Assistant Director, Scholar Wellness and Support Full Time

While more than 60% of students in the United States graduate from four-year colleges, outcomes are significantly lower for the populations we serve. Approximately one in four first-generation college students complete a bachelor’s degree, and estimates suggest only about 8–12% of students with foster care experience earn a two- or four-year degree.

At the same time, young adults with foster care backgrounds are less likely to be employed, more likely to experience periods of unemployment or underemployment, and tend to earn less than their peers—even when they complete college—highlighting a critical gap between educational attainment and equitable labor market outcomes. These disparities are driven not by lack of ability, but by systemic barriers such as housing instability, financial insecurity, limited access to consistent support, and gaps in social capital.

We aim to close these gaps, one student at a time.

Ready to Succeed (RTS) empowers foster youth college students to graduate, launch and accelerate their careers, and reach their full potential. We offer our RTS Scholars a unique combination of personalized college and career coaching, connections to industry professionals, placements in paid internships, and access to financial and mental health resources.

📌 Here’s What This Role Is All About

Reporting to the Senior Program Director, the Assistant Director of Scholar Wellness + Support will serve in a highly strategic and student-facing role, leading both direct scholar support and the continued development of RTS’s holistic care infrastructure.

The Assistant Director of Scholar Wellness + Support will lead RTS’s holistic scholar support efforts, providing trauma-informed guidance, crisis navigation, and resource coordination for scholars and alumni. This individual will serve as the primary point of contact for scholars experiencing personal, financial, housing, or mental health challenges, ensuring they receive appropriate support, resources, and financial assistance when needed. While the role includes meaningful direct scholar support, it is equally focused on organizational strategy, systems development, cross-functional collaboration, and programmatic leadership.

This individual will design, improve, and implement the systems, protocols, partnerships, and organizational practices that strengthen scholar wellbeing across the organization. This is a highly autonomous, strategic role best suited for an experienced professional who has previously designed, implemented, and improved systems, protocols, and cross-functional processes within a student support, higher education, or social services environment.

The ideal candidate brings both direct student support expertise and demonstrated experience leading organizational initiatives, advising colleagues, and building scalable systems that improve service delivery and scholar outcomes.

🛠 What You’ll Be Up To Day-to-Day

Scholar Wellness Strategy & Development

• Own and evolve RTS’s scholar wellness strategy, ensuring the organization has effective systems to respond to scholar needs and barriers.
• Design and implement scalable systems and protocols related to scholar wellness, crisis response, and resource coordination.
• Identify gaps in RTS’s current scholar support model and recommend sustainable operational improvements.
• Build tools, workflows, documentation practices, and communication systems that improve organizational responsiveness and scholar outcomes.
• Analyze scholar trends and data to inform strategic recommendations and preventative initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to operationalize new wellness initiatives and support practices across teams.

Scholar Support & Advising

• Serve as the primary point of contact for scholars and alumni navigating complex life challenges such as housing instability, food insecurity, financial emergencies, and mental health concerns.
• Provide trauma-informed, scenario-based counseling support, conducting needs assessments and determining appropriate interventions, referrals, and support pathways.
• Utilize strong professional judgment to triage urgent situations, determine response strategies, and escalate concerns when necessary.
• Maintain clear professional boundaries and ensure scholars are connected to licensed professionals or appropriate services when therapeutic, legal, or clinical intervention is required.
• Maintain accurate, confidential documentation of scholar interactions, referrals, and financial support decisions in Salesforce.

Resource Navigation & Partnership Management

• Manage and expand RTS’s network of campus and community-based resources, including housing programs, counseling centers, financial assistance programs, and legal or advocacy organizations.
• Oversee partnerships with external support organizations such as therapy providers, Change Reaction, and Upward Fund, including eligibility assessment and application submission.
• Monitor utilization and impact of external partnerships and services to ensure resources effectively support scholar needs.
• Identify and cultivate new partnerships that expand access to mental health, housing, financial, and wellness resources for RTS scholars and alumni.
• Maintain and update a centralized hub of non-career-related resources accessible to scholars and staff.

Emergency Assistance & Financial Support

• Assess eligibility and facilitate access to emergency financial assistance for scholars experiencing urgent needs.
• Submit emergency fund requests and basic needs financial support (such as grocery gift cards) for internal approval and disbursement.
• Monitor trends in emergency assistance requests and recommend programmatic or resource-based solutions.

Staff Guidance & Organizational Collaboration

• Serve as a thought partner and subject matter expert to scholar-facing staff on complex scholar situations, helping guide decision-making, response strategies, resource referrals, escalation pathways, and best practices.
• Organize training for staff on topics such as crisis response, trauma-informed practices, and resource navigation.
• Partner with the Development team to support fundraising efforts by sourcing scholar stories and contributing impact narratives for grants and reports.
• Participate in team meetings to assess scholar barriers to success and contribute strategic ideas and solutions.

🧠 What Makes You a Great Fit

Required

• 5 – 7 years of professional experience in counseling, crisis intervention, or direct support roles within environments such as college counseling centers, student support services, social service agencies, foster youth programs, or community-based organizations serving historically under-resourced populations.
• Master of Social Work (MSW). Master’s or advanced degrees in Counseling, Psychology, Higher Education, Student Affairs, Public Health, Human Services, or related fields will also be considered.
• Bachelor’s degree required; degrees in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, Sociology, Higher Education, or related fields preferred.
• Demonstrated experience supporting first-generation college students, foster youth, or historically under-resourced young adult populations.
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practices, crisis response, and professional boundaries.
• Ability to manage emotionally complex situations while maintaining organization and follow-through.
• Demonstrated experience independently designing, implementing, and improving operational systems, workflows, protocols, or support processes at a programmatic or organizational level.
• Experience identifying organizational gaps and proactively building sustainable solutions, tools, or processes to improve student support outcomes.
• A deep, authentic commitment to supporting young people in achieving stability, connection, and long-term success.
• Please note: this is not an entry-level social work role. Candidates should possess substantial post-graduate professional experience demonstrating independent judgment, systems thinking, and leadership within student support, counseling, or social service environments. If neither the years of professional experience nor the advanced degree requirements are met, you will not be considered for the role.

Nice To Have

• Experience managing emergency financial assistance or scholarship disbursement processes preferred.
• Experience with database management; Salesforce preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt style for different audiences.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment while balancing urgent needs and long-term planning.
• High level of discretion, professionalism, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• A team player and leader with committed and authentic desire to help others to excel.
• A knack for unlocking, nurturing, and championing potential in others.
• Interested in, and committed to, positive and sustainable societal impact.
• Ability to work well in a remote environment, but also able to attend in-person events and requirements.

🕒 What Your Workweek Might Look Like

We are looking to fill this position as soon as possible. This role is full-time, typically working Monday–Friday for a total of 40 hours per week. The specific schedule will be confirmed with the final candidate but generally falls between traditional work hours of 9:00 am and 5:30 pm. Our office is located in the Arts District in Los Angeles, CA.

Due to the nature of scholar programming and events, this role will occasionally require early morning, evening, or weekend availability. At times, the position may require working more than 40 hours per week to support scholar programming, events, or other organizational priorities.

This role follows a hybrid work structure and includes, at minimum, once a month in-person presence to support scholar programming, team collaboration, and community engagement. While some work may be completed remotely, the role requires regular in-person participation for meetings, events, and scholar-facing programming.

As such, candidates must be based in or willing to relocate to the Los Angeles area, as many of our scholars, alumni, volunteers, and employer partners are located locally. Onboarding will be conducted in person.

💸 Let’s Talk Pay & Perks

About

We’re all about supporting great people so they can do great work. Here’s what you’ll enjoy as part of the RTS team:

💵 Compensation & Financial Perks

• $650 annual cell phone stipend to keep you connected
• 401(k) with up to 4% employer match
• Health reimbursement benefit of $6,350/year (adjusted annually)

🛏️ Time Off to Recharge

• 15 vacation days to start, growing to 25 with tenure
• 3 recharge weeks each year: one around July 4th, two at the end of December
• 11 federal holidays, plus your birthday off (or a personal day instead)

🩺 Wellness & Support

• We cover eligible health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses through our reimbursement model (QSEHRA – Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement)
• A culture of support, purpose, and people-first values

🏡 Flexibility That Works for You

• Hybrid setup designed for balance and autonomy
• Flexible scheduling after your onboarding period

💛 Why People Love Working Here

We’re a team that leads with heart. At RTS, we’re not just about checking boxes, we’re building a culture where everyone feels seen, supported, and able to do meaningful work that truly matters.

We celebrate diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, and voices. We foster belonging, encourage curiosity, and hold space for real conversations. And we believe in doing excellent work without sacrificing your wellbeing.

Here, You’ll Find

• A mission you can be proud of
• Teammates who lift each other up
• Leadership that actually listens
• Room to grow, take risks, and be yourself

We’re committed to equity, inclusion and access, not just in how we hire, but in how we show up for each other every day.

The Pay Range For This Role Is

75,000 – 95,000 USD per year(Los Angeles)