing high school partnerships, coordinating scholar field trips and workshops, and overseeing data tracking, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. The ideal candidate is a proactive and adaptable professional who thrives in a fast-paced nonprofit environment and is committed to delivering high-quality, mission-aligned programming.

Program and Event Management

• Review program curriculum, objectives and milestones annually to measure program quality and effectiveness and to continuously improve outcomes.
• Build the annual program schedule of workshops and events for high school scholars.
• Lead all student programming, from planning phases through implementation including, but not limited to campus visits, workshops, and specialty events.
• Manage budget, track program expenses and review monthly.
• Direct the setup of project templates and tasks in our project management platform.
• Supervise inventory and ordering of materials and supplies for programming.

Team Leadership

• Provide support, guidance and leadership to Program Coordinator through onboarding, scheduled 1:1s, review processes, and general day to day operations.
• Provide relevant training & development opportunities for Program Coordinator to ensure direct reports have the resources to meet their goals.

Access Committee Staff Lead:

• Lead all Access Committee meetings.
• Set committee goals, conduct necessary research, prepare relevant materials, and ensure effective execution and follow-through.
• Manage all committee member communications and meeting materials, including compiling and sending the meeting minutes to the Committee.

Data Tracking and Reporting

• Regularly review program data and create reports for key stakeholders, using data to make informed decisions for programming.
• Strengthen and implement systems to identify trends across program initiatives and student outcomes.
• Annually lead recommitment process.
• Lead the maintenance and updating of our student information system built on Salesforce.

Stakeholder Communication and Engagement                                                                                                 

• Lead all communication with students, advisers and H.S. administration.
• Supervise all high school adviser processes, including stipends and other initiatives.
• Supervise parent communication and engagement efforts.
• Attend and participate in DRDFS and external meetings and events as needed.

Organizational Responsibilities

• Contribute to DRDFS' mission, vision and long term strategic plans as a dedicated and flexible team member.

Qualifications:

• Requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• 3 or more years working in the College Access/Success field.
• Youth program experience and desire to empower and support students to achieve post-secondary success.
• Proven track record of leading teams to achieve defined goals and deliverables.
• Strong teamwork, interpersonal and coaching skills for both team members and students.
• Experience with using Salesforce or other related CRM to track key metrics and drive strategic decision-making.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and self-motivated; able to take initiative, manage, and complete multiple tasks within deadlines and within budget.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with frequently changing variables.
• Commitment to ongoing self-improvement and professional development.
• Emotionally mature and be able to handle difficult and complex student situations.
• Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher).
• Bi-lingual fluency in English and Spanish or Arabic a plus.

Organizational Culture and Values

All team members are expected to demonstrate our organizational culture and values, also known as our ways of being. The DRDFS team created these statements to encompass the perspectives, knowledge, skills and attitudes of how we approach our work both collectively and individually. By following our ways of being and seeking out ways to improve in these areas, team members can successfully contribute to DRDFS' mission, vision and long term strategic goals as a dedicated team member.

• Connect Meaningfully: Be respectful and compassionate first. We create safe, respectful and compassionate spaces that honor both the individual and team needs and goals. We agree to shared norms and values.
• Engage Fully: Show up as your best. We are present: using our voices and lending our input, as it matters. We show up as our best and acknowledge that our best may change. We are prepared and ready to engage fully.
• Be Brave: Assume positive intent and deliver feedback and ideas respectfully to keep moving forward. We take wise risks, own our mistakes, speak up and ask questions. We encourage one another to step outside our comfort zones and try new things.
• Embrace Differences: Collaboration amongst diverse perspectives and voices leads to results. We honor the wisdom, experience and values of everyone and respect those in and out of the room. We are open to new ideas as well as established ones and collaborate to ensure the best possible outcome.
• Aim High: Set big goals and strive to meet them with a sense of ambition and a growth mindset. We know that to achieve our mission, we need to think big and seek opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement. With an understanding that both challenges and successes offer us an opportunity to learn and grow, we support each other in the process with compassion and accountability.
• Celebrate Success: Infuse joy, recognition and gratitude into daily wins both big and small. We take time to pause, reflect and acknowledge successes. We focus on our goals and work collectively toward them.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars strives to promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We value differences in experiences, perspectives, and identities, including but not limited to ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, gender identity, and disability status.

The need for post-secondary education applies equally to all students, and since its inception, DRDFS has focused support efforts to ensure students from all backgrounds have equitable access to higher education.

As a Plastipak Associate, you receive a benefits package offering the following:

• Wellness Programs
• Health Insurance Coverage, including Medical, Dental & Vision
• EAP, Employee Assistance Program
• Life Insurance
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Disability Insurance:  Short-Term & Long-Term
• Accidental Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• 401(k) Plan, with Company Matching Contribution & Profit Sharing feature
• Paid Time Off    - 80 hours within 1st year & subsequent increases
• Paid Company Holidays
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Caregiving via Care.com
• Pet Insurance
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Sons and Daughters Scholarship Program
• Travel Assistance
• Employee Discount Programs

*Some benefits are subject to eligibility requirements

Plastipak is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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