Success Coach

Department: University Life

Classification: Education Support Spec 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary range starting in the upper $50k's; commensurate with education, experience, and a Success Coach level I or II designation

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Works with Minors check: Yes

About the Department:

The Division of University Life's Student Success Coaching unit is a hub for student engagement for all new freshmen and transfer students and provides access to coaching for all undergraduate students at Mason. Student success coaching increases the retention rate and academic success of incoming students by helping students set and achieve academic, career, and personal goals and connecting students to campus and community resources. The Student Success Coaching unit provides incoming students access to ongoing mentoring and coaching from professional and student staff who maintain university-wide and college-specific knowledge to ensure the success of Mason's incoming student populations.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Assistant Director, the Success Coach provides holistic support for their assigned caseload of incoming students in their first year and available for the duration of students' time at Mason as needed by using the university's chosen methodology in the nine focus areas of development (academics and major fit, school community, managing commitments, effectiveness, commitment to graduation, career exploration, finances, civic engagement, and well-being). The Success Coach provides an element of support for student career goals beyond the academic component. Mason provides coaching methodology training to all incoming Success Coaches. The Success Coach provides success strategies for students, manages outreach and support efforts, and intervenes in student concerns to increase retention. The Success Coach contributes to George Mason's strategic goals of preparing career-ready graduates while increasing graduation and retention rates.

Responsibilities:

Coaching

• Supports daily operations and student support, reporting, and troubleshooting with stakeholders to ensure holistic coaching is provided by using the university's chosen methodology in the nine focus areas of development (academics and major fit, school community, managing commitments, effectiveness, commitment to graduation, career exploration, finances, civic engagement, and well-being);
• Guides students' career exploration and major fit processes to achieve academic and career goals, as well as identify barriers to success and help students implement strategies to overcome them;
• Maintains university-wide and college-specific knowledge of relevant policies, procedures and resources for first-year students; and
• Success Coach II: In addition to the above, handles complex issues brought from Success Coach I, including substantial mental health challenges and complex emotional and academic advising needs, and supports the interdepartmental CARE team, which coordinates care and interventions for high-risk students.

Student Impact and Outreach

• Monitors student progress and performance, analyzes problem areas, determines solutions, and conducts intervention activities and processes for students;
• Meets with and provides success strategies to students;
• Manages outreach and support efforts for students with a variety of academic and personal development skills necessary to achieve student success;
• Assists and supports all success and retention efforts within the school/college, while implementing interventions such as creating academic intervention plans with at-risk students in coordination with their academic advisors and coordinating check-in meetings to ensure progress on stated goals, all to improve student retention;
• Collaborates with academic advisors and other university stakeholders to support student success;
• Provides appropriate, accurate, and timely academic advising, mental health, social, career, tutoring, and threat assessment referrals for students; and
• Follow-ups with at-risk/interventions for students identified in the Patriot Success Survey and other relevant student surveys to ensure students have access to food, housing, safety, and academic support.

Training and Technology

• Participates in university-wide foundational coaching training and ongoing professional development;
• Utilizes the chosen university platform for tracking and reporting student interactions and making referrals;
• Successfully participates in and completes the post-certification quality assurance program with an average of “meeting expectations” or above, designed to ensure all success coaches maintain their Inside Track methodology skills and framework when working with students and ensure all students are receiving consistent care and support in their meetings with a success coach; and
• Success Coach II: Provides shadowing and support for Success Coach I's.

Unit & Divisional Support and Engagement

• Supports divisional planning initiatives and other special projects as assigned, acting as a technical resource and SME as required;
• Actively participates in UL divisional meetings, initiatives, and in-person events to stay connected with divisional and institutional priorities, and to foster a cross-unit collaboration;
• Participates in professional development workshops and training sessions for staff across the division to promote continuous learning and skill enhancement;
• Stays informed about best practices, research, and emerging trends in higher education and student support services to ensure SSC remains innovative and responsive to the evolving needs of the student body; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Professional experience typically obtained within 1+ year in one or more of the following areas: academic advising, success coaching, orientation, disability services, veteran’s services, career services, student involvement, and student rights and responsibilities;
• Demonstrated working knowledge of student transitional issues;
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer service;
• Effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills;
• Ability to communicate with a variety of constituents and departmental stakeholders;
• Skill in situational conflict resolution;
• Ability to efficiently manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail;
• Ability to work with students, faculty, and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds; and
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours, particularly in the summer.

Required Qualifications for a Success Coach II level consideration:

• Success Coach II: Professional experience typically obtained within 2+ years in one or more of the following areas: academic advising, success coaching, orientation, disability services, veteran's services, career services, student involvement, and student rights and responsibilities; and
• Success Coach II: Success Coaching Certification.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Success Coach I: Success Coaching Certification;
• Prior experience in academic advising or working with student coaching programs;
• Experience using educational database management systems and customer relationship management systems (CRM); and
• Demonstrated experience in student leadership and/or program development.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Success Coach at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent, Resume, Success Coach I: Success coaching certification (optional) and Success Coach II: Success coaching certification (optional).

Posting Open Date: April 10, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  May 1, 2026

Open Until Filled:  Yes