Educational & Career Planner-ACT

Educational & Career Planner-ACT

Salary

$60,000.00 - $69,000.00 Annually

Location

Olympia Main Campus, WA

Job Type

Full-time

Job Number

00015956-2526

Division

Student Services

Department

Advising(303)

Opening Date

05/18/2026

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Our Opportunity

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) seeks highly motivated and qualified individual to serve as the Educational & Career Planner.

The Educational and Career Planner reports directly to the Director of Advising, Career, and Transfer Services, assists enrolled and prospective students in developing meaningful educational goals, and provides educational planning and career and transfer assistance. This position will advise a general caseload of professional/technical and transfer students as assigned by the Director.

South Puget Sound Community College is committed to increasing its cultural diversity with an emphasis on equity and inclusion among its professional staff. A firm understanding of anti-racist policy development coupled with the skills to eliminate barriers that harm underrepresented people is a college requirement. The students that we serve come from a variety of backgrounds. On average, 43% of SPSCC students are people of color. We strongly encourage members of the underrepresented groups, veterans, and bi- or multi-lingual individuals to apply for this position to help meet the needs of our diverse students and service district.

And if that isnt enough? We also offer:

• A healthy work/life balance for our employees with the opportunity for flexible work schedules and remote work depending on position and college needs
• Fine dining in the Percival Room, offering vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices as part of our Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts programs
• The Clipper Coffee Corner serves Batdorf & Bronson coffee and a selection of delicious food items from our baking/culinary students
• A brand-new Health & Wellness Center
• FREE Bus service every 15 minutes to downtown Olympia and beyond
• FREE parking on our campuses - permits are not required
• On-campus child care
• Percival Creek, which runs beneath our campus footbridge, provides year-round beauty and views of Chinook, Coho, and chum salmon pass through each fall
• Many walking paths that are marked and on nicely paved sidewalks
• SPSCC promotes wellness with a variety of different workshops and events on campus
• Lots of activities with our Artist & Lecture series, which are FREE for staff and faculty
• Many community events in the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) offer opportunities for SPSCC employees to gather and connect around issues that define them personally and affect their work at the College and their professional development. Current Employee Resource Groups include:
• Staff and Faculty of Color (SFOC) ERG - an employee network that strives to create an intentional and relational foundation for community and trust building across different groups through shared values.
• The LGBTQIA+ ERG creates a space for LGBTQIA+ staff and faculty at the college to share resources, build support and community, and work towards greater equity and accessibility.

What Youll Do

The Educational and Career Planners responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage a caseload of professional/technical and transfer students, assisting them with clarifying educational, career, and life goals through career exploration and connecting students accordingly to programs of study and student support services.
• Advise students of requirements for transfer and professional/technical programs, certificates, special programs, and other degrees.
• Assist students with developing individualized degree plans and appropriate course selection.
• Utilizing a case-load management approach, the educational planner will monitor individual students academic performance and consult with instruction, enrollment services, academic support services, and other administrative departments to ensure student persistence and success.
• Provide student support and outreach and appropriate referrals to college resources or community agencies for personal counseling or related issues.
• Interpret placement test scores and review college/high school transcripts to determine English and math course placements when appropriate.
• Articulate college policies and procedures.
• Conduct student orientation, advising sessions, and worker retraining program eligibility sessions.
• Assist with planning and participating in advising, career, and transfer events, such as Pathways Day, Campus Career fairs, Annual Career Day, Job Fairs, Veterans Career Day, Health-Care Career Day, Transfer fairs, etc.
• Work with various college departments and other institutions to maintain accurate and current curriculum information and interpret their policies and degree and transfer requirements.
• Assist in maintaining educational planning materials for college degrees and programs.
• Assist in developing and implementing training materials, presentations, and workshops.
• Serve as a resource for faculty, staff, and students regarding the needs of veteran and military-connected students.
• Identify trends and best practices in advising through literature review and research.
• Serve on college committees as assigned.
• Some evening and weekend work may be required.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Advising, Career and Transfer Services.

Qualifications You Possess

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Education, Counseling, Social Work, or related area from an accredited college or university.
• Experience working with individuals one-on-one, providing customer services related to education or another professional field.
• Ability to provide comprehensive and creative educational planning, degree/career exploration, and advising services.
• Experience developing and/or conducting presentations and group advising sessions.
• Experience working with and supporting the needs of diverse student populations.
• Ability to create and maintain positive working relationships with diverse staff, faculty, and administrators across the college.
• Demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socio economic, cultural, ethnic, and disability backgrounds of community college students.
• Demonstrated intercultural competence.
• Experience interpreting placement test scores and articulating college policies and procedures.
• Extensive application using Microsoft Office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and using technology to track student interaction and services.
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to handle a large caseload of students.
• Ability to maintain policy and programmatic integrity while communicating respectfully of cultural and college realities.

To Apply

Applications must be completed online and include the following attachments:

• Cover letter addressed to the Screening Committee, highlighting your ability to perform the responsibilities and competencies described in the job posting.
• Current resume/CV showing all educational and professional experience demonstrates how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications.
• Unofficial transcripts

Top candidates will be notified directly to interview for this position. Selection will be based on the applicants knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties listed in this job posting as identified in the materials requested above. Applications with comments directing the reader to see attachments will be considered incomplete.

Veterans Preference

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veterans Preference should redact their personally identifiable information from a copy of their United States Department of Veterans Affairs honorable discharge documentation and email it to sbutler-hill@spscc.edu with the job number for which they are applying in the subject line.

Background Check Condition of Employment

Employment with the college is contingent upon the successful completion of a comprehensive background check. Any adverse information will be considered on a case-by-case basis and does not automatically preclude a candidate from employment.

South Puget Sound Community College values diversity and is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator

SPSCC provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, creed, religion, or veteran status. Prohibited sex discrimination includes sexual harassment, defined as unwelcome sexual conduct of various types. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act, SPSCC provides reasonable accommodations for qualified students, employees, and applicants with disabilities.

Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies, Title II, and Title IX may be directed to:

Samantha Dotson

Executive Human Resource Officer / Title IX Coordinator

Phone: 360-596-5361

Email:ssoto@spscc.edu

Building 25, Room 220

2011 Mottman Rd SW

Olympia, WA 98512

South Puget Sound Community College is a smoke-free and drug-free environment.

Applicants who require accommodations in the application process or need materials in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 596-5500.

SPSCC OFFERS:

A generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, retirement, and optional deferred compensation programs. The position is eligible to participate in the State Board Retirement Plan (SBRP) and Department of Retirement Systems (DRS). Employees have the option to participate in two tax-deferred retirement investment programs. For health benefit information go to Washington Health Care Authority

COMPENSATION

Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation package, with an employee benefits package worth about 30% of your salary.

VACATION AND SICK LEAVE

Annual leave includes 24 days of vacation, 11 paid holidays, and 12 days of sick leave

For more benefits information please visit our Employee Benefits website.

01

How do you approach cultural conflicts that might occur between individuals and/or groups of people?

02

Describe how you use critical thinking skills to understand diverse perspectives.

03

Discuss your approach with active listening.

Required Question

Employer South Puget Sound Community College

Address 2011 Mottman Rd SW

Olympia, Washington, 98512

Phone 360-596-5546

360-596-5500

Website http://spscc.edu/employment