Join Our Staff

Summer Search Philadelphia currently has positions available for:

Program Associate
Projects and Operations Associate

program associate

The mission of Summer Search is to find resilient low-income high school students and inspire them to become responsible and altruistic leaders by providing year-round mentoring, life-changing summer experiences, college advising, and a lasting support network.

Summer Search started in 1990 in San Francisco and currently operates in seven sites serving over 1,200 students and 2,100 alumni nationally.

WHY WORK AT SUMMER SEARCH?

Summer Search has a proven program model where 99% of our high school students graduate from High School compared to 50% of their low-income peers. 93% of Summer Search students go on to college, and while 11% of low-income students will earn a college degree nationwide, 85%of Summer Search college students are on track to graduate and earn their degree.  Becoming part of the Summer Search team means making a difference in the lives of young people.

WHAT WE VALUE:

Summer Search believes in challenging people to grow.  Everyone in our organization is guided by the following values:

Reflection:  We question with curiosity and value honesty as a foundation for our relationships with students and staff. We challenge ourselves to take positive risks and learn from our successes and failures.

Altruism:    We see our work as an opportunity to go beyond ourselves and genuinely understand and empower others. We express gratitude. We believe in fostering a community that pushes and supports students and staff to reach their potential.

Performance:  We work with a sustained sense of passion and productivity, and support each other in finding healthy outlets for well-being.  We take responsibility for ourselves and have a deep commitment to excellence.

JOB SUMMARY:

Program Associates are mentors who help build the resiliency and capacity of students. They contribute to the success of the organization by working directly with students on the phone and face-to-face to reach short, mid, and long-term outcomes.  In their first year, Program Associates often experience a significant learning curve in mentoring.  Summer Search understands this and provides a supportive environment for that process.  Each mentor works directly with about 35 students throughout high-school. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Relationship-Building

• Builds individual relationships with students based on Summer Search’s mentoring model by utilizing listening skills, providing direct feedback, creating opportunities for introspection, and holding students accountable to what they are capable of achieving.
• Organizes and coordinates small and large-group interactions: student meetings at school, workshops, and events.

Increasing Resiliency

• Utilizes an internal assessment model to identify the qualities of: Reflection, Altruism, and Performance (RAP).
• Works with students to notice patterns of behavior and develop RAP qualities over time.

School Attachment/College Readiness

• Understands students’ full academic and extracurricular participation, performance, and relationships.
• Understands college readiness requirements and works collaboratively with students and Summer Search’s College and Financial Aid Advisor to ensure students matriculate to post-secondary education.

Summer Program Preparation and Integration

• Collaborates with Program Director and Summer Program Coordinator to ensure that each student is appropriately placed on a summer program that will challenge them and prepares them for success.
• Ensures students are physically and emotionally ready for both their first and second summer experiences.
• Works with students to celebrate successes on their summer experiences, reflect on learning opportunities and integrate their experiences through writing, weekly conversations, and group interactions with other students.

Program Data Tracking

• Enters and tracks data accurately on a daily basis in Efforts to Outcomes student database to assess student progress, staff evaluations, and organizational learning.
• Works with Program Director and Senior Mentors to consistently assess and measure own results of program activities, utilizing data tracking and analysis as a learning opportunity.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree 3-5 years of experience after college
• Previous work with adolescents, teaching or non-profit experience
• Demonstrated excellence in interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Strong leadership, personal initiative and problem-solving skills
• Excellent organizational and project management skills
• Self-starter who is comfortable in a close-knit team-oriented setting
• Strong small and larger group facilitation skills
• Strong command of Microsoft Office applications and familiarity with database operations
• Bi-lingual a plus

OUR BENEFITS

Summer Search is committed to creating an environment that is supportive of learning, growth and staff development.  Our investment in staff includes:

• Individual, local, regional and national training
• Developing leaders from within the organization
• Weekly individual meetings with your supervisor focused on professional and personal growth
• Culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care
• Local and national events to build strong relationships and connection to the national organization as a whole
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance
• 401 (K) and Employer Match
• Generous paid vacation days, sick days, and holidays

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send your resume with a cover letter that speaks to why you are applying to Summer Search.  Include in your letter your track record of performance, your desire to learn, and your ability to overcome challenges.  Please send your application to philadelphiahire@summersearch.org and indicate Program Associate on the subject line.

Summer Search is committed to equal opportunity employment.

projects and operations associate

The mission of Summer Search is to find resilient low-income high school students and inspire them to become responsible and altruistic leaders by providing year-round mentoring, life-changing summer experiences, college advising, and a lasting support network.

Summer Search started in 1990 in San Francisco and currently operates in seven sites serving over 1,200 students and 2,100 alumni nationally.

WHY WORK AT SUMMER SEARCH?

Summer Search has a proven program model where 99% of our high school students graduate from High School compared to 50% of their low-income peers. 93% of Summer Search students go on to college, and while 11% of low-income students will earn a college degree nationwide, 85%of Summer Search college students are on track to graduate and earn their degree.  Becoming part of the Summer Search team means making a difference in the lives of young people.

WHAT WE VALUE:

Summer Search believes in challenging people to grow.  Everyone in our organization is guided by the following values:

Reflection:  We question with curiosity and value honesty as a foundation for our relationships with students and staff. We challenge ourselves to take positive risks and learn from our successes and failures.

Altruism:    We see our work as an opportunity to go beyond ourselves and genuinely understand and empower others. We express gratitude. We believe in fostering a community that pushes and supports students and staff to reach their potential.

Performance:  We work with a sustained sense of passion and productivity, and support each other in finding healthy outlets for well-being.  We take responsibility for ourselves and have a deep commitment to excellence.

JOB SUMMARY

Provides essential operational and project support to program and development teams, including maintaining a high-functioning office environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and JOB COMPETENCIES

Development Support

Events (Annual leadership dinner & other cultivation and fundraising events)

• Coordinate relationships with outside vendors, including negotiating prices and supervising vendors on the day of events
• Oversee all event logistics, including catering, rentals, music, printed materials, audiovisual

equipment, day of event program, etc.

• Oversee event follow-up, including issuing thank you notes and sending email blasts
• Provide support in event-related marketing and communications
• Track, analyze and report on data from all events using Raiser’s Edge database

Administrative

• Assist in Raiser’s Edge data entry and management
• Assist in writing thank you letters to donors
• Assist in seasonal appeals and other office mailings
• Assist in email blasts and other communications with donors
• Update and maintain website with support from National site administrator
• Maintain soft and hard copy donor files
• Provide support for quarterly board meetings
• Provide additional administrative support where needed

Program Support

Events (Spring/fall events, student workshops, and other program events)

• Coordinate all event logistics for program events and workshops including communications,

marketing, vendor coordination, venue prep/clean up, rentals, catering, photography in collaboration with program team

Administrative

• Assist program team with email blasts, mass mailings, student calls, Flickr and Facebook website

updates, photo uploads

• Enter data accurately in Efforts to Outcomes student database including event attendance and

student assessment updates

• Actively support data entry and management during interview, enrollment, student reflection, and

summer program cycles

• Support Summer Program logistics including student registrations and surveys, travel support, on-call phone management, and equipment

Operations Support

Administrative

• Answer the general phone line, direct calls and take messages
• Greet office visitors warmly and responds to their needs as appropriate
• Maintain office equipment, supplies and space including requesting technicians, coordinating IT support, and keeping office clean, stocked and organized

• Manage routine day-to-day activities such as incoming and outgoing mail
• Support office with mass mailings, materials/ document preparation, and on-site assistance at meetings, events, and workshops

• Manage staff travel arrangements, expense vouchers and reimbursements
• Reconcile office expenses and oversee petty cash distribution.
• Improve, create, document, and execute overall office management procedures

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 2-3 years of administrative experience
• Demonstrated excellence in interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Excellent project management skills
• Exceptional attention to detail with strong organizational, analytical, critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Self-starter who is comfortable in a close-knit, fast paced and high-performing team environment
• Flexibility and eagerness to learn and work on a wide variety of tasks, often independently
• Skilled in multi-tasking and time management with strong ability to absorb information across a broad spectrum, set priorities, and meet deadlines

• Strong command of Microsoft Office applications especially Word and Excel, and familiarity with equipment and database operations

• Sense of humor
• Ability to work some nights and weekends
• Event planning experience a plus
• Graphic design experience a plus
• Bi-lingual a plus

OUR BENEFITS

Summer Search is committed to creating an environment that is supportive of learning, growth and staff development.  Our investment in staff includes:

• Individual, local, regional and national training
• Developing leaders from within the organization
• Weekly individual meetings with your supervisor focused on professional and personal growth
• Culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care
• Local and national events to build strong relationships and connection to the national organization as a whole
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance
• 401 (K) and Employer Match
• Generous paid vacation days, sick days, and holidays

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send your resume with a cover letter that speaks to why you are applying to Summer Search.  Include in your letter your track record of performance, your desire to learn, and your ability to overcome challenges.  Please send your application to philadelphiahire@summersearch.org and indicate Projects and Operations Associate on the subject line.

Summer Search is committed to equal opportunity employment.