Otero College Hiring Full-Time TRiO Advisor/Success Coach in La Junta

Description: Otero College is accepting applications for a full-time TRiO Advisor/Success Coach to support Student Support Services participants through academic, career, financial, and personal advising. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by May 29, 2026.

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Position Title:  TRiO Advisor/Success Coach

Position #: 400170

Position Status:  Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To:  Director of Student Support Services

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Director of Student Support Services, the TRiO Advisor/Success Coach will:

1. Meet regularly with project participants.

2. Be responsible for providing direct academic and other support services to Otero SSS participants.

3. Provide academic/career advising, needs assessment, and develop academic action plans. 

4. Provide personal, academic, career and financial advising.

5. Make informed referrals, or provide to participants, tutoring, study skills, workshops, study groups, college services, and community agencies and organizations.  

6. Develop and present workshops on study skills, scholarship, transfer information, and financial literacy. 

7. Assist in course planning, monitoring, student progress, values clarification, decision-making and goal setting.

8. Schedule appointments with current participants pertaining to career exploration and assessment to assist them in identifying career and educational paths.

9. Maintain participant records, and monitor student progress/performance.

10. Communicate regularly with faculty concerning the performance and academic standing of TRiO Students.

11. Submit monthly time and effort reports.

12. Assists with project reporting and data collection.

13. Assist in communicating with TRiO students via the posted calendar, Social Media, emails, texts and digital signage.

14. Attend and represent Otero at appropriate statewide meetings, conferences, or workshops for Student Support Services. 

15. Coordinate and take a group of TRiO participants on Cultural Enrichment Events and Transfer Tours. 

16. Maintain accurate, complete records, including all application materials, and submit data in the appropriate time frame and digital format in adherence with FERPA regulations.

17. Assists with data collection needs with Student Access and hardcopy file; Input, maintain, retrieve and assemble computerized data for project participants. 

18. Assist potential SSS students with application and application process and follow up as needed.

19. The Advisor will coordinate and assist students with group and individual tutoring sessions helping students with different course subjects.  

20. Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Student Support Services.

GENERAL FUND DUTIES:

⦁ Works as an outreach specialist representing Otero and TRiO

This position is grant-funded position with future employment contingent upon funding.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

⦁ Bachelor’s degree 

⦁ Valid Driver’s License

⦁ Excellent written and oral communication skills

⦁ Ability to work with diverse populations

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

⦁ Experience in a Student Support Services project or similar higher education project providing direct support to students.

⦁ Evidence of experience working with diverse populations.

⦁ Experience developing programming for students, including workshops

⦁ Demonstrated knowledge of developing educational objectives and assessment of student needs, performance and outcomes

⦁ Knowledge of specific academic content as it would apply to Otero students

⦁ Educational philosophy in alignment with that of a small rural, comprehensive Community College and enthusiasm for this type of environment and the aspirations of its people.

SALARY:

$37,740-$41,000 with an excellent and highly competitive benefits package.  More information about our highly competitive and attractive benefits under the benefit section in this vacancy. 

11-month (241 days) per year renewable position

This position is funded 75% by the Student Success (TRiO) Grant and 25% by the Otero College General Fund.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

For consideration, an applicant file must contain:

⦁ Cover letter that addresses the minimum and preferred qualifications

⦁ Resume

⦁ Copies of transcripts (A.A., B.A., and M.A.) (Official transcripts requested upon hire) - As part of our commitment to a fair hiring process, we invite you to redact any information from your transcripts that may be confidential/protected under law, including your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance/graduation.

⦁ Names, addresses, and phone numbers of 3 professional references

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Open Until Filled – Priority will be given to applications received by May 29, 2026

POSITION START DATE:

July 2026 or as soon as possible

Submit Application Packet To:

Otero College

Attn:  Kelsey Barbee

Executive Director of Human Resources

1802 Colorado Ave

La Junta, CO  81050

FAX:  (719) 384-6947 

Or Email To:  kelsey.barbee@otero.edu

Inquiries May Be Directed To:

Kelsey Barbee

(719) 384-6824

Notice to all Applicants 

⦁ Final candidate will be subject to successful completion of a background check, and, if applicable, a drug screening, and/or a motor vehicle record review. 

⦁ Former employees of the Colorado Community College System, or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information in their application material. 

⦁ Final candidates are required to submit unofficial transcripts for non-instructional positions and official transcripts for instructional positions to Human Resources within thirty (30) days of hire. 

⦁ Direct deposit of payroll is a condition of employment. 

⦁ Otero College participates in E-Verify. 

⦁ Otero College is a tobacco and smoke-free campus. 

⦁ All Otero employees, except student employees, contribute to Colorado PERA at a fixed percentage of their earnings and do not contribute to Social Security. 

⦁ Must be a resident of the State of Colorado or able to relocate to Colorado prior to the first date of employment. 

Reasonable Accommodation Statement 

Otero College provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process and/or during the course of employment, please contact Kelsey Barbee, Executive Director of Human Resources, at (719) 384-6824 or kelsey.barbee@otero.edu 

Benefits 

At Otero, we value and uphold a commitment to a workplace that focuses on employees. In addition to rewarding and meaningful work, we offer a comprehensive selection of benefits to support our employees, including: 

⦁ Flexible retirement benefits including Colorado PERA’s Defined Benefit Plan or Defined Contribution Plan. Otero contributes 21.61% of your salary on your behalf. Supplemental retirement plans including 401(k) and 457 plans are also available. 

⦁ Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and flexible savings benefits. 

⦁ Employee assistance services such as counseling, professional coaching, financial planning, and more, are available to you and members of your household at no cost through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP). 

⦁ Generous paid time off benefits including up to 15 hours of annual leave and 10 hours sick leave per month, 10 paid holidays per year, and up to 18 hours for academic and volunteer activities. 

⦁ Tuition assistance for employees and their eligible dependents at any community college within the Colorado Community College System or CCCOnline. 

⦁ State employees are eligible to participate in BenefitHub which offers discounts for retailers and services and other benefits resources. 

⦁ Employees may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Additional information about this program can be found on the Colorado Division of Human Resources website. 

Otero College is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Otero College prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment including those that violate federal and state law or the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Board Policy 3-120 Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action and Colorado Community College System Procedure 3-120a- Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Program. The College does not discriminate on the basis of sex/gender, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status or military status, pregnancy status, religion, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected category under applicable local, state, or federal law (also know as "civil rights laws") including protection against retaliation and for those opposing discrimination or participating in any grievance process on campus or within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or other human rights agencies, in its employment practices or educational programs and activities. Otero recognizes that the quality of instruction and educational opportunities for all are enhanced when the diversity of the community served is represented in the student population and workforce. Otero also recognizes that women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities have been historically underutilized in the higher education workforce.

The College has designated Mike Rager, Director of Civil Rights and Investigations as its Title IX/EO Coordinator and Kelsey Barbee, Director of Human Resources as its Affirmative Action Officer, with the responsibility to coordinate its civil rights compliance activities and grievance procedures. If you have any questions, please contact Kelsey Barbee, Director of Human Resources at 719-384-6824, kelsey.barbee@otero.edu , or 1802 Colorado Ave. McDivitt Hall RM# 140, La Junta, CO  81050.

You may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Region VIII, Federal Office Building, 1244 North Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204, telephone (303) 844-3417.

The Federal Cleary Act (The Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990) requires all institutions of higher learning to make available to prospective employees the agency’s Annual Security Report/Campus Crime Statistics.  A paper copy of this report can be obtained at the Student Services Center upon request or at:  http://www.ojc.edu/content/marketing/catalog.pdf.   This report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning crimes that occurred on campus or on property controlled or owned by Otero College, as well as public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, our campus.

Former employees of the Colorado Community College System or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information in your application packet

Qualified protected class individuals are encouraged to apply

Otero College must comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.  If hired you will be required to provide documents to show your identity and authorization to work.  In addition, Colorado fiscal rules require direct deposit for all new employees.

ABOUT OTERO COLLEGE:

Founded in 1941, Otero College is an accredited Hispanic Serving Institution and is a state two-year community college with approximately 1500 students (1250 FTE) made up of traditional, non-traditional and international students.  The college is governed by the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education.  Otero is located on an attractive 40-acre campus on the southern edge of La Junta, Colorado.  The college is a full-service campus with dormitory housing, food service, men’s and women’s varsity intercollegiate athletics, and state-of-the-art educational technology.  The city of La Junta has a population of approximately 8,000 and is located on Highway 50, sixty miles east of Pueblo.  The college serves the residents of Otero, Bent, and Crowley counties.  This rural geographic area in southeast Colorado is primarily agriculture based and has a population of approximately 33,000 people. Students at Otero can earn degrees in Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of General Studies or an Associate Degree in Nursing.  Students who wish to pursue vocational occupations will find over a dozen one- and two-year certificate programs available.  Career and Technical Education certificate programs at Otero include:    

Advanced Ag/Business Management

ABM Financial Analysis

Ag/Business Marketing and Risk Management

ABM Records and Business Planning

Rural Business Entrepreneurship

Cosmetology

Hair Stylist

Nail Technician

Esthetician

Crop Production

Intro to Horticulture

Horticulture

Emergency Medical Technician

EMT Intermediate

Community Health Worker

Law Enforcement Training Academy

Livestock Production

Agriculture Production Management

Artificial Insemination

Nurse Aide

Practical Nursing

Phlebotomy

Oxyacetylene

Welding Fundamentals I

Welding Fundamentals II

Welding Production

Advanced Welding Pipe

Advanced Welding Railroad

Construction Trades

To learn more about Otero College, visit the college’s website at www.otero.edu.

OTERO MISSION STATEMENT:

To educate students and provide workforce training that enhances personal and professional growth and encourages all students to become the best version of themselves. 

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