Admissions Assistant

Description

Join a mission-driven team supporting and empowering future college graduates!

Who We Are

At Steppingstone, our mission is to prepare students from under-resourced communities to access, navigate, and graduate from college.

• Through the Scholars Program in Boston, we provide academic, social-emotional, and college readiness programming from as early as fifth grade and continuing through college graduation.
• Through the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA), we connect the people, practices, and innovations essential for eliminating barriers to college and career success.

Who You Are

The Admission Assistants role is a strong fit for an early career professional who is passionate about educational access and success and is committed to making a lasting impact on Scholars’ lives. In this role, you will execute the recruitment strategy and admission process in a way that is supportive for families and results in a strong class of Scholars for participation in the Scholars program. The ideal candidate will have the skills to excel in a role that requires strong customer facing skills and collaborates closely with other teams in service of fulfilling the organization's mission.

Start Date: Early Spring 2026

Salary: Assistant level: $55,000; Associate level: $60,000 (Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications)

Responsibilities:

Recruitment

• Communicate the value and requirements of participation in the Steppingstone Scholars Program to various external audiences at assigned schools to attract qualified applicants.
• Support families and teachers requesting information about Steppingstone, primarily by responding to phone calls, texts, emails, and website inquiries.
• Attend classroom visits, open houses, and other school events and present information about Steppingstone at family information sessions.
• Coordinate a team of Outreach Assistants (part-time Admission staff) OR Admission Ambassadors (student volunteers) who support the recruitment process.

Internal Admission process

• Support applicants, families, and teachers throughout the admission process.
• Gather, maintain, and review all application components and conduct any necessary follow up.
• Train, support staff with, and participate in office-wide admission processes (ex. file reading, student/family interviews, and the Admission Committee).

Administrative projects and data management

• Provide administrative support to admission team including daily email and text communication, preparing necessary materials for admission events, and ordering supplies.
• Coordinate the creation of marketing and communication materials to enhance our recruitment efforts.
• Enter and maintain integrity of admission data in the program database.
• Produce and analyze regular data reports to help the Admission team track recruitment and enrollment benchmarks.

Other responsibilities

• Participate in some program activities that take place during the academic year.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Ability to make a minimum two-year commitment required
• Enthusiasm for a direct-service role in a mission-driven organization
• Demonstrated commitment to college access and success
• Experience working with individuals with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences
• Strong relationship-building skills across differing stakeholders, including various internal departments, external community-based organizations, and the Boston Public Schools
• Experience as an effective team member in a changing environment; ability to manage multiple projects and priorities
• Strong relationship-building and group facilitation skills across differing stakeholders; resolves conflicts constructively and respectfully
• Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and independent problem-solving capabilities
• Clear written and verbal communication style; ability to adapt communication style to different audiences
• Strong computer skills; experience with Google Suite and Salesforce or similar CRMs is desirable
• Preference is given to candidates who are fluent in Spanish. Consideration will also be given in the following languages: Arabic, Haitian Creole, Portuguese or Vietnamese

Education and Work Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

Schedule

The Admission Assistant will primarily work a Monday-Friday schedule, except in the fall when some weeks will have a Tuesday - Saturday schedule. Some evening work will be required throughout the year. Steppingstone has adopted a hybrid work model requiring staff to work a minimum of 2 days a week in the Boston office between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with the remaining weekdays remote. The Admission Team works in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays with variation some weeks and some days at other locations in Boston based on team needs. The Admission team also works in person at times throughout the year on Saturdays Some weeks depending on events,. Recruitment of Steppingstone Scholars takes place through a mix of in-person and virtual initiatives and events that necessitate a keen interest in utlliizing and refining public speaking and communication skills.

Program staff support the admission of new students and families to the Steppingstone Scholars Program, including interviewing prospective students and families. Due to the nature of those interviews, PTOs are granted on a very limited basis in February. In addition, this role supports the execution of Steppingstone’s summer program. PTOs are granted on a limited basis June-August.

A $500 home office set-up stipend will be provided upon hire, followed by quarterly stipends of $50. Laptops are provided to each employee to enhance the hybrid experience.

Physical Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to work at a desk, communicate information, move about the office, operate office equipment and utilize a computer for extended periods of time. Pursuant to the ADA, Steppingstone will provide reasonable services and accommodation(s) to employees with qualified disabilities in order to perform the essential functions of their employment, except when doing so would be unduly disruptive and/or result in undue hardship to the organization.

To Apply: Please input your resume and a thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position, and how you learned about this position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Employee Benefits:

• Generous paid time off
• 15 days PTO
• 5 wellness days
• 12.5 holidays
• 2 weeks paid office closure
• Health, Dental and Vision coverage
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term disability insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Tuition & Professional Development reimbursement
• Flexible Spending Accounts - Health and Dependent Care
• Pre-tax Transportation Plan (Transit & Parking)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Membership to the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA)

Compensation philosophy:

At Steppingstone, we believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization. As a result, to ensure organizational parity, Steppingstone does not negotiate salary offers; instead each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. If you have questions, we welcome you to raise them during the hiring process.

Steppingstone Core Values:

Mission First - Keep Scholars front and center in all we do.

Lead with Inclusion - Elevate every voice, consider every perspective.

Stronger Together - Team up and trust each other.

Own It - Act with integrity, stay accountable, and be transparent.

Learn. Grow. Innovate. - Embrace change, drive creativity, and never stop learning.

A candidate will be found unsuitable for employment with Steppingstone and automatically disqualified if they use threatening language or behavior either written, verbal, or physical during any phase of the interview process.

The Steppingstone Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any individual, employee, or application for employment on the basis of race, color, marital status, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or handicap, as defined by law.