GEAR UP College & Career Success Advisor

Thank you for your interest. If you are a Green Dot internal employee, please apply using the Jobs Hub on the Workday Home Page. If you are a Green Dot contract/independent worker, please apply through the External Posting URL.

OPPORTUNITY
The candidates selected for these five (5) positions will be integral members of the Counseling and College Persistence Team. The GEAR UP College and Career Success Advisors are responsible for the coordination of programming, data and communication aspects of the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant. This role provides college access services to students beginning in sixth and seventh grades, following them through their first year of college. The position will require travel between Green Dot’s central office and our various school sites.
This is an in-person, grant-funded position ending on June 30, 2032, but will be evaluated annually as the position is contingent on the Department of Education’s annual approval to continue funding. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
> Develop positive relationships with GEAR UP students and families and provide individual support to students to ensure access to college and career information and planning tools.
> Provide comprehensive college access and success services and programs for middle and high school students, including academic planning and preparation, career exploration, tutoring, mentoring, college visits, financial planning, summer enrichment activities, annual orientation events, and college application completion.
> Implement an after-school college and career lab program that includes peer tutoring and workshops.
> Collaborate with various Green Dot Departments, school site teams, and external partners to align and revise project activities, budget, and metrics
> Collect, enter, track, and analyze data related to GEAR UP activities for required U.S. Department of Education annual progress reports, as well as general project operation.
> Create and maintain GEAR UP communications, including writing and design for print, website, newsletter, social media; and manage GEAR UP best practice documents
> Manage all contracts and payments with GEAR UP schools, partners, and contractors.
> Track partner cost share, including completion of cost share forms and monitoring.
> Participate in professional development at the local, regional, and/or state level; attend GEAR UP meetings and trainings when needed
> Assess students’ needs, set academic goals, and formulate a comprehensive plan for assistance in collaboration with each student, parent, teachers, counselors, other agencies and community partners.
> Help support students in the classroom by providing a curriculum and navigating the CCGI platform milestones that include goal setting, academic monitoring, career and college research, and life plans.
> Communicate regularly with parents and/or guardians of students on roster to discuss academic progress, obstacles and needed efforts by students and parents; should include person or virtual face-to-face contact, phone, e-mail and other as-needed communication opportunities
> Help increase family knowledge of career and college opportunities through workshops
> Strategically coordinate college persistence efforts at schools
> Support students to access dual enrollment opportunities
> Create best practices for engaging students and their families in applying to best-fit colleges, understanding/maintaining/improving college financial aid packages, preventing summer melt, and creating survival plans for the first year of college
> Examine how College affordability, Financial Literacy, social-emotional coping strategies, and preparing for the rigor of college courses play a role in increasing persistence
> Manage the development of technical college persistence platforms to inform key metrics leading towards increasing college persistence outcomes
> Engage various stakeholders of persistence outcomes through an annual report
> Participate in Green Dot and individual professional development programs
> Attend and participate in all team meetings, including Persistence Team meetings and Persistence professional development
> Plan and participate in weekly one-on-one meetings with the manager
> Participate in other events aimed at promoting or developing Green Dot and its schools.
> Perform other duties as needed to achieve GEAR UP goals.

QUALIFICATIONS
As an ideal candidate you:

> have a bachelor's degree in any discipline; preferred degree(s) in education, public policy, sociology, or a related field.
> have a minimum of 3  years or more working in a secondary or postsecondary education.
> have at least one or two years of successful work experience in delivering educational support services to disadvantaged students, preferably with educational equity or college access programs is preferred.
> possess basic knowledge of high school graduation and college entrance requirements.
> possess basic knowledge of academic programs, including curricula and admissions requirements at higher education institutions.
> possess basic knowledge of higher education institutions (UC, CSU, CC, Private Colleges), and the ability to explain procedures to youth, parents, and school representatives.
> have strong organizational, analytical, interpersonal, oral, & written communication skills.
> are proficient in technology platforms such as Google Office, Microsoft Office, and other computer apps,
> can organize and plan complex projects and activities.
> can meet deadlines and handle multiple projects.
> exhibit flexibility and high social-emotional competence
> can establish rapport and relationships with high school personnel, students, families, community members, university departments and faculty members.
> are dependable, humble, have a sense of humor, and a rock-solid commitment to Green Dot’s mission and the communities we serve.
> will need to pass a TB test and background check at the time of offer.

JOB REQUIREMENTS
> Work Hours: This position requires consistent attendance during scheduled hours, as flexibility is limited by
classroom or operational requirements.
> Breaks: Breaks are structured within the workday and must align with operational needs and student care
requirements. Extended or frequent breaks may not be feasible in this setting.
> Physical Requirements: The position may require certain physical abilities, such as interacting with students,
or moving through various parts of the school.
> Social Requirements: The position requires extensive interaction with students, colleagues, and members of
the public.
> On-Site Presence: This role requires regular, in-person attendance to meet the needs of students, staff, and
the school environment. Remote work/telecommuting is generally not an option.

The information contained herein is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of the job, nor is it intended to be an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to perform the job.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The starting salary range for this role is $73,000 - $75,000. Individual education and experience will be considered when issuing offers. This is a grant-funded position ending on June 30, 2032, but will be evaluated annually as the position is contingent on the Department of Education’s annual approval to continue funding. 

Green Dot offers one of the most robust and comprehensive benefits packages in the industry (for both you and your dependents):

> Full-time employees are eligible to participate in Green Dot’s benefit plans, effective on the first of the month following their date of hire.
> No-cost premium (for employee only) and low-cost premium (for entire family) HMO option via Anthem Vivity - a network that includes some of the best hospitals in the nation (Cedars Sinai, Huntington Memorial, Torrance Memorial, UCLA and more). 
> Medical PPO and EPO options (visit https://mygreendotbenefits.benefitseasy.net/ for more information)
> Dental and vision care coverage (100% employer-paid options) 
> Employee Assistance Program (100% employer-paid)
> Life and AD&D Insurance (100% employer-paid)
> Optional Term Life & AD&D Insurance
> Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance (100% employer-paid)
> Flexible Spending Accounts (health and dependent care)
> Monthly parking for Central Office-based employees (100% employer-paid)
> Wellness programs and resources
> Financial planning/coaching access
> Optional non-matching 401(k) plan
> Potential for remote work opportunities (occasional or recurring)
> Potential for annual performance-based compensation increases
> Potential for annual bonuses
> Potential for stipend work opportunities
> Approved family care and/or medical leave (unpaid)

Green Dot also offers generous paid time off for an overall work-life balance, while giving employees the opportunity to impact on a growing, mission-driven organization that is committed to the success of all students.

Only those applicants chosen for an interview will be contacted and we’re looking to fill this opening for a July 1, 2026 start date.

Green Dot Public Schools has embedded a diversity, equity and inclusion lens in our organizational culture, as well as in our educational and talent practices. We are committed to hiring those who reflect the diversity of our communities, and we recruit, employ, support, compensate and promote employees, without regard to their actual or perceived race, religious creed (including religious dress or grooming practices), color, national origin or ancestry (including native language spoken), physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), parental status, age (forty (40) and over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, citizenship, immigration status or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law. Please note that Green Dot Public Schools is unable to sponsor any applicant for a temporary or permanent U.S employment-based visa, nor hire any applicant currently holding a temporary U.S. employment-based visa.