Educational Talent Search Program Director (SSM I) #2692
People & HR, Operations
Charleston County, SC, USA
Posted on Jul 5, 2026
Job Responsibilities
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The Division of Student Engagement and Success is seeking an Educational Talent Search (ETS) Director to provide leadership and oversight for a federally funded TRIO program that identifies, motivates, and prepares eligible middle and high school students for success in postsecondary education. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Engagement and Success, this position is responsible for the administration, planning, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of all aspects of the Educational Talent Search Program while ensuring compliance with federal regulations, grant requirements, and institutional policies.
Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Providing strategic leadership and management of the Educational Talent Search Program, including program planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
- Ensuring compliance with federal TRIO regulations, grant assurances, reporting requirements, and institutional policies.
- Supervising, mentoring, training, and evaluating program staff while fostering a collaborative and student-centered work environment.
- Managing program budgets, monitoring expenditures, and overseeing grant-funded resources to ensure achievement of program goals and objectives.
- Developing and implementing participant recruitment, retention, and college readiness initiatives designed to support student success and postsecondary enrollment.
- Delivering college and career readiness services through workshops, group sessions, individual advising, college visits, and other educational enrichment activities.
- Assisting participants with academic planning, college admissions processes, financial aid and scholarship applications, career exploration, and postsecondary transition planning.
- Building and maintaining collaborative partnerships with K–12 schools, colleges, universities, community agencies, businesses, and other stakeholders to support program initiatives and participant success.
- Monitoring progress toward annual performance objectives and utilizing data to assess program effectiveness, improve outcomes, and ensure compliance with grant requirements.
- Maintaining accurate records; collecting, analyzing, and reporting program data; and preparing required federal, institutional, and grant reports.
- Serving as a liaison between the Educational Talent Search Program, partner schools, community agencies, institutions of higher education, and the college.
- Collaborating with other TRIO program directors and Student Engagement and Success leadership to advance student success initiatives.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
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Minimum State Qualification:
This position requires a bachelor's degree and experience in student services programs.
Preferred Program Requirements:
In addition to meeting the state's minimum qualifications, applicants must also meet the requirements.- Master's degree in counseling, education, educational administration, or a closely related field and related work experience
- Experience working with first-generation, low-income, or underserved youth.
- Experience working with federally funded TRIO or other grant-funded college access and student support programs.
- Experience working with K–12 students, particularly first-generation college-bound or underserved populations.
Preferred Qualifications
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The ideal candidate will have the following skills and abilities:
- Knowledge of TRIO programs, college access initiatives, student development practices, and postsecondary success strategies.
- Experience with program administration, strategic planning, budget development, fiscal management, and grant compliance.
- Ability to supervise, mentor, coach, and develop professional staff.
- Strong leadership, organizational, project management, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent customer service, written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with students, families, school personnel, community partners, college stakeholders, and funding agencies.
- Experience collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data to support program effectiveness, continuous improvement, and compliance objectives.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, database management systems, and technology used to support student services programs.
- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.