KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of free, public charter schools that prepares students for success in college and life. In 1995 we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in The Bronx.  Our goal was to graduate students with the strength of character and academic abilities needed to succeed in high school, college and beyond – and in so doing, to prove what is possible for all students.  Today, our New York City network is comprised of seven elementary schools, seven middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Through College and Career, a comprehensive support program for our alumni. KIPP NYC Public Schools currently serves more than 6000 students and alumni and has a staff of more than 700. KIPP NYC is continuing to grow and will be opening two new middle schools in August 2021!

About KIPP NYC College Prep High School:

KIPP NYC College Prep is a free college-preparatory public school serving students from KIPP NYC’s five middle schools. In July 2009, KIPP NYC College Prep opened its doors to its founding 9th grade class. Now fully grown, the high school serves over 1000 students. We have set ambitious goals for our students: 95% will graduate from high school, 85% will matriculate to college, and 75% will graduate from college. Year over year, we have exceeded both our graduation and matriculation goals, and are on track for over 50% of our alumni to graduate from college (5x the national average for low-income students), while continuing to work towards our ultimate 75% college graduation goal for our students..

Position Overview:

The CPHS Career Counseling Team’s mission is to empower students for success, self-sufficiency and fulfillment in college and their careers through career readiness lessons, professional interactions and exposure.   Key components of the career program are 1) strategic summer program placements 2) lessons on networking, marketing yourself, and communication skills 3) industry-specific professional events that expose students to different careers and 4) building self-awareness of interests and aptitudes to align with career goals. Our team consists of five dedicated counselors who work with students throughout high school to help them reflect on their interests, passions and skills and use these insights to develop individual career plans. These career plans help to inform a student’s choice of coursework and extracurricular activities, and most importantly, their choice of colleges/career programs to apply to and attend.  Career Counselors report to the Manager of Career Counseling.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Career Counselor will be an important part of the College and Career Counseling team serving one cohort of students enrolled at KIPP NYC College Prep from the time they enter as freshman through their junior year.  Specifically, the Career Counselor works with students to find and matriculate into summer programs (i.e., pre-college, internships, jobs, volunteer, and enrichment programs) and prepares them through career-readiness lessons and activities, including the creation of an online career plan and resume.  By ensuring our students dedicate time and attention to building their resume and gaining great summer experiences, this person will contribute to the overall success of the organization by helping students towards the path of high school graduation and college matriculation, as well as successful transition into careers after high school or college graduation.  

General responsibilities for the position include (but are not limited to):

• Providing direct one-on-one or small group career and summer program counseling to a cohort of 300+ high school students. 
• Writing curriculum and teaching career lessons and workshops focusing on career readiness skills such as time management, professional communication, resume building, etc.  
• Work with students to develop a yearly career plan that includes career assessment, career assessment reflection, and summer plans related to their career interests.
• Planning and executing career exposure events; including career speaker series, summer programs fair, and field trips to professional organizations.
• Meeting programmatic summer placement goals with a cohort from freshman year through junior year (40% of freshman, 60% of sophomores, and 80% of juniors will complete a summer opportunity) by working with students to identify summer programs and support during application process.
• Acting as liaison between student, families, organizations, and staff to ensure successful student acceptance and matriculation to summer programs.  In addition, working with students during the summer to ensure participation and completion of summer programs. 
• Constantly assessing student progress, and communicating results to families and staff.
• Researching and developing new partnerships with external organizations to increase support for the career and summer programs team.
• Performing other duties as assigned by the Career Counseling Manager.
• Actively contributing to the growth and overall goals of the Career Team. 

• Zest, grit, hope, love, social intelligence, gratitude, and a sense of humor ☺
• Demonstrated experience working with low-income, first-generation college or career-bound students and their families from diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds
• Experience working with teenagers to provide academic or career counseling 
• Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Experience with progress monitoring toward goals through tracking and analyzing data over time
• Fluency in all Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment that is deadline and goal driven
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others and build relationships within and across internal and external teams
• Record of achievement orientation with exceptional time management skills and ability to handle multiple priorities
• Extreme flexibility, strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate joining a constantly improving team
• Willingness to check email/texts after hours for urgent requests, to successfully meet pressing deadlines/deliverables, or for emergency situations
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position.  It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

KIPP NYC LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP NYC LLC is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.