About BEAM

The mission of BEAM is to create pathways for students from low-income and underserved communities to become scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through community, individual support, and access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. We work to directly support students and to transition them to other supportive enrichment programs that enable their future success.

BEAM's model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM-focused support through college. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including support with college admissions and financial aid. In addition to our academic content, bringing students into community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed to support that goal.

BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 420+ students at six summer program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program now reaches over 500 elementary-aged students in seven different states, working to create a new nationwide pathway modeled on our local work.

With our strategic plan, our team has committed to transforming the organization from a successful startup to a more mature and scalable organization that can drive change across the country.

DESCRIPTION OF THE POSITION 

BEAM seeks a student centered College Success Coordinator to join our growing Post-Secondary Team. Through group sessions and 1:1 advising, the College Success Coordinator will support first year students in building academic and co-curricular plans to navigate key college milestones, from course registration to securing a summer internship. This role blends strategic communication and personalized coaching to ensure BEAM students not only persist through college but fully leveraging campus resources to graduate successfully.  

This role is a key hire for BEAM. We have been providing college support long enough that we now have college graduates able to give feedback on their college journeys and workforce experiences, allowing our college support to grow from being very bespoke and individual toward being a comprehensive set of services designed to increase accountability and executive functioning for young adults as they use the resources available to them at their campus (and, with BEAM’s help, seek out further resources should a campus gap exist). 

DESCRIPTION OF THE TEAM/DEPARTMENT

The Post-Secondary team (Senior Manager, College and Career Success and a College Success Coordinator) will work together to propel BEAM students toward their college and career aspirations. We achieve this through a blend of group coaching, designing impactful college success curricula, and offering individual student advising as needed. The team directly guides up to 100 first-year students through the critical transition to college phase, supporting them as they execute their personalized college transition case plans, which serve two purposes: first, the case plans help students access the necessary on campus resources and services, through which they can create their own robust system of support. Second, the case plans prepare students with the tools and clear vision necessary to navigate STEM career opportunities and networking during and beyond college. Once students have completed their case plans, students are eligible for rewards from BEAM to support key next steps toward their career. The team is also available to take meetings with upperclassmen who need reminders of how and where to get resources on and beyond their college campus.  

BEAM has been serving students since 2011 and has admitted a total of 1100 students to our program. Across the first five BEAM cohorts of college graduates, at least 70% of conferred undergraduate degrees have been STEM-related. Today, BEAM currently serves up to 400 students in college at any one time.  

SUPERVISION

Senior Manager, College and Career Success

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Direct Student Support (60%) 

• Guide a caseload of students in identifying the academic and co-curricular opportunities best suited to their goals, interests, skills
• Assist students in the development of academic and personal skill-building tied to undergraduate student success (e.g. time management, stress management, study skills, self-advocacy skills)
• Advise students on course selection, college planning, major exploration, and decisions related to educational and career goals
• Support students in filing their FAFSA and required paperwork needed to persist to their sophomore year of college
• Evaluate student needs and provide appropriate referrals to career, academic, counseling, and student life resources and opportunities

Event Planning/Implementation (20%) 

• Coordinate workshops and events with the Post-Secondary Team to equip students with necessary job search skills to secure first year summer internships and research positions. 
• Coordinate interactive workshops with the High School Team to help students build adaptability and resiliency through college by closing freshman transition knowledge gaps.

Data Collection and Tracking (10%) 

• Monitor student progress and performance towards goals
• Record applicable activities via Salesforce in a timely manner 

Other Duties (10%)

• General programmatic support of BEAM’s local programs office, which may include (but is not limited to) sourcing BEAM alumni to volunteer for younger student events, chaperoning field trips, attending fundraising events
• Other programmatic duties as assigned 

QUALIFICATIONS

We understand that there are many paths to acquiring experience and therefore welcome candidates from diverse and nontraditional backgrounds for this role who have demonstrated equivalent transferable skills to carry out the major duties outlined in this job description. 

Knowledge  

• STEM knowledge, via a degree and/or coursework in a STEM field or professional experience at a STEM organization
• Knowledge of the higher education landscape(s) within NY and/or CA 
• Knowledge of college studentship and/or cohort program providers (e.g., Questbridge, Posse, Stony Brook Simons STEM students Program) 

Skills and Abilities  

• Passionate about providing access to quality STEM opportunities
• Professional experience working with low-income communities 
• Proven ability to develop relationships with college students from underrepresented backgrounds 
• Experience building strong relationships with students, families and other partners by presenting a positive, inspiring, and growth-oriented message
• Strong organizational skills and ability to document and manage detailed data
• Communicates clearly and collaborates authentically with families and students
• Organized and detailed oriented in both planning and implementation of programs 
• Solutions-oriented problem solver who can quickly identify and address challenges

Significant Pluses include

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, math, computer science, or a related STEM field 
• Past experience doing academic advising
• A strong connection to the “why” of our work  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation

• Sitting - constantly (50%+)
• Moderate noise levels

APPLICATION PROCESS

Our process, as described below, has approximately four stages and we anticipate the process lasting about 4-6 weeks in total with someone starting in the role as soon as possible, although we are flexible with the specific date. 

The initial step is to submit your application, including resumé and responses to a few short application questions, via our online portal. When your application is complete, we will follow up with next steps.

Next steps in our process will include a short 30-minute phone interview and/or sample projects so we can get to know you and you can show us your work. We believe in the importance of demonstrated ability and providing opportunities that allow candidates to demonstrate relevant skills for the role throughout our process. The final step of our process is a final interview with the team. 

We will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

SALARY, BENEFITS, AND OTHER DETAILS

The salary range for this position is $50,000-$62,000. This is a good faith anticipated range of the job, but the actual pay will be based on any applicant’s skill and experience. 

Work Schedule

• Default work schedule: Monday-Friday with flexible start time between 8:00-10:00 am
• One required in-office day per week for in-person meetings with the local team.
• Some evening and weekend hours to support students including working 10 Saturdays each spring to support 12th graders (Mondays off on weeks where Saturdays are worked)

BEAM provides a number of benefits including:

• Flexible working hours
• Health, dental and vision benefits including health plan options that are free for individuals
• 12 paid holidays including an office closure between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
• 15 days of paid annual leave to start, and will increase by one day for each year worked for your first 5 years of employment
• Paid sick leave
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Student loan reimbursement
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• $1,500 annual allowance for professional development

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Beyond a commitment to nondiscrimination, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

BEAM is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the basis of an individual’s race (including traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protected hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), ethnicity, religion (including clothing or facial hair worn in accordance with the religious tenets), color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, breastfeeding, gender (including actual or perceived sex, gender identity, and gender expression including a person’s actual or perceived gender-related self-image, appearance, behavior, expression, or other gender-related characteristic, regardless of the sex assigned to that person at birth), sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health decisions, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, status as a veteran, active military service member, or uniform service member, marital or partnership status, familial status, caregiver status, age (18 or older), predisposing genetic characteristics, disability, creed, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, unemployment status, salary history, credit history, an individual’s status as having a known relationship or association with a member or members of a protected category, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, compensation, promotion, discipline, and termination. 

All personnel decisions will be made in accordance with the principles of equal employment opportunity and subject only to valid (job-related) requirements for employment, benefits, or promotional opportunities.

Place of work