Job Description
Job Description
Position Overview:
The Academic Progress Coach provides high-impact academic support to undergraduate students to strengthen their readiness, persistence, and overall success at Merrimack College. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Student Success and Director of Academic Progress, this position plays a pivotal role in coordinating and delivering proactive interventions for students on academic warning, students who request academic support, as well as students in hallmark undergraduate programs who would benefit from enhanced academic development.
Responsibilities:
Academic Coaching, & Case Management
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Serve as academic coach and case manager for a significant caseload of students on academic warning, tracking academic progress, providing regular feedback, and coordinating with faculty and advising teams.
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Implement support programming for students on academic warning, including teaching the Phoenix course, a structured, credit-bearing course designed to improve academic skills, confidence, and motivation.
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Elevate high-level student situations to the Director, as appropriate.
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Collaborate with other Academic Progress Coaches and graduate fellows to promote effective, coordinated student support across programs.
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Responsible for providing real-time reporting and tracking of Academic Progress program students.
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Monitor progress for students transitioning off academic warning or at risk of falling below satisfactory standing; ensure consistent documentation and follow-up.
General Academic Student Support
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Support a moderate caseload of students with general academic coaching, meeting periodically to provide individualized coaching that addresses academic performance, motivation, and learning strategies.
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Provide academic skill-building coaching experience that fosters resilience, effective learning habits, and self-regulated study behaviors.
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Guide students in clarifying academic goals, exploring majors/minors, and connecting with co-curricular opportunities such as internships, research, and study abroad.
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Monitor progress for students receiving general academic coaching; ensuring consistent documentation and follow-up.
Workshops, Programs, and Initiatives
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Design and deliver targeted workshops and academic success programs that address key student needs, with a focus on hallmark undergraduate programs and high-enrollment or high-challenge courses.
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Develop new strategies and resources that help students build academic readiness, persistence, and confidence across all stages of their college journey.
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Publicize and assess programming to maximize student engagement and participation.
Other Duties as Assigned
Qualifications:
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Master’s degree in education, higher education administration, counseling, or a related field.
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Five or more years of progressive experience in academic advising, student success, or learning support, with a record of improving student performance, persistence, and retention.
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Demonstrated expertise in supporting academically at-risk students, including those on warning or probation, through structured, results-driven coaching and intervention strategies.
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Proven ability to design, implement, and evaluate academic success programs and workshops that strengthen learning skills, motivation, and academic readiness.
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Exceptional communication, organizational, and leadership skills, with the professionalism to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and academic administrators.
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Proficiency in student success and case management systems, and the ability to leverage technology and data to enhance support and efficiency.
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A strategic and innovative mindset, capable of developing new approaches, adapting to changing student needs, and advancing the college’s student success goals.
Application Materials Should Include:
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Resume
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Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position, citing experience relevant to the qualifications and including experience with, and commitment to, our Catholic Augustinian mission and our values.
This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check.
Statement on Our Mission
Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed to building an accepting and respectful community. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue.
Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect, and can contribute to Merrimack’s Catholic and Augustinian mission. All candidates should describe in their application how they will foster a culture that supports our mission.
About Merrimack College
The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 4,100 undergraduate, 2,500 graduate students and 50 doctoral students from 48 states and 63 countries. The College features more than 160 career-focused undergraduate, professional and graduate programs, all taught by exceptional faculty who are passionate about their subject and student success. The College has six schools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences, nursing and health sciences, education and social policy, the Girard school of business and the graduate school of counseling and social work. The College’s suburban 220-acre campus is just north of Boston in North Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges and Universities/Larger Programs (M1) institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up in the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, ranking 38th in the Regional Universities North category in 2026. Merrimack is a NCAA Division I athletic institution.
Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.