College Navigator at Virginia's Community College System

Working Title College Navigator Role Title Education Support Specialist III Role Code 21944-SW FLSA Nonexempt Pay Band 4 Position Number 27600113 Agency Southside Va Community College Division Southside Va Community College (Div) Work Location Brunswick - 025 Hiring Range Minimum $44,192, commensurate with experience and qualifications Emergency/Essential Personnel No EEO Category B-Professional Full Time or Part Time Full Time Does this position have telework options? -Telework options are subject to change based on business needs- Yes Does this position have a bilingual or multilingual skill requirement or preference? No Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, day hours; evenings and weekends as needed

Telework options are limited.

Sensitive Position No Job Description

Thank you for considering employment with Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC). We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce that enhances our status as a recognized Great College to Work For by the Chronicle of Higher Education for 12 years! With the goal of ensuring equal educational opportunity for all students, SVCC embraces diversity among our students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve as an integral part of our history, a recognition of the complexity of our present state, and a call to action for a better future.

SVCC is located in a rural setting of rolling hills, pine and hardwood forests, and farmland. There is easy access to nearby metropolitan Richmond, Virginia, the state’s capital, as well as Raleigh, North Carolina, and Lynchburg, Virginia. The area is famous for its two lakes, Gaston and Kerr, and a multitude of state and national parks which offer recreational opportunities such as fishing, boating, skiing, jet-skiing, hiking, horseback riding, picnics, and relaxation. The area also offers sports arenas for baseball, softball, soccer, and beautiful golf courses. There are cultural activities, including various theaters and arts councils offering concerts, plays, and live entertainment, and there are many local festivals held throughout the year.

Do you consider yourself a confident, self-starter with a passion for serving students?

SVCC is currently seeking a College Navigator to support the college’s strategic enrollment management goals and impact student success outcomes related to student onboarding, persistence, and retention.

The College Navigator is a vital role, serving as a resource and guide to prospective students and applicants. The Navigator provides high-quality service, allowing prospective students to successfully complete the college onboarding process. The Navigator will provide guidance and direction for prospective and new students and support them from their first inquiry, decreasing the length of time spent from being interested in college to registered for college.

This is accomplished by tracking prospective students and applicants through the enrollment process, answering questions, and providing information about Southside Virginia Community College’s programs and enrollment steps.

College Navigators are not expected to be content matter experts. Rather, they will have expertise in connecting with experts to allow for seamless student onboarding. Navigators will receive extensive training prior to meeting with students, a toolkit for on-the-job reference, and required ongoing professional development throughout the year. Telework options are limited.

Core responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Outreach and Guided Assistance – The Navigator will provide the following intrusive assistance and follow-up to potential students from the point of inquiry to enrollment:
• Discussing career and educational goals and available pathways with prospective students that best match their needs, including academic degree programs, transfer programs, and short-term workforce options
• Understanding obstacles that prevent them from starting or continuing their education, and helping them overcome those barriers
• Guiding prospective students through the admissions process, responding to questions, linking them to financial aid, scholarship opportunities, and academic advisors, and enrolling prospective students into their first courses
• Admissions – The Navigator will assist with:
• Reviewing and resolving any student stops/holds.
• Introducing students to the class requirements in their program
• Advising Preparation and Registration – The Navigator will assist with:
• Registering students for the first semester of academic and workforce courses
• Using technology and other resources to strengthen student connections to the college
• Engaging in assessment activities to measure the success of services and initiatives; use data to improve enrollment systems continuously
• Systemized Support – The Navigator will assist students with overcoming barriers that may impact college onboarding, access to support services, and class registration. This includes:
• Collaborating with college staff to facilitate a seamless, one-door experience for new students
• Collaboratively design and facilitate New Student Orientation Sessions

Special Assignments

May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.

KSA's/Required Qualifications

• Knowledge and understanding of academic and workforce programs
• Knowledge of barriers to educational success and a desire to help others reach their educational goals
• Understanding of and commitment to open-access community college philosophy
• Proficient working knowledge of internet applications and PC-based software (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, Google Docs, PeopleSoft, etc.) and typing ability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
• Excellent customer service skills, including the ability to effectively follow up and follow through
• Ability to cultivate and sustain collaborative and professional relationships with colleagues, students, and community stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to provide quality case management
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently as well as collaboratively as a part of a goal-oriented team
• Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated, diligent, and proactively contribute to the student experience
• Strong interpersonal skills to help engage, provide support to, and motivate students
• Experience working with racially, ethnically, economically, and age-diverse individuals
• Ensure the scope of work honors the college’s commitment to student success
• Desire and capacity to learn and grow as professional needs arise
• Valid driver’s license
  
  

Additional Considerations

• Work experience in higher education, counseling, academic advising, or academic coaching
• Knowledge of available financial aid and scholarship information
• Knowledge of PeopleSoft, Navigate, Salesforce CRM, or other educational technologies
  
  

Operation of a State Vehicle Yes Supervises Employees No Required Travel

Occasional travel to SVCC campuses, centers, meetings, and training/conferences with access to a state vehicle

Posting Number CLS_4173P Recruitment Type General Public - G Number of Vacancies 1 Position End Date (if temporary) Job Open Date 11/26/2025 Job Close Date 12/10/2025 Open Until Filled Yes Agency Website www.southside.edu/employment-opportunities Contact Name Jennifer Davis Email [email protected] Phone Number 434-949-1048 Special Instructions to Applicants

This is a full-time position with state and VCCS benefits. Applicants must apply online by submitting a state application through this site. Applicants must create a user account to apply online. Telework options are limited.

If you are a state employee who has been affected by Policy 1.3 Layoff and possess a valid Inter-agency Placement Screening Form (Yellow Card) or a Preferential Hiring Form (Blue Card), you must submit the Card BEFORE the closing date for this position. The Card may be scanned and attached to the application or faxed to (434) 949-0708. Please include your name, the position number, and the position title on the fax cover sheet. This website will provide a confirmation of receipt when the application is submitted for consideration. Please refer to your VCCS applicant portal account for the status of your application and the status of this recruitment. For more information about this position or other vacancies within our agency, please visit our website at www.southside.edu/employment or contact Jennifer Davis at 434.949.1048.

Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, political affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or other non-merit factors. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Shannon Feinman, Vice President of Finance and Administration, 109 Campus Drive, Alberta, VA 23821, 434-949-1005.

SVCC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA and ADAAA), to provide reasonable accommodations to applicants in need of access to the application, interviewing, and selection processes when requested.

We are a “Virginia Values Veterans” (V3) stage agency that provides hiring preference to Veterans and members of the Virginia National Guard in support of Executive Order 29, (2010). If you are a Veteran or a Virginia National Guard Member, we urge you to respond accordingly on your state application.

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth’s Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly called a Certificate of Disability) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans may also apply via the AHP if they also provide an AHP Letter. To request an AHP Letter, use this link: https://www.dars.virginia.gov/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx or call DARS at 800-552-5019, or DBVI at 800-622-2155.

Additional Information Background Check Statement Disclaimer

The selected candidate’s offer is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background investigation, which may include: fingerprint checks, local agency checks, employment verification, verification of education, credit checks (relevant to employment). Additionally, selected candidates may be required to complete the Commonwealth’s Statement of Economic Interest. For more information, please follow this link: http://ethics.dls.virginia.gov/

EEO Statement

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, political affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or other non-merit factors.

ADA Statement

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA and ADAAA), to provide, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of access to the application, interviewing, and selection processes when requested.

E-Verify Statement

VCCS uses E-Verify to check employee eligibility to work in the United States. You will be required to complete an I-9 form and provide documentation of your identity for employment purposes.

Quicklink for Posting https://jobs.vccs.edu/postings/90944