CUNY College & Career Advising Fellows

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY).

The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries.

We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

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MISSION

CUNY’s Office of K-16 Initiatives creates innovative pathways for young New Yorkers to envision and achieve success by engaging strategic partners in confronting systemic educational inequities. CUNY College & Career Advising Fellows (CUNY CCAF) provides high-quality college and career advising support to students at participating schools, ensuring they have personalized advising through their junior and senior years to develop and pursue a strong match postsecondary plan.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

CUNY College & Career Advising Fellows is looking for recent college graduates - primarily from CUNY - with near-peer mentoring experience who are community-minded, equity-driven, and committed to supporting students through the postsecondary planning process, including applying to college, career programs, completing career exploration activities, and financial aid applications. This fellowship is a 1-year full-time, salaried position, beginning August 10, 2026, with the opportunity to renew for a 2nd year, pending funding and satisfactory performance.

Fellows will work directly at a high school to support college and career planning and enrollment efforts for juniors and seniors. Fellows will work closely with school staff to support overall post-secondary planning goals and determine how best to support the students. The Fellows schedule will match that of the school, with some after-school hours to connect with students (approximately 8 am - 4 pm).

All Fellows will collaborate closely with CUNY College & Career Advising Fellow staff and receive ongoing supervision from the central team as well as from high school supervisors. They will have the following responsibilities:

Advising students:

• Work closely with school staff to advise students through college and career planning 

• Support the postsecondary planning process at a school, including creating and delivering classroom presentations and hosting workshops for students and families on themes like financial aid, career interests, and building a strong match college list

• Work 1-1 with students to prepare for and complete college, financial aid, program, and other related applications

• Coordinate campus visits and other college/career exploration events

Communication:

• Establish productive working relationships with principals, counselors, teachers, parent coordinators, and other staff in the assigned partner school

• Provide professional, student-centered communication with students, families, and school partners

• Utilize virtual tools (texting, social media, virtual meetings) to engage and support student progress towards post-secondary goals

Data Entry & Management:

• Provide timely data entry and maintain an accurate roster in the CCAF Grouptrail Enroll database describing student participation and outcomes. Remain organized with data management for tracking monthly progress towards program goals

• Generate reports as requested by supervisors and school partners. Engage with other Advisors to share helpful tools and best practices for data entry

Team Engagement:

• Participate in regular CUNY CCAF meetings and all trainings

• Engage with colleagues by sharing helpful tools and best practices, and problem-solving collective challenges to ensure high-quality advising

Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Graduated from college with a Bachelor’s Degree between 2024 and June 2026 with a college GPA of at least 3.0

• Commitment to team values of equity and inclusivity, teamwork, community, growth, excellence, partnership, and having fu,n and willingness to engage in an ongoing professional learning community    

• Previous experience as a near-peer mentor supporting first-generation college students from underserved backgrounds to access college and career pathways (for example, as a Bridge Coach or Peer Mentor)

• Eligible to work in the US

Preferred Qualifications:

• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, including the capacity to lead workshops and engage with students across multiple modalities

• Exceptional interpersonal skills; experience working collaboratively and cooperatively

• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, data-driven, collaborative environment

Finalists for the position will be invited to an in-person 2-hour group interview, to be held on Thursday April 16 or Monday April 20 in midtown Manhattan.

COMPENSATION: $56,135 annually with benefits including medical, dental, sick leave and paid time off. Significant training, mentoring, and professional development is provided to support building the skills necessary to be successful.

HOW TO APPLY: 

Please apply and upload a cover letter and a resume through the RFCUNY (OneRF) portal. Applications are due March 30th.

Want to learn more? Please fill out this Interest Form to let us know you’re interested.  You can also sign up to attend a virtual information session on March 10 or March 18. If you have further questions about the position or the process, please email [email protected].

Pay Range:

Minimum: $56,135

Maximum: $56,135

RFCUNY Benefits
RFCUNY Employee Benefits and Accruals

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.