Talent Search Outreach Specialist

About the Role

The Outreach Specialist acts as a support and resource to students (and parents) interested in attending college after graduation from high school. This position performs recruiting, advisement, and counseling services to students interested in attending a post-secondary institution.

Responsibilities

• Creates relevant lessons, based on age and grade, and presents these lessons via monthly workshops at target schools. Topics include school, careers, college, life skills, money management, study skills, and test prep.
• Recruits students for the program and provides academic advising for high school class selection.
• Sets up individual tutoring upon student request.
• Plans and arranges travel and college tours, supervising students during travel.
• Works closely with counselors, teachers, principals, and local school districts.
• Tracks student activity through the program.
• Uses discretion and independent judgment to address student challenges such as family problems, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, poor school performance, and truancy.
• Develops monthly lessons tailored to student needs.
• Counsels students on career choices, college selection, high school coursework, and financial aid options.
• Selects colleges, academic departments, faculty, and staff to visit for detailed student information.
• Handles student emergencies during travel.
• Attends relevant trainings to support departmental work.
• Determines target schools to visit, frequency of visits, and outreach activities for recruitment and marketing.
• Contacts school principals and/or counselors to schedule visits and activities.
• Assesses academic needs of students and recruits, trains, and supervises tutors and workshop presenters.
• Provides financial literacy education and counseling for students and parents.
• Reviews applicant files from target schools and makes acceptance/rejection decisions.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university is required.
• Minimum of two years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required.
• Ability to prepare and/or process purchase orders.
• Ability to manage or administer grant funds.
• Ability to make recommendations that impact the budget.
• Proficiency in using small office equipment, including copy machines and multi-line telephone systems.
• Proficiency in using computers for data entry, word processing, and/or accounting purposes.

Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel (including computer keyboard use); reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear (including telephone use).
• Frequently required to walk.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.