Student Success Specialist (Gateway Specialist)

Stark State College is seeking a motivated, student-focused, and service-oriented Gateway Specialist (sometimes referred to as a Student Success Specialist or Student Services Specialist at other institutions) to serve as a primary resource for prospective, current, and returning students. The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering comprehensive one-stop student support by providing guidance in admissions, academic advising, financial aid, registration, and college policies. Through exceptional customer service, collaborative problem-solving, and a commitment to student success, this individual will help foster student persistence, achievement, and completion while ensuring a welcoming and supportive experience for every student.

Typical Hours/Days of Work: This position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. One evening shift is required each week, scheduled either Monday or Tuesday (most likely Tuesday). On the evening shift, hours are 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
Additional occasional evening or weekend hours based on operational and event support needs. These hours are generally communicated ahead of time.

Location: North Canton Campus.
Pay: $50,500 - $65,652 Annually, this is a 245 day, exempt contract role.

Who We Are:
The positive energy at Stark State College comes from exceptionally dedicated employees who work hard for students. Success for both our employees and our students is the result.

You'll be a Great Fit if:
If you thrive in a fast-paced setting, can confidently navigate admissions, advising, financial aid, registration, and student support services, and enjoy solving problems while building meaningful relationships with students and colleagues, you'll fit right in. Strong communication, organization, and a commitment to student success will help you excel in this role.

Typical Duties May Include:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for prospective, current, and returning students by providing comprehensive support in admissions, academic advising, registration, financial aid, and college policies.
• Deliver exceptional customer service through in-person, phone, email, and virtual interactions while resolving student questions and concerns in a timely and professional manner.
• Guide students through enrollment and financial aid processes, explaining eligibility requirements, application procedures, academic progress standards, and available resources.
• Collaborate with faculty and campus departments to resolve student issues, provide appropriate referrals, and promote student persistence and success.
• Maintain accurate student records by processing forms, documenting interactions, and updating information within the student information system.
• Stay current on federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures while contributing to continuous improvements in One-Stop Student Services.

To view the full job description, click here.

To be Considered You'll Need:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
Minimum of four (4) years of experience in higher education required. Previous prior academic advising and financial aid experience is preferred although not required.

Click Here to View Outstanding Benefits You Can Expect From Stark State College:
Full-time employees can expect excellent medical, dental & vision coverage; paid life and AD&D insurance; state pension/retirement (OPERS/STRS); paid time off, sick leave and paid holidays; paid Stark State tuition, tuition reimbursement and employee assistance program

The work you do at Stark State will matter to the thousands of students who walk through our doors, and eventually across the commencement stage, on their journey to a better tomorrow. Come join us and learn how your aspirations can be part of a better future for them – and you.

We love meeting stellar candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply.

In order to improve hiring efficiency, be more responsive, and help us find the best candidates, Stark State has implemented the use of a few recruiting tools, such as Humanly (formerly Qualifi) and Skill Survey. You may hear from us through one of these platforms during the recruitment process.

Humanly (formerly Qualifi) is a cloud-based phone interviewing platform. Think of this like traditional phone interviews, but faster – allowing us to be more responsive to you, the applicant.

Checking candidates’ references for multiple top candidates provides a valuable means of verifying skills and experience represented in resumes and interviews. SkillSurvey Reference®, a cloud-based, data-driven solution allows us to access relevant feedback from references provided by our candidates. The chosen references receive job-specific surveys on at least 26 critical behaviors and skills. These behavioral competencies have been scientifically studied and have been shown to correlate with work outcomes.

Stark State College utilizes E-Verify to ensure compliance with applicable employment eligibility laws. E-Verify is an electronic system used to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires. This process will be conducted in accordance with I-9 verification and will be done promptly upon hire for all incoming employees.

Please note: Candidates selected for employment must either reside in Ohio or be willing to relocate to Ohio.

Should you have any questions regarding your application or our recruiting and hiring process, please reach out to HR@starkstate.edu.