Salary Range: $58,000 to $64,000, Annually
The Program Advisor plays a critical role in preparing university students participating in The Washington Center’s (TWC) academic programs, including the Academic Internship Program and other short-term initiatives. This position supports a diverse caseload of adult learners by providing individualized career coaching and tailored career-readiness services to equip them with essential and practical skills to obtain and thrive in an internship. Through strategic engagement, the Program Advisor will help learners develop industry-relevant skills, guiding them from initial program enrollment through internship placement.
In collaboration with each participant, the Program Advisor will identify industry-specific career interests and internship goals, revise application materials, and advise on interview preparation to ensure students are ready for the professional world. Program Advisors are also expected to meet defined placement goals and weekly performance metrics related to student engagement, coaching activity, and internship outcomes. An effective Program Advisor will cultivate an empathetic, mentoring attitude and offer valuable insights on hiring trends, industry expectations, and career success. Ideal candidates will possess strong communication and organizational skills with a solutions-oriented mindset.
This role also involves pre-arrival program planning, outreach, and administrative responsibilities to facilitate learners’ progress through key program benchmarks, ensuring successful matriculation into TWC’s programs. The Program Advisor will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to maintain TWC’s values of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion by actively working to remove barriers, promote equity, and enhance participants’ experiences and workforce readiness.
The Washington Center is a remote/hybrid organization with many employees working on average one day per week in TWC’s Residential and Academic Facility, conveniently located near Union Station and public transportation in the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, DC. Given our organizational mission focus on skills, workforce development and collaboration, there are times where cross-collaboration among teams and departments will require more than one day per week in the office. Further, some programs at TWC do require program staff to work nights and/or weekends. The individual in this role is expected to reside in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Essential Functions
Participant Portfolio Management
- Serve as the main point of contact, providing career coaching and internship search guidance throughout the pre-arrival process.
- Develop and implement a communication plan for each participant, conducting mandatory advising appointments, check-ins and regular outreach.
- Leverage learning management and career coaching systems to assess participants' engagement with career-preparation materials.
- Collaboratively review and enhance internship application materials with participants, including resumes, cover letters and other supporting documents.
- Offer industry specific guidance on interviewing, adjusting to D.C. living and entering the professional sphere, supporting participants until their internship placement and program arrival.
Internship Placement
- Partner closely with the rest of the Employer Relations team to track participant internship applications, referrals, interviews and placements.
- Maintain prompt communication with participants regarding updates on their internship applications.
- Develop mentorship relationships to support and encourage participants throughout the application and internship process.
- Coordinate with the Executive Director, Employer Relations, to review timelines, participant communications and pre-program processes, fostering improvements where needed.
- Manage weekly engagement activities, including career development session facilitation, student outreach, speaker coordination and resource distribution.
- Provide direct support to a portfolio that includes both domestic and international students, aligning with F-1 and J-1 visa requirements and collaborating with internal teams to ensure compliance.
Data Management
- Track and manage participant data in Salesforce and other systems, ensuring accuracy in application materials, internship preferences and program milestones.
- Maintain up-to-date records on participant progress and coaching notes, focusing on data integrity and timely completion of key benchmarks.
Enrollment and Admissions
- Report participant updates to the Recruitment and Admissions team through Salesforce.
- Review and make decisions on domestic and J-1 student applications in alignment with the admissions timeline.
Required Education and Experience
An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered:
- Master’s degree required, with a preference for backgrounds in student affairs, career services or related fields
- 2-3 years of direct career coaching, academic advising, social services or program management experience
- 1+ years of experience with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce)
- Strong familiarity with industries such as Government and Public Policy, Law & Public Safety, Business, Health Policy & Management, Communications & Media and Digital & Emerging Technology
Preferred Education/Qualifications and Experience
- 2-3 years of experience working with adult learners from diverse backgrounds, including socioeconomically diverse and neurodiverse populations
- Experience working with international students and knowledge of F-1/J-1 visa requirements
- Proficiency in online platforms (e.g., Canvas, Hiration, Symplicity, Salesforce, etc.) and comfort with public speaking for group coaching sessions
- Familiarity with the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
Competencies Required to Perform the Job Successfully
- Leads/develops/empowers people, develops relationships, inspires trust
- Effectively executes organizational priorities
- Analytical thinking/problem solving
- Change management
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of career services and advising techniques; familiarity with internship matching and placement services
- Flexibility to thrive in a dynamic, performance-driven environment
- Cultural awareness and the ability to advise and engage a diverse participant population through remote methods
- Demonstrated maturity, sound judgment and professionalism in handling sensitive situations and student concerns
- Responsiveness and follow-through in student and interdepartmental communications
- Excellent time management and organizational abilities, with a proven capacity to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
- Proactive in taking initiative and identifying solutions independently while contributing to team goals
Supervisory Responsibility
This position has supervisory responsibilities.
The Washington Center’s Values
Values which guide our mission work in every regard–internally and externally:
- Equity & Inclusion
- Learning
- Connection & Collaboration
- Integrity
- Impact
Equipment Used to Perform the Job
May be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position:
- Cloud-based technologies
- Standard office equipment including a computer, and job-related software
Physical Abilities
Commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform described essential functions of this job. These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
- Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision to work on a computer.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use repetitive wrist, hand, and/or finger movement, reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.
Application Instructions
To apply to this position, please do so via our online application form.
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This job description no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws.
Certain job functions described herein may be subjected to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.
The Washington Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of The Washington Center to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Provisions in applicable laws providing for bona fide occupational qualifications, business necessity or age limitations will be adhered to by the organization where appropriate.
The Washington Center stands in solidarity with all marginalized communities. We believe communities are strengthened by the inclusion of and equity for all people. Racism, hate, and violence have no place in our society, and we condemn all such acts. We are committed to becoming an anti-racist and anti-hate organization.
We commit to continuously striving for diversity, equity and inclusion through ongoing education and self-awareness. At The Washington Center, each person brings unique and varied experiences which inform our thoughts, actions, and decision-making processes. Our mission is to create an inclusive, safe environment for our staff and our students, where everyone’s differences are celebrated, every perspective is valued, and everyone feels safe to bring forth their authentic selves.