Match Specialist

Starfish Initiative inspires, encourages, and prepares promising, motivated high school students for college and career success. To achieve this goal, Starfish pairs economically disadvantaged high school students one-on-one with college-educated mentors. The organization focuses on creating supportive mentoring relationships to help students overcome socio-economic barriers and achieve their potential.

This is a full-time, on-site role located in Greater Indianapolis. The Match Specialist at Starfish Initiative is responsible for the successful matching, onboarding, monitoring, and support of mentor–scholar relationships within Starfish Initiative’s mentoring program. The role involves maintaining regular communication with mentors and students, providing resources and training, and tracking progress to ensure the program's effectiveness.

• Manage a team of 80 scholar matches, ensuring effective pairings between students and mentors.
• Regularly engage with matches, providing guidance and support.
• Participate in team matching sessions to facilitate best-fit mentor selection.
• Assist in recruiting scholars and mentors, including presentations, interviews, and orientation sessions.

• Provide students with college access and career planning guidance.
• Collaborate with program staff to ensure comprehensive support for each student’s journey.
• Offer ongoing support and mentorship to students throughout their high school and college preparation.
• Assist students and families in solving relational and education-related problems.

• Maintain communication with community partners providing services to matches.
• Contribute to newsletters and promotional materials showcasing program impact.
• Support team development with data and match success stories.

• Associate’s Degree in related field (education, social work, human services, etc.)

• Proven experience in mentoring, counseling, or a similar field with the ability to build positive relationships.
• Previous experience in an academic or professional background in education, youth development, or social services.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively engage with students, mentors, and community partners.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with community partners, maintaining positive relationships and leveraging external resources.
• Data analysis and reporting skills, using insights to support program improvement.
• Experience working in a range of ethnically and socio-economically diverse communities.

• Bilingual proficiency in English and any of the following languages:
  Spanish, Burmese, Haitian Creole, or French.