Director, TRIO Student Support Services

Job Open: 
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Salary Low: 
68278
Job Closed: 
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Salary High: 
71692

Job Term:

Who We Are

With three campuses along Colorado's Front Range, FRCC is the state's largest community college. We enroll close to 28,000 students annually from our diverse service area, which offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities.

Each year approximately 5,000 FRCC students transfer to four-year universities and FRCC offers more than 36 career training programs that prepare students for immediate employment and rewarding careers. Last year, more than 5,000 high school students took concurrent enrollment classes with us, earning college credit without having to pay college tuition. And we were recently ranked as one of the "Top Online Colleges" in the country by Newsweek.

One of FRCC's main goals is to offer educational excellence for everyone. The college's strong commitment to student success means we start by creating an inclusive and equitable environment-one where both students and employees feel they belong and are supported. FRCC's focus on diversity, equity and inclusion is woven into the fabric of our college conversations and decision-making processes. We are actively seeking to hire a workforce that reflects the diversity of our student body.

The college is also an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution. For us, becoming an HSI is an intentional commitment to being a college where our Latinx (and other historically marginalized) students thrive.

FRCC employees and leaders work hard to create a culture of collaboration, innovation and pride. We're looking to hire people who share these values-along with our commitment to student success, equity and excellence.

About TRIO Student Support Services

TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded program designed to help first-generation students, students from limited-income backgrounds, and students with disabilities succeed in college and transfer to four-year universities. At FRCC's Westminster Campus, the program serves 140 students through academic support, mentoring, and community building.

Who You Are

As the Director of TRIO SSS, you will manage the Westminster Campus program in compliance with federal guidelines. You will guide the program vision, supervise staff, manage the budget, support students directly, and strengthen connections across the college and with external partners.

This position has the opportunity to work remotely occasionally but does require a strong on-campus presence and will need to travel to all three FRCC campuses.

Please note: You need to be a Colorado resident on your first day of employment. Also, Front Range Community College is an E-Verify employer.

SALARY: $68,278-$71,692 annually

The salary range reflects the minimum and maximum starting salary for the position. When determining the starting salary for a new employee, FRCC takes into consideration a combination of the selected candidate's education, training and experience as it relates to the requirements of the position, as well as the position's scope and complexity, internal pay equity and external market value.

BENEFITS: For information about benefits, please view APT & Faculty Benefits.

SELECTION PROCESS: Position will remain open until filled with a priority deadline of September 16, 2025. This posting may be used to fill multiple or similar positions.

The selection process for the Director of TRIO Student Support Services will be conducted through a competitive, merit-based evaluation of all qualified applicants. Preliminary screening will be based on the completed application package submitted by the candidate. In your application, please include a resume and cover letter that specifically address how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

Primary Duties

Direct, plan, implement, and evaluate all Student Support Services grant program activities

Set program goals and guide staff efforts to achieve them.
Oversee delivery of advising, mentoring, and student development services.
Foster a supportive climate that encourages retention and success.
Prepare reports, including annual performance reports, and assist with grant renewal proposals.
Ensure compliance with federal regulations and FRCC policies.
Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and evaluate SSS program staff:

Lead, mentor, and evaluate a team including counselors, administrative support, and peer mentors.
Hire, train, and support staff professional development and growth.
Maintain a caseload of students, providing advising, coaching, and academic planning.
Provide financial literacy, career planning activities, degree mapping and life skill development coaching to program participants.
Manage budget operations:

Develop, implement, monitor, and revise budget.
Ensure all grant expenditures meet federal and institutional requirements.
Make purchasing and resource allocation decisions within guidelines.
Manage program reporting and evaluation:

Complete annual performance reports and maintain accurate records.
Use data systems to track eligibility, participation, and academic progress.
Regularly assess program outcomes and adjust services for improvement.
College leadership, program representation and program outreach:

Represent TRIO SSS in campus committees and initiatives including the Enrollment Management & Student Success department.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, and administrators to expand opportunities for students.
Share program goals and advocate for students across the college community.
Local, regional, and national engagement:

Build connections with community organizations and transfer institutions.
Participate in state, regional, and national TRIO-related training and conferences.
Required Competencies

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Demonstrates behaviors that convey the importance of diverse lived-experiences and using an equity lens to guide decisions. Embraces diversity, promotes equity and creates an environment of inclusion.

Building a Diverse Team: Seeks to understand the individual strengths on team and uses those talents to make the most impact for students. Hires individuals from diverse backgrounds that support values and appreciation for individual differences.

Commitment to Values: Demonstrates leadership and collaborative behaviors and actions that support FRCC values. Promotes an environment where equity creates opportunities for all students to achieve their educational goals.

Student Success Focus: Makes decisions that support a student-first culture.

Operational Planning: Ability to turn the strategic plan into an operational roadmap that guides the division. Support teams in tying their goals to the college's strategic plan and charge them to do the same with the employees they supervise.

Change Catalyst: Ability to be nimble and willing to pivot if new data becomes available that can influence outcomes; understands that change is constant and requires flexibility.

Communication: Communicates effectively with individuals with different backgrounds; ability to communicate in a way that is effective. Chooses words carefully in communications.

Motivation: Ability to inspire oneself and others to reach goals and/or perform to the best of their ability.

Collaboration: Willingness to work with colleagues across departments, specifically when job processes are integrated to strategically focus on ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness for students.

Data Analysis: Prioritizes data analysis in the department and communicates the importance of having concrete information on outcomes to base decisions.

Relationship Building: Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to establish positive and respectful working relationships with students, staff, and faculty.

Coaching & Mentoring: Coaches and/or mentors direct reports and emerging leaders within the college. Willingness to offer professional development opportunities for staff on topics that contribute to their success.

Evaluation for Improvement: Uses ongoing evaluation as a process and program improvement tool. Works with the team to ensure everyone is aware of how the evaluation process works and why it is important.

Problem Solving: Demonstrates the ability to examine problems and identify the root causes(s). Develops and implements processes to address problems so the process works as intended.

Compliance Framework: Knowledgeable about the rules, regulations, and policies that the college must comply with, most specifically in relation to the department. Ensures that teams also understand the compliance framework. Routinely assesses the department's operations to ensure compliance is being maintained.
Qualifications

Required Education/Training & Work Experience:

Master's Degree from a regionally accredited institution.
Three years' experience in academic advising, counseling, or case management of disadvantaged populations with focus on retention and success in higher education.
Demonstrated organizational, leadership and supervision skills.
Demonstrated ability to work in teams, work with faculty, administrators, and peers
Commitment to diversity and experience in outreach to the community and students from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred Education/Training & Work Experience:

Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish.
Welcoming. Respectful. Inclusive. Together, we are FRCC.

For information on Front Range Community College's Security, including Clery Act/Crime Statistics for the campuses and surrounding area, view FRCC's Annual Security Report (Download PDF reader).

Front Range Community College is committed to equal opportunity and diversity, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Contact Name: 
Janice Ilacqua
Contact Email: 
Janice.Ilacqua@frontrange.edu
Contact Phone: 
303-678-3804