Innovation Associate Jobs in Boston, MA (NOW HIRING)

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Senior Director of New Programs, the Associate Director of Enrollment will play a critical role in assembling a dynamic, diverse cohort of founding students for the inaugural year of the South Street College for the Common Good. College for Social Innovation (CFSI) is launching this new college in a partnership with Lasell University, and hopes to enroll a founding cohort in the fall of 2027, offering Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Social Impact.

The Associate Director of Enrollment’s primary responsibility will be to recruit and enroll students to participate in South Street College, engaging in the cultivation and management of a student nominator network to drive student applications, as well as in traditional admissions and enrollment activities like college fairs, school visits, and marketing campaigns. The Associate Director will also be responsible for coordinating the student admissions and enrollment process after application in close collaboration with our accrediting partner, Lasell University. This role requires strategic leadership as well as frequent travel to high schools and other recruitment events to facilitate in-person recruitment strategies.

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced professional who has demonstrated skill in student recruitment, citizen/voter mobilization, or a related field and who is interested in joining an exciting new initiative at an entrepreneurial organization working to solve challenges in higher education and the social sector and increase access to high-impact internships.

This position is a hybrid role that requires work in-person 2-3 days a week in the office located at 89 South Street in Boston.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Student Recruitment Strategy & Execution, 50%

• Implement strategic recruitment initiatives, including direct recruitment and leveraging social media, email, our website, and other communications campaigns to meet student application and enrollment goals
• Collaborate with and activate a network of student nominators to source talented and qualified students and future agents of change to attend South Street College.
• Cultivate deep relationships with high schools, community-based organizations, and other recruitment partners to increase awareness of CFSI and its programs
• Respond to inquiries from prospective students and families, providing excellent customer service and accurate information that drives application conversion 
• Organize and implement recruitment events (information sessions, panels, classroom presentations, prospect meetings, and more) and represent CFSI at events such as career fairs, clubs, and department meetings
• Coordinate personal travel to and within designated recruitment locations (utilizing public transportation and Zipcar as needed)
• Support “anti-melt” efforts to improve retention/yield across the enrollment process

Admissions and Enrollment Administration, 30%

• Review and evaluate applications to make admission decisions in close collaboration with our accrediting partner and using CFSI student admissions policies and standards
• Manage the movement of each student through the admissions process, including conducting interviews, sending reference communications, and creating and sending admissions packages
• Maintain accurate and organized records of student applications and admissions data that support data-driven decision-making and informed recruitment strategies
• Coordinate with our accrediting partner to successfully enroll admitted students, tracking and supporting completion of required forms and application components

Leadership Team for South Street College, 20%

• Strategic leader in building the brand proposition and program offering for a brand new experience-based college
• Work with the Senior Director of New Programs and the organizational CEO to promote the college as a leader in higher education
• Lead and contribute to other college-related initiatives as needed

QUALIFICATIONS & MINDSET

• You have 5+ years of professional experience, ideally in recruitment, organizing, admissions, or sales.
• A plus if you hold a Master’s degree in Education, Higher Education, or another relevant field
• You thrive in public-facing and goal-driven work environments and have a proven ability to pivot and persist to meet ambitious goals.
• You are organized and can initiate and manage projects to completion.
• You have exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with an engaging communication and presentation style.
• You have a proven track record of developing, maintaining, and strengthening partnerships with others inside and outside the organization.
• You have demonstrated the ability to be flexible and work effectively in a fast-paced and complex environment.
• You bring a deep commitment to diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity; and experience in working with culturally diverse teammates with an awareness and sensitivity to closing the educational gap.
• You help uphold CFSI’s core values: community, collaboration, innovation, well-being, equity, growth mindset, and transparency.
• You must have a valid driver’s license;
  Travel to high schools throughout New England will be required; Access to a Zipcar account will be provided if you prefer to using your own car.
• A plus if you have experience with Salesforce or a similar CRM software

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary commensurate with experience; likely $70,000 - $85,000
• Medical benefits with 80% covered by CFSI and 20% covered by the employee; BCBS Dental plan 50% covered by CFSI; Vision Plan; Flexible Savings Account;
• Commuting Reimbursements (up to $45/month);
• Telecommunications reimbursement (up to $100/month);
• 21 vacation/personal days plus 14 organizational holiday days per year; office closure the week between Christmas and New Year; office closure on 5 summer Fridays;
• Access to regular and ongoing feedback and professional development opportunities internally and the ability to leverage organizational resources to seek additional development opportunities externally.

About College for Social Innovation

College for Social Innovation (CFSI) brings together colleges and social sector organizations to create fully-credited experiential learning opportunities that are meaningful, accessible, and life-changing. Our college students, referred to as Social Innovation Fellows, build skills, and a professional network that helps to position them to become the next generation of problem solvers for humanity’s tough challenges. Students are placed in a semester-long internship (400 hours) and also take skill-building and reflection classes twice a week as part of a diverse “Semester in the City” cohort.

College for Social Innovation recently completed its 20th semester of its Semester in the City program and its 6th semester of its Semester for Impact program, having grown from a pilot cohort of 14 students in Fall 2016 to 110 students enrolled in 2025-2026. Overall we have enrolled almost 1,000 students from 20 colleges and achieved strong initial results. We are now adding additional college partners and are looking to further build an innovative and unique educational experience that can add value for students and their home colleges while building a bigger, better, and more diverse talent pipeline for the social sector.

In the next two years we plan to launch a new microcollege, South Street College for the Common Good, offering an Associate's Degree and a Bachelor’s Degree option and with initial accreditation provided through a partnership with Lasell University. At the same time, we are looking to maintain and modestly grow the Semester in the City and Semester for Impact programs and help lead an experiential education revolution in higher education. Ultimately, we aim to build a movement to make it common for millions of college students -- representing the full diversity of the nation -- to gain access to careers in the fast-growing social sector.