The first year experience navigator is a key member of the first year experience team at Wenatchee Valley College. This position provides comprehensive educational planning and support for a diverse population of prospective and enrolled students, with a focus on supporting students with general advising and retention. The first year experience navigator will promote equitable access, facilitate proactive interventions for historically minoritized and under-served students, and enhance academic progress and success.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Provide comprehensive educational planning and support for a diverse population of prospective and enrolled students. Focus on general advising, including support for liberal arts transfer, business, STEM, nursing, and allied health programs. Promote equitable access and enhance student retention, persistence, and completion.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

may include the following:

General Educational Planning:

Advise prospective and enrolled students on admissions procedures, degree requirements, transfer and career information, college policies, and related matters. Support students at Wenatchee, Omak, and online campuses. Review transcripts for placement and potential transferability of courses.

Student Support and Success:

Assist students with degree plans, course selections, and individualized educational planning. Support students in overcoming academic challenges to facilitate their progression and completion. Reach out to students close to completion and provide reverse transfer information.

Campus and Community Collaboration:

Collaborate with faculty and staff to support student success and retention. Serve as a referral agent for students seeking funding, mental health counseling, and basic needs assistance. Represent the college at professional and community organizations and serve on relevant committees.

Advisor Assignment and Communication:

Coordinate advisor assignments, establish procedures, and manage data cleanup. Monitor advisor loads, manage batch processing. Monitor and manage educational planning communications with students, staff, and faculty.

Research and Professional Development:

Stay current on employment trends, career development practices, and transfer requirements. Understand and utilize campus and community resources effectively.

Administrative Duties:

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of WVC programs, curriculum, and transfer opportunities. Prepare reports and maintain records as required. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned. This is not intended to be an exclusive list of all duties and responsibilities. Related duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Strong proficiency with word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software and social media. Or, if you do not meet one or more of qualifications listed above but have an applicable combination of education and experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with educational planning/academic advising and student support services within an institution of higher education. Knowledge of articulation and transfer processes among high school, community college, and four-year institutions. Experience creating digital content (such as Word/PDF documents, and web and learning management system content, as appropriate to the role) in accessible formats. Experience with student management database systems. Bilingual written and oral in Spanish/English. Comfortable translating and engaging the community in both languages.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities Customer Service:

Knowledge of customer service skills and best practices with ability to provide general and specialized student support with professional courtesy, empathy, and interest in positive problem solving.

Oral communication:

Speak clearly and persuasively, actively listen and take the time to understand the points being made, including asking questions as appropriate and responding to questions.

Quality:

Accurate and thorough, look for ways to improve and promote quality, provide feedback to improve performance, monitor own work to ensure quality.

Professionalism:

Approach others in a tactful manner, react well under pressure, treat others with respect and consideration and follow through on commitments.

Problem solving:

Ability to assess situations and think beyond the immediate issue to anticipate and fulfill future needs before they become complications. Diversity, equity and inclusion: Demonstrated competency and experience working in a diverse academic environment, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of varying social, economic, cultural, ideological, gender and racial/ethnic backgrounds and those with physical, emotional and/or learning disabilities.

Technical/computer skills:

High level of proficiency and accuracy in Microsoft Office; familiarity with Canvas, PeopleSoft, and other college systems; ability to be cross trained to provide basic technical support.

Student services:

Knowledge of college processes such as admissions, enrollment, and financial aid; ability to be cross trained to provide student services support.

FERPA:

Maintain a high level of confidentiality and follow FERPA guidelines.

Terms of Employment:

This is a 12-month, full-time, professional, overtime-eligible exempt position contracted on an annual basis. The starting salary hiring range for this position is $56,650 to $62,504. Individual placement within the hiring range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position. The salary will be prorated to reflect the actual number of contract days worked in the remainder of the fiscal year. Your paycheck is just part of the total compensation package. There is an outstanding benefits package which is worth an additional value equivalent to about 30% of your salary. A comprehensive health care benefits package for you and your dependents includes medical, dental and vision insurance; life and long- term disability insurance plans; vacation, sick and personal leave; reduced tuition; and retirement benefits are also provided. For more information, please visit our benefits website at: https://www.wvc.edu/humanresources/benefits.html .

Work Schedule & Environment:

Normal work hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5 p.m. (1 hour lunch). Work is performed on campus in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work may be required. Regular and consistent attendance required.

Conditions of Employment:

An offer of employment will not carry with it any responsibility or obligation on the part of the College to sponsor an H-1B visa. Wenatchee Valley College only employs U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens. All new employees must show proof of identity, and eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. All offers of employment are subject to background checks. Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position. Finalists are required to complete the sexual misconduct disclosure form as required under

RCW 288.112.080. A

valid Washington state driver's license may be required.

Application and Selection Procedure:

Complete application packages must include the following: Complete Wenatchee Valley College online application. Upload cover letter that specifically describes how your educational background and experience meet the minimum and preferred qualifications. (five pages max) Upload resume.(five pages max) It is your responsibility to submit all required application materials before the deadline. Please do not send reference letters or other unsolicited materials. They will not be shared with the screening committee and cannot be returned to you. Only finalists may be asked to send additional materials. Attachments from prior applications will not upload automatically to your new application. Should you have difficulties uploading your documents, please contact NeoGov Technical Support at 1-855-524-5627 for assistance. The closing date is 12:59 p.m., October 1, 2026. The college reserves the right to extend the closing date if deemed necessary. A limited number of applicants who meet the needs of the position and the college will be interviewed.

Reasonable Accommodation:

Applicants with disabilities who require assistance with the application and employment process will be accommodated to the extent reasonably possible. Requests should be made to the human resources office by calling 509-682-6440. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may dial 711 to place a call through Washington Relay, the state's free telecommunication access service..........

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process.

Equity Statement:

Research suggests that women, gender diverse, BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses: To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu .

To request disability accommodations:

Student Access Director, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854,

TTY/TTD:

Dial 711, sas@wvc.edu . This recruitment announcement may not reflect the entire job description and can be changed or modified at any time.