Job Description
Our Mission and Vision
Cristo Rey Brooklyn is a Catholic high school partnering with families of all faiths to educate deserving young people from underserved communities to become men and women of faith, purpose and service. By integrating a rigorous curriculum, a unique work-study experience and the support of an inclusive school community, we enable students to succeed in college and beyond with the values essential to a fulfilling life.
It is our vision to be considered one of the best high schools in New York as measured by academic growth and achievement, graduation rates and college success. Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School alumni will be recognized as lifelong learners, inspirational community and professional leaders, and committed to a purpose beyond self.
The Role of the CWSP in Our Innovative Model of Education:
In addition to completing their college-prep curriculum, CRBHS students are employed by the affiliated Cristo Rey Brooklyn Corporate Work Study Program, Inc. (CWSP) and are required to spend one day each week engaged in a professional work assignment. The CWSP is a unique feature of the Cristo Rey model. The CWSP is a subsidiary employment agency which trains students for entry-level employment and markets their services to local clients, enabling all students to earn most of the cost of their education through a job-sharing partnership with their classmates to cover full-time, Monday through Friday positions. Through its CWSP, Cristo Rey Brooklyn students will provide valued service to some of the most prestigious companies in our city, where they will also find mentors and forge the networks fundamental to their future success. Finally, CWSP participation is a critical component of every Cristo Rey student’s education, a connection that is made explicit through curricular complements that bridge students’ corporate and classroom experiences.
Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School and CWSP are part of the Cristo Rey Network. Comprised of 38 Catholic, career focused, college preparatory schools, the Cristo Rey Network delivers a powerful and innovative approach to education that equips students from families of limited economic means with the knowledge, character, and skills to achieve their aspirations.
Position:
The Director of Corporate Work Study leads all aspects of the Corporate Work Study Program for Cristo Rey Brooklyn, and will have primary responsibility for team leadership, department strategic planning, program oversight, job sales and executing all related activities. This includes stewarding client relationships to cultivate new clients to achieve full and meaningful employment for all students, as well as ensuring the retention and growth of existing partners. The most critical factor for retaining and growing those relationships is the CWSP supporting students’ exceptional job performance. As such, the Director is integrally involved in and ultimately accountable for his/her staff’s execution of day-to-day operations, including, but not limited to, sales/customer service, logistics, training, and legal compliance, as well as promoting the continuous improvement of its program to meet the ever-evolving employment needs of its clients and commensurate educational needs of its students. This individual will collaborate closely with the senior leadership team on a wide variety of organizational decisions and will report directly to the President.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES & MEASURES
- Secure / maintain jobs for 100% of enrolled students for the entire school year.
- Achieve a minimum of 80% paid jobs at the prevailing market rate for entry level positions.
- Achieve a minimum of 90% retention rate for existing jobs
- Develop strategies and tactical plans to secure / maintain jobs for 100% of the students at the projected full capacity enrollment of 380-400.
Core Responsibilities:
● Accountable for meeting annual CWSP employment benchmarks and revenue goals;
● Responsible for maintaining the CWSP budget;
● Responsible for cultivating a customer relationship management approach to sales and service activities that achieve performance metrics;
● Serve as liaison to the Board of Directors for the Corporate Work Study Program, and in collaboration with the President and Committee Chair, lead the Jobs Committee;
● Responsible for managing a complex sales cycle to attract new clients as well as retain and grow existing client partnerships;
● Ensure the CWSP operations team is engaging in best practices in client management, student support and professional development;
● Responsible for creating a professional framework that emphasizes workplace skill development (technical and noncognitive) to ensure student employability and success at work;
● Collaborates with the Advancement Department to coordinate a communications strategy for the program that maintains a high level of brand awareness;
● Collaborates with the Director of Admissions to promote and answer questions regarding the CWSP experience for prospective students and their families, as well as conduct non-academic based assessments regarding students’ employability within CWSP.
● Collaborates with the Principal and school faculty to deepen curricular connections between what students learn in the classroom and in the workplace, improving performance in both settings;
● Responsible for leading the planning and execution of CWSP Summer Training Program (STP) for incoming students;
● Accountable for maintaining compliance with all legal, safety and employment requirements (Federal, State, and local) for the work study program, as well as employment agreements with clients;
● Responsible leading and inspiring the CWSP staff;
● Supports engagement with the Cristo Rey Network, including participation at CWSP-specific trainings/gatherings and the Annual Meeting and responding to routine and periodic requests for program specific data;
Qualifications and Skills
Below are the essential qualifications, skills and traits that the successful candidate should possess:
Executive Leadership Presence
o Unquestionable integrity and ethical behavior that creates trust among the school’s stakeholders;
o Results-oriented with a sense of urgency to exceed goals & objectives;
o Provides proactive leadership of key initiatives;
o Advanced skills in leading, managing, engaging and mentoring staff members and students;
o Ability to develop and inspire a high performance CWSP team and be able to work with other departments within the diverse culture of a Cristo Rey academic institution;
o Ability to establish measures for achievement for self and the team.
Sales Orientation
o Proven relationship manager with a 5 or more years track record in leads generation and closing sales;
o Possess outstanding communication (written, verbal) and listening skills;
o Extroverted, confident, enthusiastic, persuasive.
Customer Service
o Intimate knowledge of customer service / retention processes & systems;
o 5 or more years as an experienced administrator.
Decision-Making
o Pushes for results, strong problem solver with a demonstrable history of successful innovative solutions;
o Action-oriented and collaborative style;
o Flexibility to respond quickly to changing conditions.
Other
o Passion for Cristo Rey Brooklyn’s Mission and Values;
o Sensitivity to and respect for the socioeconomic, racial, and religious backgrounds of the student body;
o Bachelor’s Degree required. Advanced degree preferred: MBA, MPA, JD.