College & Career Specialist

Position Overview

The College & Career Specialist provides strategic oversight of college and career opportunities to support the development of a K-12 continuum of experiences and to lead community mapping efforts to build a network of supporters interested in engaging with their district/schools, ensuring consistent quality across school partnerships. This individual will work closely with schools, volunteers, families, and community partners to deliver high-quality college- and career-readiness experiences for students. The Specialist serves as a connector among PREP-KC staff, educators, and business and community partners to ensure smooth coordination and impactful engagement opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Collaboration

• Support community mapping efforts with districts to build district volunteer networks by engaging alumni, families, and community partners.
• Co-facilitate discussions with building administration, central office, and key building staff to build a K-12 continuum of college & career experiences together with district partners.
• Support consistency of best practices across school partnerships and student experiences.
• Contribute to team meetings and cross-team projects to strengthen PREP-KC's collective impact.

Family and Community Engagement

• Build awareness and relationships with alumni, families, and community organizations to expand understanding of PREP-KC's college and career experiences.
• Lead key discussions with school partners to identify and build on their existing networks.
• Attend alumni and family engagement events (e.g., career nights, parent information sessions, community showcases).
• Communicate with alumni and families about PREP-KC volunteer opportunities.
• Gather feedback from alumni, families, and community partners to inform continuous improvement of K–8 programming and volunteer experiences.
• Support the development of marketing materials to share with families and community organizations in tandem with school partners.

Volunteer Engagement

• Collaborate with the College and Career Liaisons to support strategic outreach to interested volunteers and partners for in-person and virtual experiences.
• Maintain strong relationships with volunteers and partners, and support recognition and retention efforts across PREP-KC teams.

Data and Impact Tracking

• Support data collection and tracking for student participation and volunteer engagement.
• Provide district and school staff with training and coaching on using database tools to support volunteer engagement in their own communities.
• Collaborate with staff to ensure accurate, timely reporting of event data.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in education, communications, social work, nonprofit management, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
• Experience in event coordination, volunteer management, or educational programming is preferred.
• Experience in designing and implementing community and family engagement, community organizing, or similar programming.
• Familiarity with K–12 education systems and/or college- and career-readiness programs in urban school districts is a plus.
• Experience facilitating and coaching adult discussions to build a shared vision is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to relationship-building.
• Comfortable working both independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Proficiency with data entry, queries, and reporting within a database/CRM platform.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.