The Context

Atlanta leads the nation in income inequality and has one of the lowest rates of social mobility in the entire country. In fact, recent research suggests that a child living in poverty in Atlanta has about a four percent chance of moving out of poverty and into a higher income bracket in his or her lifetime.

Despite these odds, Atlanta’s students have dreams for their futures and their families. In 2015, Achieve Atlanta (AATL) was launched by a group of local leaders determined to support these dreams. Coming together initially with the goal of dramatically increasing the number of Atlanta Public School (APS) students who earn a degree. Achieve Atlanta today, inspired by the power of strategic, coordinated action, and using data as the spark for change, has expanded its vision for the future to include eliminating the degree attainment gap in the city, and making Atlanta a place where race and income no longer predict postsecondary success or upward mobility. A new Strategic Plan deepens and augments the organization's programming and support and expands its geographic footprint in the Atlanta Metro area. The Achieve Atlanta team is now growing to lead this exciting next phase of work, and to help us scale organizationally. 

The Work                                                                                                               

In pursuit of its vision, Achieve Atlanta’s mission is to help APS students access, afford, and earn postsecondary credentials. To do this, Achieve Atlanta:

• partners with college advising providers with proven results to serve APS students while they are in high school;
• establishes strategic formal relationships with postsecondary institutions that can successfully serve APS graduates, especially those who are first generation or come from underrepresented populations;
• is progressing along a plan to mobilize broad community support by leveraging data to accelerate collaborations that further college access, persistence, and completion in Atlanta; and
• provides Achieve Atlanta Scholarships to students to reduce financial barriers to college enrollment and completion.

The Results

It’s clear that Achieve Atlanta’s endeavors are yielding significant gains; driving an increase in college enrollment and persistence, creating greater access to financial aid and scholarships, securing meaningful commitments from partners, identifying and removing barriers to college completion, and supporting APS to institutionalize a culture that raises awareness of and encourages the pursuit of postsecondary education, thereby enhancing individual students’ ability to realize their own potential.

The Opportunity  

Achieve Atlanta is seeking an enthusiastic Director, College Success to effectively manage the organization’s college persistence and success work. This key role entails drawing insights from multiple sources to evolve the organizational strategy to engage with postsecondary institutions and nonprofit partners, through its coordinated action model, to ensure each Achieve Atlanta Scholar persists to complete college and earn a credential. Additionally, the Director will translate AATL’s college success strategy into actionable plans and timelines, oversee the implementation of said strategy, and drive the effective allocation of resources. Reporting to the EVP, Programs, the Director will work closely with Achieve Atlanta’s leadership team to contribute to the longer-term vision for increasing AATL’s impact.  

Primary Responsibilities 

Program and People Management: 

• Collaborate with internal and external partners to develop and implement initiatives that support AATL Scholars' transition to college, postsecondary success, and completion 

• Assess partner readiness and develop strategies to achieve desired outcomes through initiatives that improve organizational performance and advance Scholar success 

• Oversee the onboarding process for new College Success team members and partners, integrating structured orientation and development activities 

• Develop and manage tools, models, and learning programs to strengthen the College Success and Program teams’ effectiveness 

• Lead and develop a small team in alignment with program goals 

• Manage accountability standards and processes with internal and external partners, propose and manage grant funding, and ensure adherence to Memoranda of Understanding and Scopes of Work  

• Plan and co-facilitate standing meetings with postsecondary and nonprofit partners focused on increasing the effectiveness of student success initiatives 

• Serve as the College Success Team liaison for the Achieve Atlanta Scholarship and Affordability Teams for Scholar initiatives related to these areas 

• Provide direction for the peer mentoring (Campus Ambassador) program and foster growth through informed risk-taking and sustainable solutions 

Analytics and Insights: 

• Partner with the Achieve Atlanta Data Analytics and Insights Team to generate, monitor, and report key success metrics to stakeholders 

• Leverage data to drive decision-making, improve partner practices, and assess program effectiveness 

• Oversee secure maintenance of Scholar records and data systems, ensuring accuracy and accessibility 

• Collaborate with internal teams to optimize systems (e.g., Salesforce) for tracking and improving Scholar persistence and completion 

Partnership and External Engagement: 

• Drive complex interventions and foster collaboration with postsecondary and nonprofit partners to ensure alignment with organizational goals and Scholar success 

• Cultivate a positive, accountable culture among partners, providing expert guidance on change management and organizational effectiveness 

• Liaise with other programmatic leads to provide cross-functional supports to partners and Scholars 

• Support leadership development initiatives and ensure partners have the resources needed to effectively support Scholar success 

• Collaborate with the AATL Executive Leadership Team to provide input on partnership strategies, support research efforts, manage partner contracting and onboarding, and facilitate data collection and feedback 

• Collaborate across teams to provide coordinated supports to partners and Scholars 

The Profile 

The ideal candidate for the Director, College Success will be a positive, energetic, solutions-oriented and proactive strategic thinker who embodies exceptional relationship management skills and a proven ability to manage complex programs and partnerships. They will bring a data-driven mindset, strong project management capabilities, and a strong commitment to Achieve Atlanta’s vision and mission. Ideally, they will be a professional with a proven track record of effectively managing people and programs to achieve challenging goals and outcomes. 

Education, Experience and Knowledge 

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field; advanced degree preferred 

• Minimum of five years of experience managing partnerships and people that resulted in increased program effectiveness and the accomplishment of shared objectives at a postsecondary institution and/or nonprofit organization 

• Highly skilled with establishing and maintaining trust and effective communication with multiple stakeholders 

• Knowledge of strategies, tools, and techniques that have been effectively used to increase postsecondary success, particularly with students who are first generation or come from underrepresented populations 

• Experience effectively resolving complex partnership dilemmas and employing influencing skills 

• Experience with organizational design, team effectiveness strategies, and professional development 

• Proven expertise in change management, process improvement, and project management methodologies 

Skills and Abilities 

Project Management and Execution: 

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks effectively, and meet deadlines while ensuring high-quality results 

• Capable of developing and executing long-term plans to meet goals, manage risks, and capitalize on opportunities effectively 

• Proactively recognizes important trends that can impact processes and program work and adjust strategies to maintain progress and success 

Leadership and Team Development: 

• Proven ability to lead and develop a team effectively to achieve shared goals and drive results 

• Drives initiatives through influential collaboration and results-focused guidance 

• Supports the growth and professional development of team members by providing mentoring, coaching, and performance feedback 

Customer Focus and Relationship Management: 

• Demonstrates exceptional relationship management skills, resolving intricate organizational and interpersonal dilemmas with multiple stakeholders, perspectives, cultures, and contexts 

• Cultivates and influences through productive, trusted relationships with various key constituents 

• Experienced in handling complex stakeholder dynamics and resolving issues to maintain positive partnerships 

• Skilled at leveraging relationships to drive program outcomes and ensure continued collaboration 

• Exhibits a natural customer service mindset and advocates for students 

Communication: 

• Demonstrates exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for diverse audiences and influence key stakeholders. 

• Connects authentically with diverse audiences across multiple dimensions, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, age, and socio-economic background 

• Demonstrates an empathic nature, acknowledging and honoring all people's humanity 

• Approaches working and learning with humility 

Adaptability and Autonomy: 

• Exhibits comfort with ambiguity and the ability to complete tasks with little oversight 

• Functions as a self-starter requiring little management oversight 

• Exhibits organizational skills, including the ability to effectively manage and prioritize responsibilities  

• Adapts to changing priorities and plans, and integrates feedback to achieve more successful outcomes 

• Demonstrated success in leading teams through shifting priorities and new challenges 

Analytical and Problem-Solving: 

• Exhibits a high level of analytical thinking, applying insights to solve complex challenges and drive continuous improvement 

• Skilled at identifying risks and opportunities, evaluating potential impacts, and developing strategies to address them effectively 

• Maintains exceptional attention to detail  

Technical: 

• Demonstrates advanced proficiency with using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel to take complex information and make it concise, impactful, and easy for stakeholders to interpret 

• Comfortable with project management tools (e.g., Asana) and communication tools (e.g., Slack) 

Organizational Competencies 

• Mission and Values Driven: Understands how job contributes to the greater mission of AATL; operates within the core values; supports and performs responsibilities with Mission and Vision in mind. 

• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates awareness of one’s own and others’ emotions, attitudes, biases, belief systems, strengths, and limitations to adjust behavior and thus manage interactions successfully and create a psychologically safe workplace.  

• Strategic Approach: Understands and processes complex information for use in long-term planning and execution. 

• Partnership: Works collaboratively across internal and external boundaries to build relationships and achieve common goals.  

• Growth and Development: Actively seeks to improve skills and knowledge to meet the organization’s vision and commitments, to fulfill current job responsibilities and prepare for future career goals and opportunities.  

• Leading: Takes personal accountability for the organization’s success. 

Organizational Culture 

• Achieve Atlanta is a value-driven organization, grounded in principles that guide everything we do.

Salary and Benefits

• This is a full-time position offering a competitive salary, and comprehensive health, dental, and retirement benefits.

Location 

• Achieve Atlanta currently operates a hybrid model for all staff. Team members work in the office at our downtown Atlanta location for at least two days each week to allow for collaboration and in-person connections. Team members have the flexibility to work the remaining three days from the office, home, or another location. 

Achieve Atlanta is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of qualifications. Achieve Atlanta policy prohibits unlawful discrimination in any employment decision based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religious creed, color, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, age, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation.