Student Support Coach

I. POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Student Support Coach is a member of the Detroit Promise Student Support Team responsible for providing individualized, proactive, strengths-based coaching to a caseload of approximately 60–90 Detroit Promise students. The Coach develops meaningful relationships with students and provides ongoing guidance, encouragement, accountability, resource navigation, and problem-solving support designed to promote persistence, academic success, personal growth, and credential completion. 

The Student Support Coach works collaboratively with Student Support Coordinators, school and campus professionals, and other Detroit Promise teams to ensure students receive coordinated support throughout their educational journey. The Coach monitors student progress, identifies emerging barriers, facilitates appropriate referrals and interventions, and maintains accurate documentation to support student services, program accountability, and applicable incentive eligibility. 

In addition to individualized coaching, the Coach facilitates workshops, presentations, group coaching, and student engagement activities in high schools, on college campuses, and in other settings designed to strengthen student skills, support successful transitions, increase belonging, and promote persistence. The Coach also provides day-to-day supervision and guidance to an assigned social work intern who supports group engagement activities and maintains a small student caseload. 

Primary Duties of the Student Support Coach: 

• Provides individualized, strength-based coaching to an assigned caseload of approximately 60–90 students from college entry through credential completion. 

• Build meaningful relationships with students that promote accountability, persistence, academic success, and completion. 

• Monitor student progress, identify barriers, and connect students to appropriate support and resources. 

• Maintain accurate and timely records of coaching interactions to support student interventions, program accountability, and incentive eligibility. 

• Facilitate workshops, presentations, and student engagement activities in high schools, on college campuses, and in other settings. 

• Supervise and support an assigned social work intern who assists with group programming and maintains a small student caseload. 

• Collaborate with Student Support Coordinators, school and campus professionals, and other Detroit Promise teams to provide coordinated student support. 

II. QUALIFICATIONS: 

Bachelor’s degree or higher and at least 1–2 years of experience working directly with high school and/or college students, preferably students who are first-generation college-goers or have historically faced barriers to postsecondary access and completion. Experience in student success coaching, college access, advising, counseling, student engagement, or a related student-support program is strongly preferred. 

This position is field-based and requires regular travel to high schools, colleges, universities, Detroit Promise events, and other community locations. Candidates must have reliable transportation and the ability to travel throughout Detroit and the surrounding region as required by the position. 

Successful candidates will be student-centered, relationship-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable working in a changing program environment. Candidates must demonstrate strong communication, organization, time management, and problem-solving skills; the ability to build relationships with students and collaborate effectively across teams and organizations; and the ability to accurately and timely document student interactions and complete required data processes. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working independently in the field while remaining accountable to team goals, performance expectations, and established processes. 

III. POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES (or FUNCTIONS): 

Student Support Coaching & Case Management 

The Student Support Coach will provide individualized, relationship-based coaching and case management to support students' academic progress, persistence, personal development, and completion. 

Maintain an assigned caseload of approximately 60–90 Detroit Promise students and develop consistent, strengths-based coaching relationships. 

Conduct individual and group coaching focused on academic progress, goal setting, motivation, time management, self-advocacy, decision-making, and other factors affecting student success. 

Monitor student progress, identify emerging academic, financial, personal, or engagement barriers, and work with students to develop appropriate next steps. 

Support students in understanding college processes and expectations and through key transitions and milestones throughout their Detroit Promise experience. 

Connect students to Student Support Coordinators, campus and community resources, and other appropriate services when needs extend beyond the coaching relationship; facilitate appropriate referrals and follow up with students to reinforce accountability, access, and progress. 

Provide day-to-day supervision and professional guidance to an assigned social work intern; oversee their student support activities and documentation, provide feedback and development, and coordinate with 

the intern's director of social work field placement representative as appropriate.

Data Management & Accountability 

The Student Support Coach will maintain accurate and timely student records to document coaching activity, monitor student progress, identify emerging barriers, support student incentive eligibility, and inform program strategy and intervention. 

• Accurately document required coaching sessions, student interactions, goals, concerns, referrals, follow-up activities, and outcomes in the designated CRM or data system. 

• Maintain documentation sufficient to support continuity of student services when students are referred to or supported by other Detroit Promise staff, while following established confidentiality and information-sharing requirements. 

• Complete documentation within established timelines to ensure accurate tracking of student participation and eligibility for coaching-related incentives. 

• Maintain complete and accurate caseload records and regularly review documentation for missing or incomplete information. 

• Monitor student records and available data to identify academic, financial, personal, or engagement barriers that may affect persistence or completion. 

• Use coaching interactions and available student data to identify students requiring additional outreach, intervention, or referral. 

• Track student progress toward established goals, milestones, and program expectations. 

• Identify trends across the assigned caseload and communicate emerging student needs, recurring barriers, and concerns to the Program Lead, Student Support & Program Development. 

• Meet established expectations for coaching documentation, student contact, caseload management, and data accuracy. 

• Contribute accurate information needed for student incentives, program reporting, evaluation, and continuous improvement. 

• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and follow established procedures for handling student information. 

Student Workshops & Engagement 

The Student Support Coach will facilitate workshops, group learning opportunities, and student engagement activities that reinforce coaching goals, support educational transitions, and strengthen student belonging. 

The Coach's role in student engagement activities focuses primarily on facilitation, student support, relationship-building, and student-success content, while event logistics and broader external engagement may be coordinated with the Partnerships & Engagement team as appropriate. 

• Facilitate workshops, presentations, group coaching sessions, and other learning opportunities at high schools, colleges, universities, and other Detroit Promise or community settings on topics related to college readiness, transition, academic success, self-advocacy, and other student success skills. 

• Support orientations, campus events, peer engagement opportunities, resource fairs, recognition activities, and other programming that strengthens students' connection to Detroit Promise and their educational 

community. 

• Support the Detroit Promise Student Ambassador program, including monthly coordination with Coaches and Student Support staff and monthly engagement with Ambassadors to provide guidance around peer mentoring, campus engagement, and program expectations. 

• Support Ambassadors in mentoring Detroit Promise students, hosting campus gatherings, and participating in opportunities to share student experiences and stories. 

• Collaborate with Student Support Coordinators and other Detroit Promise teams to identify student needs and develop appropriate workshops, engagement activities, and programming. 

Student Support Coordination & Campus Relationships 

The Student Support Coach will maintain working relationships with school and campus professionals whose roles directly support student success and will collaborate with Student Support Coordinators to ensure students receive coordinated and appropriate support. Broader institutional partnership management and organizational relationship development are coordinated through the Partnerships & Engagement team. 

• Maintain working relationships with appropriate school and campus professionals who contribute to student success. 

• Collaborate with Student Support Coordinators to identify students who may benefit from additional campus or community resources. 

• Make appropriate internal referrals to Student Supports and communicate relevant information needed to coordinate student assistance. 

• Reinforce resource connections during coaching conversations and encourage students to follow through with recommended services. 

• Participate in school, campus, and student-facing activities and maintain an appropriate presence within the environments served. 

• Elevate recurring student barriers, emerging concerns, and service gaps to the Program Lead, Student Support & Program Development. 

Cross-Team Collaboration 

The Student Support Coach collaborates across Detroit Promise teams to ensure students receive coordinated access to services, resources, opportunities, and support while maintaining clear internal roles and referral pathways. 

• Work closely with Student Support Coordinators when students require resource navigation, intervention, or support beyond the coaching relationship. 

• Collaborate with the Partnerships & Engagement team when student needs or activities involve external organizations, institutional partnerships, community engagement, or broader stakeholder coordination. 

• Coordinate with the Prosperity team when students need career, employment, workforce, financial empowerment, alumni, or economic mobility opportunities within that team's scope. 

• Share relevant student trends, recurring barriers, resource gaps, and emerging needs with appropriate Detroit Promise staff while maintaining established confidentiality and information-sharing practices. 

• Participate in cross-team initiatives, events, meetings, and student-facing activities. 

• Support effective internal referrals and help ensure students are connected to the appropriate Detroit Promise team based on their needs. 

Other Duties as Assigned 

Participate in Detroit Promise meetings, professional development, training, and organizational initiatives. 

Support organization-wide projects, events, and priorities as needed. 

Perform other duties as assigned