Success Coach

Title: Success Coach 

Location: Upper Iowa University Location (Des Moines, Waterloo, or Fayette, IA)

Required Documentation
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume. Submit your documents at the end of the application to be considered. If you need help, please reach out to employment@uiu.edu. 

Position Summary

Upper Iowa University is seeking a compassionate, goal-oriented Success Coach to proactively engage and re-enroll learners who have been out of school for one year or longer. Serving both undergraduate and graduate students, the Success Coach will reach out to former UIU students using a defined communication flow via phone, email, text, and mail. This role focuses on learning each student’s goals, understanding why they stopped attending, identifying and removing barriers, and coaching them through re-enrollment and degree completion in partnership with their Enrollment Coordinator.

Position Responsibilities
 

Student Outreach and Re-Engagement

• Outreach to passive candidates and re-engagement of inactive students.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of a structured, multi-modal communication flow (phone, email, text, and mail) to re-engage students who have been out of attendance for one year or longer.
• Build rapport quickly and professionally, creating a welcoming and supportive first point of contact for returning learners.
• Maintain consistent follow-up from first contact through re-enrollment and early-term persistence, ensuring a smooth handoff to the appropriate Enrollment Coordinator.
• Help develop and refine scripts, email/text templates, mail pieces, and coaching resources aligned with UIU’s tone and brand.
• Stay informed about best practices in adult learner retention, online education, and re-engagement strategies, and bring forward new ideas to enhance outcomes.

Coaching, Assessment, and Goal Setting

• Engage students in structured conversations to understand educational and career goals, reasons for stopping out, and current readiness and capacity to re-enroll.
• Help students clarify realistic short- and long-term academic goals and pathways to completion (online and/or at UIU locations).
• Develop individualized re-engagement and success plans that align with students’ life circumstances and degree requirements.

Barrier Identification and Problem-Solving

• Identify academic, financial, personal, technological, and logistical barriers preventing re-enrollment or persistence and collaborate with the appropriate UIU offices to remove or reduce barriers.
• Provide ongoing, strengths-based coaching to help students build confidence, self-advocacy, and effective time management strategies. 

Collaboration and Resource Coordination

• Partner with enrollment staff to support seamless re-entry for both undergraduate and graduate students.
• Connect students to appropriate resources (tutoring, counseling, accessibility services, military and veterans affairs, career services, financial aid, technology support, etc.).
• Assist with scheduling advising appointments and navigating university processes (readmission, registration, financial aid steps, etc.).

Data-Informed Practice and Reporting

• Document all interactions thoroughly and accurately in student information systems, including communication attempts, student responses, re-enrollment outcomes, and persistence of re-enrolled students.
• Utilize student information systems and reports to identify and prioritize students for outreach.
• Prepare regular summaries on outreach efforts, response rates, barriers identified, and re-enrollment/completion trends; recommend improvements in strategies and workflows based on data.

Qualifications 

• Associate Degree required. (Bachelor or Master degree preferred).
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in effective outreach, customer service, sales, or a related service-oriented role—preferably with non-traditional learners.
• Outgoing, engaging personality with ability to handle rejection and maintain persistence across multiple contact attempts/ Resilience in the face of non-response or rejection.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including confidence initiating conversation with strangers and comfort with high-volume outreach via phone, email, text, and mail.
• Demonstrated relationship management over time (not just one-time interactions) and understanding of the unique needs and challenges of online, working-adult, and non-traditional student populations.
• High-volume outbound and inbound call management 
• Willingness to travel within the United States. 
• Must possess a valid driver’s license. 

Preferred Skills 

• Experience in higher education, particularly in retention, re-engagement, recruitment, or academic advising roles.
• Training or experience in coaching frameworks, motivational interviewing, or strengths-based advising.

Benefits Package
Free & reduced UIU tuition packages for employees, dependents, and spouses, paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement, health, life, and other insurance are available.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.