Student Success Manager

Description

Looking for a new opportunity where you can make a difference and grow your career at the same time?

Look no further...

We’re Sonoran Desert Institute and we are looking for a Student Success Manager to join our dynamic team.

Our Story

Sonoran Desert Institute (SDI) has been changing lives since 2000. As a DEAC accredited school, our mission is to provide students with current, industry-driven, quality education, delivered through online distance education and practical applications. SDI is an employee-owned company creating a culture with an ownership mentality at the foundation. We believe in rewarding our employees through the success of the institution. Come be a part of a dynamic organization with the ability to impact the lives of others through education.

What You Will Be Doing

The Student Success Manager is responsible for overseeing the student life cycle from enrollment to graduation. This role should be passionate about the student experience, building meaningful relationships, retention, persistence, and graduation rate. This role manages the Student Success team, which focuses on helping students succeed through supportive outreach and the development of skills, behaviors and habits that contribute to success in college. The Student Success Manager will own and improve team culture, processes, and metrics. With a player/coach mentality, this role will step in when needed to cover for team members, and can expertly diffuse student situations should they arise. The Student Success Manager should be a culture leader with a student-centric approach and a knack for managing employee owners through empowerment, positivity, and accountability.

• Inspires, motivates, and leads the Student Success team to successful outcomes
• Directly observes and coaches the Student Success Coaches to ensure a positive, student-centered experience and administers phone call observations, identify and coach to strengths and weaknesses
• Initiates and manages best practices and processes that ensure the team meets or exceeds all metrics
• Hires, trains, and develops staff ensuring that appropriate application of the retention and follow up methodology is followed and utilized
• Ensures company information systems are accurate and updated according to company policies and procedures
• Ensures school personnel follow all regulatory and company compliance regulations and takes appropriate action when necessary
• Conducts weekly Student Success team meetings, communicating weekly and monthly goals, program updates, compliance issues and other SDI departmental information
• Conducts one-on-one meetings with each team member on a regular basis to ensure regulations, standards and processes are being adhered to for overall departmental growth
• Monitors progress of students to ensure coaches are employing proactive outreach and communication tactics, in addition to responding promptly to students' questions, concerns and needs
• Contributes to team goals by actively speaking with students, working with Course Non-Starts, and helping with retention campaigns and student onboarding procedures
• Acts as a resource for escalated students, using excellent communication techniques to calmly assess and address the situation with the best possible outcome for both the student and the school
• Serves as a voice of the student on the SDI Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Committee
• Oversees the success of the Student Success team in helping students in identify, develop, and implement learning strategies and study skills, as well as providing individualized support and action plans to student based on identified risk factors including academic, socio-emotional, and other potential issues
• Maintains balanced student loads for Student Success Coaches, effectively managing fluctuations in the event of headcount changes
• Closely monitors student attendance and grades in student information system(s) and learning management system(s) to observe retention and progression and act accordingly
• Consistent ability to meet and/or exceed department expectations and compliance requirements
• Develops meaningful relationships across a diverse population of students to facilitate student success
• Attends various conferences to increase process knowledge and keep up to date on rules and regulations
• Participates in meetings and events as part of the management and department leadership team
  
  

What We Offer

• Highly competitive compensation
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Comprehensive benefits package with 100% company-paid medical option for employee
• 401(k) with generous company match
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Pet Insurance
• Company-paid Life insurance
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, and Volunteer time off!)
• 14 paid holidays
• Referral program
• Education Tuition Benefit program
• Career development opportunities with a growing company
• And perhaps most importantly, a team who is dedicated to your success!
  
  

Requirements

What we are looking for:

• Bachelor's degree required
• Two years or more experience in managing a team at a higher education institution is required; managing a student success/academic advisors team is strongly preferred
• Experience in the higher education industry, specifically in a Student Services role, is required
• High level of proficiency in higher ed tech stack, including Anthology/Campus Vue/other Student Information Systems and CRMs, Canvas/other LMS, and other similar systems, is required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Skills in collaborating with faculty, administrators, and other campus stakeholders to coordinate efforts that promote student success and retention.
• Knowledge of key student retention theories
• Familiarity with institutional academic policies
• Some travel required, up to 25%
  
  

Sonoran Desert Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It recruits and hires without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran or disability status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any factors prohibited by law and affirms in policy and practice to support equal opportunity in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

• Unless specifically agreed upon, SDI does not provide relocation assistance
• Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.
• All benefits not available immediately upon hire. Some eligibility requirements may need to be met to be eligible for some benefits based on company policy.