Higher Education in Prison Field Coordinator

Responsibilities

• Affords support in the development and implementation of retention, reentry, and student success strategies across USM and partner institutions.
• Supports USM campuses in establishing standard operating practices for student transitions from prison to community campuses.
• Develops and delivers training materials and conducts training sessions on best practices for supporting justice-impacted college students for USM campus student support service departments.
• Develops, implements, and maintains an alumni network of justice-impacted graduates of Maryland colleges and universities.
• Assists in the development, coordination, and support of regional education/reentry hubs.
• Builds relationships with USM institutions' units responsible for student access, retention, and success.
• Collaborates with USM institutions and other Maryland college partners to develop a coordinated approach to providing student support services for justice-impacted college students.
• Buys and maintains relationships with employers, workforce development programs, community organizations, and reentry service providers throughout Maryland.
• Engages in local, state, and national conversations related to higher education in prison, reentry, retention, and post-release student success.
• Develops and maintains resource lists and student-facing materials.
• Collaborates with colleges and universities to develop strategies for tracking retention and reentry outcomes.
• Handles administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, sending communications, drafting reports, and maintaining project documentation.
• Affords assistance in the planning of yearly USM prison education symposiums.

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; two (2) years of experience in reentry support, student services, workforce development, social services or related fields; experience supporting individuals from diverse or underserved populations; experience building relationships with community partners, students, clients, or program participants; ability to comply with all policies and procedures of Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services; strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills; knowledge of the national higher education in prison landscape; strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills; ability to interact professionally, patiently and diplomatically with a wide variety of constituencies; strong organizational, project coordination, time management, written and verbal communication, and presentation skills; ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously; detail-orientation and strong follow-through; proficiency with MS Office applications and collaboration tools such as SharePoint; demonstrated commitment to educational access and student success; ability to travel to PEP program sites and partner locations across Maryland.
• Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master's degree in higher education administration, public policy, criminal justice, or a related field; experience in reentry support, student services, workforce development, correctional education, or related work; experience working directly with justice-impacted populations; experience working in correctional, prison education, or other high-security institutional settings; experience developing or implementing student success, retention, transition, or reentry programs; experience building or managing alumni engagement, mentorship, or community programs; experience facilitating trainings, workshops, or technical assistance initiatives; knowledge of barriers facing individuals returning from incarceration through professional, volunteer, community-based, or direct lived experience; familiarity with Maryland reentry resources, workforce development programs, and community support networks; administrative, teaching, or advising experience within a post-secondary educational setting.

Benefits

• Paid Leave: 22 days of annual leave, 15 days of sick & safe leave, 16-17 holidays, 3 personal leave days, 12 weeks paid family medical leave
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with flexible spending accounts
• Retail Plans: Supplemental retirement options with major providers like Empower, Fidelity, and TIAA
• Life Insurance: Optional term life and AD&D benefits through MetLife
• Tuition Benefits: Tuition remission for employees and their families
• Training & Development: Free professional development conferences and unlimited LinkedIn Learning access
• Credit Union Access: Membership eligibility for SECU, Maryland's largest credit union
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Free counseling, legal, financial, and work-life support services