Summer Academies Assistant Site Director - Residential

Assistant Site Director

Location:

St. Louis, MO and Miami, FL

Employment Type:

Temporary, Full-time, Exempt

Compensation & Benefits: $11,000 or $14,000 covering training and the full program duration, up to $500 travel reimbursement, and room and board (details below).

At Thrive Scholars, we provide high-achieving students from under-resourced communities, the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in meaningful careers.

Our comprehensive and data-driven program model focuses on the key inflection points that can be the difference between graduating from any college and graduating from a top college with the grades, degree, career skills, and network needed to thrive in any career. Thrive Scholars originated in Los Angeles as South Central Scholars ("SCS") twenty years ago. Over this time, the organization has refined its program model and, in the last five years, has focused on expanding nationally;

reaching more high-achieving underrepresented students, growing the number of Scholars we serve; and deepening our program impact. Thrive Scholars has begun to grow its footprint with new summer program offerings in three additional cities, with more to come. The organization has approximately 75 year-round employees and close to 200 summer employees.

Summer Academy - Residential & Commuter: has long been the keystone of Thrive Scholars' Six-Year Program, offering a signature summer experience through intensive college-preparatory courses taught by college instructors. Thrive's current strategic direction builds on the success of our residential Summer Academy to expand our impact by establishing commuter-based Academies in cities across the United States. We launched our first two commuter programs in Los Angeles and New York City in 2024 and Chicago in 2025, while simultaneously continuing to offer the residential Summer Academies for Scholars who do not have an academy in their community.

We expect to continue extending our reach to other cities in the coming years.

Our students are high-achieving, including first-generation college-goers from under-resourced communities, with an average high school GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 scale. They are eager to learn, inquisitive, and highly motivated to succeed. In general, they see themselves as good students who perform well in school and are determined to live up to that expectation. When scholars attend their first summer academy, whether commuter or residential, they are a rising high school senior.

The Assistant Site Director (ASD) plays a critical leadership role at our Residential Summer Academy. Working closely with the Site Director, the ASD helps oversee daily programming in their "Operational Zone", ensures the health and safety of Scholars, and supervises College Readiness Fellows (Fellows) who serve in camp counselor like roles.

This is a live-in position, with ASDs residing in student housing alongside Scholars, like a Hall Director. The ASD will collaborate with the site leadership team to provide 24-hour coverage throughout the program and will take one day off per week. Planning responsibilities begin prior to the start of Summer Academy, and ASDs assist with program closeout and reporting at the end of the summer.

Key Responsibilities:

• Supervise and support Fellows, including training and scheduling.
• Manage assigned Operational Zone; including budgets, supplies, and Fellow assignments.
• Partner with the Site Director to troubleshoot challenges and implement solutions.
• Support student health needs in coordination with program nurses.
• Assist with inventory, campus closeout, and end-of-program reporting.
• Monitor student well-being, participation, and engagement.
• Address residential, academic, health, and socio-emotional concerns as they arise.
• Enforce program policies and the Code of Conduct, providing guidance and recommendations for consequences, if needed.
• Mediate scholar and staff conflicts fairly and confidentially.
• Serves as the primary contact for assigned scholars and fellows
• Ensure daily program schedule and operations run smoothly.
• Collaborate with Thrive staff and Site Director to plan and execute student orientation and welcome events.
• Design, implement, and supervise off-site field trips and enrichment programming.

Qualifications and

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required;
  Master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education, Social Work, or related field preferred
• Minimum 3 years working full-time with youth in educational or residential settings.
• Experience in living-learning communities such as academic summer programs, residential high schools, or higher education.
• Highly dependable, with a strong focus on fostering a positive, student-centered environment.
• Proven ability to supervise, train, and mentor college-aged staff.
• Familiarity with residential compliance and/or youth safety practices.
• Experience working with young adults, ideally in diverse, residential, and/or camp settings.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and problem-solving abilities; thrives in a…