Staff Assistant, Success Navigator (grant-funded, multiple positions)

About Worcester State University:

WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY is a liberal arts and sciences university with a long tradition of academic excellence dating back to 1874, as well as an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to reflect the diversity of its community. Our workforce is dedicated to academic quality, student-centered programming, engaged citizenship, open exchanges of ideas, diversity and inclusiveness, and civility and integrity. We are looking for job applicants who share these values and commitment to our students.

Worcester State is centrally located in Massachusetts, about an hour's drive from Boston, Springfield, and Providence, Rhode Island. Our 58-acre campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester--the second largest city in New England and home to 37,000 college students at more than a dozen colleges and universities. Over 6,000 of those students attend Worcester State--approximately 5,300 are undergraduates and 1,000 are graduate students. Learn more about us at worcester.edu/about.

Job Description:

OFFICIAL TITLE: Staff Assistant, Success Navigator (multiple positions)
SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Interim Associate Director of Student Success and Retention and Interim Assistant Dean of Academic Services, Retention, and Success
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: N/A

General Statement of Duties: The Success Navigator provides proactive, holistic case management to support student persistence, retention, and completion. Each Navigator maintains a caseload of up to 150 students and meets with them monthly to address academic, financial, personal, and social barriers. In addition to general case management responsibilities, each Navigator will focus on one of four functional areas: Financial, Social Services, Engagement, or CARE, allowing the SU SUCCESS team to provide comprehensive, specialized support across the student body.

Responsibilities:
(E) = Essential

Key Responsibilities:

• (E) Maintain a caseload of no more than 150 new and/or returning students, providing proactive monthly check-ins.
• (E) Conduct holistic intake assessments and create individualized persistence plans.
• (E) Monitor academic progress, credit accumulation, and GPA to ensure timely degree progression.
• (E) Respond to Early Support flags and coordinate interventions.
• (E) Connect students with academic supports such as tutoring, advising, and faculty office hours.
• (E) Refer students to SU SUCCESS supports, including micro-grants, transportation assistance, and emergency aid.
• (E) Document meetings, referrals, and interventions in the Early Support system.
• (E) Collaborate with faculty, staff, and campus partners to reduce barriers to persistence.
• (E) Contribute to institutional reporting on persistence, retention, and completion outcomes.
• (E) Track student interactions across campus for reporting purposes.
• (E) Support the university's strategic plan.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Content Expertise Areas (one per Success Navigator):

1. Financial Success Navigator
   • Provide coaching on budgeting, financial literacy, and money management.
   • Guide students through financial aid renewal, FAFSA completion, and scholarship searches.
   • Support resolution of financial barriers in collaboration with Financial Aid and Student Accounts.
   • Assist students with navigating employment processes for Federal Work Study (FWS) and campus employment positions on and off-campus.
   • Track persistence outcomes related to financial stability.
2. Social Services Success Navigator
   • Assist students with applications, renewals, and troubleshooting for public benefits (SNAP, MassHealth, childcare, housing, utilities, transportation).
   • Train faculty and staff to identify and refer students experiencing basic-needs insecurity.
   • Develop and maintain a referral network of community partners and local service agencies.
   • Track persistence outcomes for students facing basic needs challenges.
3. Engagement Success Navigator
   • Connect students with clubs, organizations, leadership programs, and co-curricular opportunities.
   • Promote strategies for belonging and community integration.
   • Partner with Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Enrollment Management to support equity in engagement.
   • Track persistence outcomes linked to student involvement and sense of belonging.
4. CARE Success Navigator
   • Provide case management for students referred to the Collaboration, Assessment, Response, and Education (CARE) Team.
   • Assess student concerns related to academic, behavioral, or personal crises.
   • Provide immediate outreach and connect students to counseling, advising, and wellness resources.
   • Maintain accurate CARE documentation and follow up on student-of-concern cases.

Requirements:

Required Qualifications:

• Experience working with at-risk, first-generation, or Pell-eligible students; or experience working in student success, advising, or case management roles.
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills (phone, text, email, and in-person).
• Ability to provide holistic support across academic, financial, and social domains.

Additional Information:

This is a full-time, grant-funded, benefited, exempt, professional APA position. The firm annual salary for this position is $65,000. Funding for this position is currently available until September 2027. The anticipated start date for this position is August 1, 2026.

Here at Worcester State University, it is strongly recommended that all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin employment.

Worcester State University offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• a choice of 8 different pre-taxed, health insurance plan options
• a choice of pension or 401(a), and supplemental plan retirement options
• life insurance up to 8x the annual salary
• long-term disability coverage
• dental insurance
• 20 vacation days accrued per year
• 15 sick days accrued per year
• 5 personal days per year
• paid holidays
• tuition remission for self, spouse, and dependent children
• and more...

We are an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. M/F/D/V. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions:

Applicants must apply online and may do so by visiting www.worcester.edu/careers, and submitting a cover letter, resume, and the contact information of three professional references.

For assistance with uploading materials, log a ticket via the HelpDesk link, or contact us directly at 508-929-8053.

URL: www.worcester.edu