Co-Op Manager

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

Job Description

Who We Are:

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (now known as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non-profit, technical college serving Eastern Massachusetts and beyond. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin that were given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to education and level the playing field for aspiring talent with meager financial means.

Today, Franklin Cummings Tech continues to build on that legacy by offering post-secondary education in high-demand technical and skilled trade fields that lead to excellent careers. Our majors intentionally focus on select industries connected to sustainability and the clean energy transition including electric vehicle technology, smart manufacturing, practical electricity, power engineering, heat pumps/HVAC, biotechnology, automation, construction management and more.

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement , we offer a unique mix of certificate and degree granting programs that appeal to enterprising students and respond to employer’s demand for a well-prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation.

Last year, Franklin Cummings Tech educated more than 1,000 learners across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education clients, and 3) high schoolers pursuing early college. As further evidence that our mission holds resonance, this year the college tracked a 25% year over year jump in fall new student enrollment and applications soared.

We seek team members who are optimistic, entrepreneurial, data-informed, and excited about the prospect of continuing to strategically increase student success outcomes and total enrollment from 1,000 learners today to at least 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission driven work!

Position Summary:

In early 2024, Franklin Cummings Tech launched a year-long, 1200+ hour co-op (co-operative education), where students are paid to learn on the job, providing a path to better careers and higher salaries. By 2026, all our associate degree programs will integrate the co-op model. Companies co-invest and pay co-op students well in return for a quality guarantee. In this way, the college becomes a trusted source of talent. At a time when so many question the value of higher education, the co-op provides clear value. It doesn’t have to be a choice between work or school. It can now be both.

The Co-op Manager provides on-the-job support to both student and supervisor, as well as supports the management of the co-op program. Specific responsibilities:

• Build close, trusting relationships with students and their managers, beginning with the Building Energy Management co-op that starts in December 2024.
• Check in bi-weekly with both student and employer and lead regular workplace visits.
• Intervene within a day if there is a challenge with a student or a manager.
• Co-lead supervisor trainings on how to support entry-level workers from low-income backgrounds.
• Create, deliver, and monitor a Performance Improvement Plan in situations where students need extra support.
• Make recommendations on the distribution of emergency funding to students.
• Help execute our relationship management system, including timely, accurate data entry.
• Process earned income contracts and ensure prompt payment by employers.
• Support the administration, teaching, and grading of the Co-op Seminar and ensure the student’s resumes are ready by Interview Day.
• Help lead matching and onboarding of students and companies, including background checks, drug tests, and checks on driver’s licenses.
• Help lead the administration of the apprenticeship paperwork, including paperwork to the state and the WIOA voucher process with students.
• Help lead events, specifically Interview Day on 2/10, Match Day in late March, and the Annual Meeting in June, including project management and proactive communication to students and employers on what to expect.
• Help lead our pilot to lower the cost of tools for automotive students in the co-op program.
• Beginning this May, apprentice with our Strategic Advisor for Corporate Development and other team members by shadowing meetings with top leaders at our employers, with the goal of managing company partnership renewals by fall 2025 (and a path to a significantly expanded role by January 2026).

Requirements:

This role is a hybrid role. Candidates must be able and willing to commute to campus three days a week.

• Proven skills in managing entry-level workers and managing new managers.
• Proven sales and relationship-building skills – able to build long-lasting financial partnerships built on trust.
• Proven listening skills – able to draw out and understand the pain points of students and supervisors.
• Integrity.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail-oriented.
• Results-driven and dependable.
• Passion for the college mission.
• Appreciation for working within diverse environments and teams.
• Willingness to balance office work and extensive local travel to companies.

Education, Experience, & Licensing Requirements:

• 5+ years of management experience.
• Associate's degree or higher required.
• Valid Driver’s License.

Application Process:

Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and the names, titles, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately.

Franklin Cummings Tech is committed to the health and safety of our community. We closely follow all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As of the expiration of the national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic on May 11, 2023, Franklin Cummings Tech strongly encourages, but does not require, all students, faculty, and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Requirements are subject to change based on guidelines set forth by local governments and other entities of authority based on an uptick in the number of cases.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Franklin Cummings Tech is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on any grounds protected under federal, state, or local law, including race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy, disability (including those related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected under federal, state or local law.