Equity and our Mission
10,000 Degrees is the leading, equity-focused scholarship provider and college success nonprofit in California. Since 1981, we’ve helped more than 20,000 students from low-income backgrounds achieve their college dreams, and today, we reach more than 12,000 students and families each year.
Our mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world.
Never has this mission been more critical. The pandemic has multiplied the obstacles and uncertainty our students face. The opportunity gap has not narrowed but grown. Educational inequities and racial injustices continue to prevail. The demand for our support and resources has never been greater.
Through it all, our commitment to our students has never wavered. 10,000 Degrees won’t stop until all of our students get the support and resources they need to realize their full potential, and earn their degree.
Join us on our mission to achieve educational equity. Apply to work with our passionate team to make a difference and give back to your community.
You’re joining at an exciting time, as we just launched our five-year Strategic Plan, and we are growing our talented team!
Our Core Values
At 10,000 Degrees, our core values guide everything we do, from the way we deliver student support to how we structure our organizational systems to be mission-aligned.
We believe:
- In the great potential of all students.
- Every student should have equitable opportunities to a quality education and to graduate from college.
- All our students and alumni are changemakers.
- Students and their families, schools and communities each play a critical role in educating our youth and strengthening our communities’ economic and social health.
- Educating all students to achieve their full potential is an urgent moral, social and economic imperative.
- Education is the foundation of a just and equitable society.
The Opportunity
The 10,000 Degrees Director of Black Student Engagement is an integral part of the 10,000 Degrees mission to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to positively impact their communities and the world. The Director for Black Student Engagement is a new position on the 10,000 Degrees Program leadership team. The Director will support the holistic success of Black (African, African American, and African Diaspora) students by managing, developing, and assessing programs and activities to increase Black student engagement, retention, and college completion. This role will collaborate with program teams to develop and implement high-impact programs, events, and services that contribute to the college success of 10,000 Degrees Black students.
The Director will foster a sense of belonging and connect students to opportunities for engagement in their school life and in the broader community. In partnership with other program staff, they will also work to address barriers that impact student success and enhance access, retention, and graduation rates. This position will report to the Deputy Program Officer and will support our work in all of our regions.
Responsibilities
- Identify and support student needs to enhance access, success, retention and graduation for Black students
- Collaborate with our Director of Data & Evaluation to conduct continual program improvement through assessment, research of best practices, and critical observations and evaluation of student trends
- Directly supervise a cohort of 14 paid college ambassadors
- Build and maintain excellent relationships with community partners, school personnel, and program participants
- Coordinate logistics for all events and activities, including securing accommodations, meals, transportation, and supplies
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to coordinate campus visits, outreach and other prospective student events
- Develop and lead regular professional development activities for 10,000 Degrees staff, and special events and trainings (some of which may be held in the evening) to share best practices and resources for supporting Black students
- Regular travel within Bay Area regions to visit school campuses, 10,000 Degrees offices, and special event locations, and to meet with stakeholders
- Serve on committees as needed
- Support the Development Team and represent 10,000 Degrees at donor and fundraising events
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
All 10,000 Degrees employees must embrace our vision of a world where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background will have the full range of educational opportunities, support, and resources to realize their full potential.
For this position, we believe that you will be the most successful if you have the following:
Professional Experience
- Bachelor’s degree
- Demonstrated experience recruiting, managing, supervising, and evaluating student staff
- Experience with various phases of program planning and assessment
- At least two years experience supporting Black students in college access or success work
- Strong experience and understanding of current trends in DEI, social justice education, training, and program assessment and evaluation
Skills & Characteristics
- Geographic proximity to the Bay Area
- First-generation college graduates from low-income backgrounds preferred
- Excellent presentation, communication skills, and organizational skills
- Demonstrated ability to collect, analyze and utilize data to make strategic decisions
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, Google applications, and Zoom
- Demonstrate enthusiasm and initiative and ability to work independently
- Willing to learn and be self-reflective
- History of working effectively as part of a team and working collaboratively with various department
- Alumni of 10,000 Degrees scholarships strongly encouraged to apply
Location
This position is currently a hybrid role and you will be expected to have a significant in-person presence at community & school locations as well as attending events in our Bay Area offices regularly.
Our Culture and Investment in You
We want you to feel proud being a part of the 10,000 Degrees team, because of the work that you do and the community we strive to be.
At 10,000 Degrees we are creating a more equitable, inclusive, anti-racist organization and a community where everyone belongs. We provide a comprehensive and generous benefits package, work schedule flexibility and a culture of care to promote job satisfaction, professional growth, and wellbeing. We are a collaborative, team-oriented and transparent organization that listens to our employees. 10,000 Degrees also supports you on your career journey by providing ongoing professional development opportunities, and giving you a clear path toward leadership pathways and advancement.
Compensation Package
- This is a full-time position
- Salary Range: $80,000 – $100,000
- Excellent health, dental, and vision benefits
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care Account, Commuter Benefits, Company-sponsored Life Insurance, 401(k) with employer contribution
- Employee Assistance Program through Concern Health
- 15 days paid vacation and generous paid sick leave
- 11 Holidays, in addition 10,000 Degrees is closed between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day
- Professional development, including conferences, seminars, webinars, and trainings
TO APPLY
For immediate consideration please send a cover letter and resume to jobs@10000degrees.org.
Note: all applicants are required to submit a clear TB test and fingerprints as part of the background check, and Employment with 10,000 Degrees requires full vaccination and proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 before starting work. Exemptions to the mandatory vaccination policy may be available for a medical condition, disability, or sincerely held religious belief and must be approved before starting work.