Student Success Coach

Job Description

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 soared.

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!

Our campus is moving from the South End to Roxbury in early 2026! This new custom-built space is designed to LEED GOLD standards and will offer enhanced accessibility to mass transit routes as well as the benefits of a modern, impressive footprint in one of Boston's most vibrant cultural and educational corridors.

Position Summary:

The Student 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 Student Success Coach manages a large caseload of students by providing academic and personal support to our students. The Student Success Coach reports to the Associate Director of Student Success and collaborates closely with all members of the Student Affairs, as well as members of Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Special Programs and faculty.

Key Responsibilities for Success Coach:

• Serve as a hands-on academic advisor and life coach to a large caseload of advisees 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 are maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
• 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.
• Guide students to register for courses each semester ensuring that they are on track and working to resolve any holds on their accounts.
• Partner with Career and Co-op Services to assist students with job readiness skills, workshops, career fairs, and job placement.

Student Affairs Team Member:

• Be a highly motivated self-starter with the ability to collaborate, effectively and respectfully, with Student Affairs, staff, faculty, all other offices, as well as advocates.
• Contribute to and participate in Student Affairs led events and activities, including new student orientation, student activities, 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 system, student development theories, enrollment processes and procedures, college policies and mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree is required with a background in secondary education, higher education administration, social work, counseling, or special education a plus.
• Master’s degree and STEM education or experience is a plus.
• One-to-three years of successful experience employed in an advising or student success capacity.
• A demonstrated sensitivity to understanding the needs and concerns of a diverse student population, many of whom are first generation college students.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong presentation skills with demonstrated ability to develop interpersonal and organizational relationships.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365, student information and early alert systems, such as Jenzabar, Canvas, Dropout Detective, and familiarity of platforms such as Handshake and Canva.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work in a fast-paced team-focused environment, to multitask, and to pay special attention to detail.
• Ability to speak another language (Spanish, Haitian Creole, CV Creole, Portuguese) is a plus.
• Sense of humor.

This role falls in grade 5 of our staff salary range scale: Compensation Plan - Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Franklin Cummings Tech is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on any grounds protected under federal, state, or local law, including race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy, disability (including those related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected under federal, state or local law.