School Year: 2026-2027

Achievement First seeks a Dean of College & Career to lead the college and career team and ensure 100% college acceptance and matriculation among the graduates. You serve an integral role to the mission of the school, working closely with the principal, leadership team and faculty to increase student awareness about college life, to guide the college search, and to support students through the application process.

This position is an extraordinary opportunity for a leader in college advising and early college awareness. The right candidate will combine exceptional communication and management skills with capacities for strategic thinking and acute attention to detail. You will demonstrate a relentless commitment to excellence and will share AF’s vision of access to and success in top-tier college education for underserved populations. As a member of the school leadership team, deans work together to ensure that all students show dramatic student achievement gains and develop strong character skills to help them succeed in college. Reporting to the principal. the Dean of College & Career will work with principal and school-based college & career team staff to build and sustain highly effective college initiatives including: early college awareness and skill building for students and their families; enrichment and summer opportunities access; college entrance exam management; college advising and financial aid application processes; matriculation and transition to college; and alumni support.

The Dean of College & Career’s responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

School-Based Responsibilities

• Manage College & Career Staff including college & career counselors, summer programs coordinator, and 9-12th grade Foundation of Leadership teachers
• Develop teachers and counselors through classroom observation, curriculum assessment, goal-setting, and progress monitoring
• Manage college office budget in tandem with the Dean of School Operations
• Participate and contribute to the school leadership team via weekly meetings, summer retreats, etc
• Conduct weekly team meetings that inform and align to the team’s yearly goals
• Collaborate and ensure sharing of best practices across regions in relation to college and career counseling, summer and alumni programming
• Leadership responsibilities may vary by school

Post-Secondary Planning and Outcomes:

Career Exploration

• Ensure robust exposure and experiences on college campuses, career industries, and work-based learning opportunities.
• Assessing and addressing career interests and aptitudes in addition to assets and barriers that may impact college completion, training completion and job retention;

Regularly monitor progress on career plans and personal goals, and supporting career development and CTE program persistence

College Process

• Execute and monitor systems that ensure an efficient and effective college application process;
• Codify and institutionalize all processes, procedures and supporting documents for the college application process
• Provide one-on-one college counseling to a caseload of seniors through the admissions cycle including, but not limited to, creating a college list, writing, and revising the personal statement, advising on financial aid, and making final matriculation decisions
• Through management of the college & career counselor, arrange strategic college representative visits to the high school during the fall application season and market and brand AF high schools to all national colleges and universities
• Build and maintain relationships with colleges and universities to create partnerships benefiting both the school and students
• Edit the annual school profile

CTE/Workforce:

For the group of students who do not pursue a bachelor’s degree, supporting their persistence by tracking and helping to support career, financial, academic, and social issues by:

• Provide one-on-one counseling to a caseload of seniors through the admissions cycle including, but not limited to, creating a CTE list, writing, and revising the personal statement, advising on financial aid, and making final matriculation decisions
• Introducing Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities to students
• Developing customized programming to support their CTE pathway and application timeline

Alumni Success & Programming

• Maintain systems for managing the alumni counseling office including the master calendar, success toward articulated goals and metrics, and the development of alumni rituals and traditions
• In tandem with the AF Alumni Success Counselors and our Post-Secondary Shared Alumni Advising Collaborative, support and help facilitate the sharing and results of alumni persistence and success in college with the school-based team to improve the 9-12 program
• Analyze data alumni data annually to make recommendations for improving AF’s high school programming and alumni support program

Summer Opportunities

• Build and maintain systems for managing summer programs including the master calendar, success toward articulated goals and metrics and the development of new and continued community partnerships
• Ensure strategic integration of summer programs benchmarks calendar with the entire school and the Foundations of Leadership curriculum

9-12 Foundations of Leadership Course

• Oversee & manage the comprehensive 9 through 12 Foundations of Leadership course and ensure fidelity to network curriculum
• Coach instructors through classroom observation, curriculum adjustments, and data-driven feedback cycles
• Track progress of all college initiatives using Overgrad (success planning, career planning and college planning)

College Entrance Exams

• Manage and maintain a relationship with the College Board including but not limited to test dates, score reporting, PSAT and SAT and Advanced Placement tests
• Oversee and evaluate SAT prep programs both in-house and external partnerships
• Ensure timely uploading and sharing of test data to inform both college and school practices
• Evaluate test results to identify possible school-wide intervention strategies

College & Career Going Exposure and Events

• Accountable for all college and career initiatives and the success of those initiatives
• Attend and participate in leadership meetings to ensure college and alumni perspective on school-wide decisions
• Coordinate with advisory and grade level team to ensure collaboration and support of college and career initiatives in the school
• Ensure operations and academic teams are informed, aligned and supporting the data needs of the college team, i.e., transcripts and Naviance, data imports from student information systems
• Plan and execute targeted, strategic college& career visits aligned to the 9-12th grade scope and sequence

College & Career Outcomes and Tracking

• Manage and track progress to reaching both monthly and end of year goals
• Report monthly to principal and network on progress to key metrics and aligned outcomes

Skills and Characteristics

• Excellent organizational skills and acute attention to detail
• Ability to see multiple projects with many moving parts through from beginning to end
• Strong analytical and writing skills
• Strong focus on results and the flexibility and willingness to do “whatever it takes”
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Ability to work autonomously, as well as to take direction
• Exceptionally skilled at analysis, communication, persuasion, and negotiation
• Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model
• Maturity, humility, strong work-ethic, sense of humor, and “roll-up-my-sleeves” attitude
• Solid technical skills and experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Overgrad

Educational Background and Work Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree
• At least 3 years of teaching experience with a record of high student achievement.
• Experience leading and managing adults.
• If not currently certified, obtaining necessary state certification in specific subject and grade level is required within the first two months of employment.

Work Experience

College Advising Experience:

• At least three years of demonstrated success in advising low-income, first generation college applicants and their families in all phases of the college and financial aid application processes including student admissions to selective colleges and favorable financial packages
• Track-record of developing early college awareness programs
• Wide knowledge of East Coast and national colleges including degree programs, opportunity programs, diversity programs, admissions criteria, defining “fit” for first generation low income students, as well as familiarity with admissions personnel
• Track record of participation in and presentation at local, state, and national college admissions counseling events and professional organizations

Management Experience:

• Successfully managed a team to performance metrics
• Successfully coordinated programs, events and college trips
• Applicants should have demonstrated experience developing and codifying systems and procedures

Teaching Experience:

• High School teaching or training experience required

Compensation & Benefits ​

• Employees at Achievement First are provided with a competitive salary. Our salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on an individual’s skills, education, and years of experience relevant to the role. Dean and Director of School Operations’ salaries range from $85,765-​$111,904, based on experience.
• As a regular full time employee of Achievement First, you will be eligible for benefits that include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance as well as a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match and paid Family Leave.