Assistant Director, College Preparatory Program

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York, seeks a highly collaborative, strategic, and results-driven Assistant Director of College Preparatory Program to join our College Success Office team.

The College Success Office (CSO) provides year-round academic, administrative, and emotional support as well as financial and career preparation for participants of HCZ’s Promise Academy schools and afterschool programs. Our mission is to ensure that our participants are provided the resources and guidance needed to be successful in college and beyond. The main components of the CSO include scholar outreach, academic support and guidance, financial aid advisement, college transfer assistance, summer and winter internship opportunities, and community building efforts within our program.

Reporting to the Director of College Success Office, the Assistant Director will oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive college readiness and admissions strategy for scholars in the K-12 pipeline, supervise College Preparatory Program Coordinators and counseling staff, and ensure high-quality support that drives strong college admissions and enrollment outcomes.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced college access professional, exceptional people manager, and innovative program leader with deep knowledge of college admissions, financial aid, college counseling best practices, and postsecondary success pathways. Experience working with higher education institutions and admissions professionals is strongly preferred.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children's Zone? Here's 7 Things You Need to Know

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree highly preferred (in Higher Education Administration, School Counseling, Educational Leadership, Student Affairs, Social Work, or a related field).
• 5+ years of experience in college counseling, college access, admissions, college success, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience supervising professional staff, including coordinators, counselors, or program teams.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing college readiness programming and curriculum for high school students.
• Strong knowledge of college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and college matriculation processes.

Who you are

• A passionate advocate for educational equity who is committed to helping students successfully navigate the path to college and beyond.
• An experienced college access and success professional with deep knowledge of college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and postsecondary enrollment processes.
• Strategic and innovative leader who can develop and execute programs that improve college readiness, admissions outcomes, and scholar success.
• Skilled people manager who enjoys coaching, developing, and empowering staff while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous growth.
• Collaborative relationship builder who effectively partners with schools, families, higher education institutions, and cross-functional teams to create opportunities for scholars.
• A data-informed decision-maker who uses metrics, outcomes, and trends to evaluate program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
• An exceptional communicator who can confidently present information, facilitate workshops, and engage diverse audiences ranging from scholars and families to senior leaders and external partners.
• Highly organized project manager who can successfully balance multiple priorities, manage complex initiatives, and ensure timely execution of key deliverables.
• A proactive problem solver who anticipates challenges, identifies solutions, and remains focused on achieving strong outcomes for scholars.
• A mission-driven leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is energized by the opportunity to make a lasting impact on students' educational and career trajectories.

What you'll do

• Develop and implement a comprehensive college readiness, admissions, and matriculation strategy for scholars in grades 9-12, with opportunities to scale practices across the K-12 pipeline.
• Design, refine, and oversee College Preparatory Program curriculum, workshops, resources, and family engagement initiatives that support college awareness, planning, and enrollment.
• Directly supervise and coach College Preparatory Program Coordinators, establish performance expectations, and support the professional development of counseling staff across programs.
• Serve as the organizational subject matter expert on college admissions, financial aid, scholarships, enrollment trends, and postsecondary success practices
• Monitor scholar progress toward admissions and matriculation milestones, utilizing data and performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness, drive continuous improvement, and support strategic decision-making.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with higher education institutions and internal HCZ teams to expand college, career, and experiential learning opportunities for scholars.
• Collaborate with K-12, College Success, Career Services, and other HCZ departments to strengthen pathways towards postsecondary enrollment and career exploration
• Prepare reports, presentations, and recommendations related to program outcomes, enrollment trends, and strategic initiatives.
• Perform other duties and projects assigned.

Schedule

• Maintain a full-time schedule with flexibility to support scholar services (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; 8 AM – 4 PM; 11 AM – 7 PM)
• Some weekends and evenings, depending on site needs and events; occasional travels

Benefits

As a member of the Harlem Children’s Zone team, you will join a supportive and inclusive community dedicated to helping children, families, and our staff thrive. We offer highly competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for growth.

Our exceptional full-time benefits include:

• Highly competitive base salaries
• Paid time off
• Employee referral bonus
• Career advancement opportunities
• No-cost health insurance
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commuter benefits
• Financial wellness perks
• Additional benefits (discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more)

We offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary range is $80,000 - $92,500. To be considered, interested applicants should submit their applications directly through the posting. No telephone inquiries or recruiters, please. Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants. HCZ is an EOE.