Encoura

Role Description We are currently hiring Engagement Ambassadors to work at our Charleston Engagement Center. Engagement Ambassadors reach out to donors of philanthropic institutions to donate, verify their information, and share institutional updates. The part-time Engagement Ambassador may contact prospects using text, video, or phone while conducting themselves as a professional representative of one of Encoura's partner institutions. Engagement Ambassadors can gain experience in marketing, networking, fundraising, and sales negotiations while working at the Engagement Center. If you’re looking for a rewarding part-time position that boosts your resume and communication skills, see below to learn more and apply today! - Contact donors and prospects to collect donations, verify information, and share institutional updates. - Capable of following a script when reaching out to prospects. - Accurately enter data into our computer system. - Meet or exceed goals as outlined by your manager. - Work a minimum number of shifts each week/month. - Pass new hire and compliance trainings. Qualifications - Demonstrated strong command of English (both verbal and written). - Capable of effectively communicating with a variety of individuals. - Working knowledge of Microsoft Office. - Must be able to operate in an office setting and routinely use standard office equipment such as computers, phones, etc. - Must be able to work in an environment where the noise level is moderate. - This is largely a sedentary role; Infrequent light physical effort is required (minimum of five pounds). - If working remotely, must have access to reliable technology, including a personal computer (Windows or Mac), webcam, and wired headset. - If working remotely, must have a home internet connection that meets the following minimum requirements: 20 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload speeds. Requirements - All hires must complete Form I‑9 employment eligibility verification and provide acceptable documentation as required by federal law. - Employees may choose which acceptable documents to present from the Form I‑9 Lists of Acceptable Documents. - Candidates should review the acceptable document list before their anticipated start date, as obtaining certain government-issued documents may take additional time. Benefits - The entry-level wage for this role starts at $15.00/hour with the opportunity for longevity-based merit increases. - The upper wage range is based on longevity, locality, and performance. - This ongoing part-time position does not qualify for health benefits. - Encoura complies with all state and local laws that require specific forms of paid time off. Center Hours - Sunday: 12:00 - 6:00 pm Central Time (CT) - Monday - Friday: 3:00 - 9:00 pm CT Directions 504 6th Street Charleston, Illinois 61920 - Located on the West side of the Square in Charleston across from the Court House. Questions - reach out to: Ryan Parker Engagement Center Manager Ryan.Parker@Ruffalonl.com Company Description Encoura’s mission is to empower students and institutions to create meaningful connections so everyone can make the most informed decisions to achieve their goals. Since 1972, the Company has evolved its products and services to better represent the link between students and higher education institutions and to create the highest probability of student success. - Encoura’s expertise now spans enrollment, research, marketing, student success, and advancement. - Provides an unmatched combination of higher education experience and innovative solutions for colleges and universities. - Offers Encourage® — the nation’s largest free college and career planning program used by millions of high school students and educators nationwide.

• Serves as the first point of contact for customers needing technical support via phone and email. • Provides guidance to new and existing users on products and assists with setup and maintenance of online learning software and equipment. • Troubleshoots hardware and software issues, ensuring a smooth user experience. • Manages support tickets, uses knowledge bases to resolve inquiries efficiently, and aims for first-call resolution. • Handles multiple tasks simultaneously and escalates issues promptly when needed. • In a virtual contact center, resolving inbound customer calls and inquiries in a professional and empathetic manner.

• Serves as the first point of contact for customers needing technical support via phone and email. • Provides guidance to new and existing users on products and assists with setup and maintenance of online learning software and equipment. • Troubleshoots hardware and software issues, ensuring a smooth user experience. • Manages support tickets, uses knowledge bases to resolve inquiries efficiently, and aims for first-call resolution. • Handles multiple tasks simultaneously and escalates issues promptly when needed. • In a virtual contact center, resolving inbound customer calls and inquiries in a professional and empathetic manner. • Addressing student families concerns • Providing introductory information to new users on various products • Providing delightful, efficient, and accurate resolutions to customer inquiries • Demonstrating empathy, patience, and flexibility during phone calls • Installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting computers, printers, phones, and other peripheral equipment • Documenting information into web-based ticketing system • Escalating unique issues or inaccurate information contained in the knowledge base to the immediate supervisor for resolution • Participating in internal training programs to expand knowledge and support multiple clients

• Provide specific CRM-related services to assigned campus partners, most typically CRM Consulting (either project or hours-based), Slate system implementations, or Slate-hosted communications development • Be a positive representative of Encoura and our brand in the marketplace, conducting all activities with the highest degree of professionalism and integrity • Engage virtually with Encoura CRM Solutions campus partners using several web-calling services such as Zoom, etc. with a high level of comfortability leading conversations while demonstrating concepts • Manage and work with sensitive and legally protected student data on behalf of Encoura campus partners; maintain knowledge on requirements for handling sensitive student data • Provide feedback to the VP, CRM Solutions on ways to accelerate the sales cycle, enhance sales, and improve company brand and reputation • Provide feedback to VP, CRM Solutions on market trends, competitive threats, unmet needs, and opportunities to deliver greater value to clients by extending company offerings

• Provide friendly, high-quality support across phone, chat, email, and web • Troubleshoot technical, product, and service issues—aiming for first-call resolution • Navigate multiple systems while researching and resolving complex concerns • Accurately document interactions in a ticketing system • Manage high-volume interactions and multitask effectively • Escalate issues when needed to ensure timely resolution

• Acting on behalf of Encoura as the primary sales interface for renewals with our partners and customers • Working with the internal sales and success teams to develop and deliver win/win proposals which incorporate product/service expansion opportunities • Partnering with internal cross-functional team on pricing, quoting, and processing renewal contracts • Managing portfolio for the respective business unit, with the aim of achieving 100% on-time renewals and increasing retention rates • Collaborating with Account Executives and Customer Success Managers to identify customer account health risks and proactively incorporating mitigation strategies as part of renewal activities • Coordinating and providing regular updates on status and forecasts to business segment leader and other senior business leaders • Travel Frequency, approximately 25%

• Support assigned institutions through the planning, execution, and optimization of enrollment marketing campaigns and communication strategies • Build and maintain strong relationships with partner institutions through proactive communication, responsiveness, and ongoing collaboration • Analyze institutional enrollment goals, current marketing efforts, and areas of opportunity to support strategic recommendations • Assist in translating institutional needs into actionable marketing plans aligned with enrollment objectives • Contribute to renewal conversations and identify opportunities for additional solutions or services that align with institutional goals and challenges • Coordinate with Enrollment Services on student search strategy, prospect segmentation, and purchase planning • Develop and implement electronic and print communication plans, along with the creative team, aligned to institutional objectives and campaign strategies • Support digital marketing efforts through campaign coordination, execution support, and performance monitoring • Partner with internal teams to ensure projects are delivered accurately and on schedule • Monitor campaign performance and enrollment metrics, identifying trends and recommending adjustments as needed • Prepare and deliver client reporting, campaign summaries, strategic updates, and performance insights • Incorporate insights from enrollment consulting, market research, and data analysis into campaign recommendations and planning • Maintain awareness of enrollment marketing trends, student search strategies, and data-informed best practices to support client success • Lead client presentations, training sessions, and strategic discussions as needed • Support internal collaboration and alignment around client goals, campaign priorities, and project execution • Contribute to team knowledge sharing, process improvement, and best practice development • Participate in ongoing professional development opportunities to strengthen expertise in enrollment marketing strategy, communications, and analytics

Role Description As a Inbound/Outbound Enrollment Specialist, you’ll guide prospective families through K–12 online schooling options through a blend of inbound and outbound calls. You’ll serve as a trusted advisor by: - Assessing family needs - Recommending best-fit programs - Supporting families through the enrollment process, including documentation, school requirements, and deadlines - Delivering an exceptional experience and meeting performance goals A Day in the Life - Making outbound calls and taking inbound calls from families interested in enrolling - Determining best options and sharing details about various online schooling options - Developing relationships with parents as an educational advisor and consultant - Requesting and closing the sale of parents/primary caregivers relative to the best solution for their situation - Meeting key performance indicators for: - Employee attendance - Phone productivity - Enrollments - Call quality - Customer satisfaction - Customer loyalty - Schedule adherence - Escalating issues in a timely manner - Assessing family needs, recommending the best-fit program, and driving enrollment by effectively communicating value and next steps - Closing sales while delivering exceptional experience and meeting key performance goals Qualifications - Excellent English in written and oral communication proficiency (equivalent to CEF C1 level or above) - Computer knowledge and multi-tasking with internet navigation skills - 18 years or older with a High School diploma or equivalent combination of education and experience - Willing to accept Full time, 40 hours a week - Must reside within approved state* - Able to work from home with Home Internet that meets the following requirements: - 30 Mbps download - 15 Mbps upload - 100ms ping or less - Cable, Fiber, or DSL only (no mobile broadband, hotspot, satellite, or point-to-point) - WiFi is allowed; wired connection required if WiFi becomes unstable - Successful candidates will be required to complete and pass a CLEAR™ identity verification as part of the pre-employment screening process - Must be able to enroll in and use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) via Okta with Microsoft Authenticator for secure access to company systems Requirements - College degree or some college completed (preferred) - 1 or more years of customer service experience (preferred) Benefits - Receive paid training and ongoing support - Full Benefits Full time - Gain hands-on experience in customer experience and tech-enabled services - Support a mission-driven environment serving students and educators - Strengthen core skills like communication, customer service, and multitasking Company Description Encoura’s mission is to empower students and institutions to create meaningful connections so everyone can make the most informed decisions to achieve their goals. Since 1972, the Company has evolved its products and services to better represent the link between students and higher education institutions and to create the highest probability of student success. - Encoura’s expertise spans enrollment, research, marketing, student success, and advancement - Provides an unmatched combination of higher education experience and innovative solutions for colleges and universities - Offers Encourage® — the nation’s largest free college and career planning program used by millions of high school students and educators nationwide

• Own and maintain the reliability, performance, and availability of large-scale production systems — monitoring dashboards, reviewing alerts, and resolving incidents as they arise • Serve as primary on-call and incident responder for customer-impacting issues, triaging, coordinating resolution, and leading post-mortems • Design, build, and improve CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and Octopus Deploy • Automate Azure infrastructure and services (Web Apps, Functions, SQL, Storage, Key Vaults, Entra ID) using IaC tooling • Collaborate closely with engineering, product, and security teams to support deployments, migrations, and compliance initiatives • Drive cloud cost optimization, scalability, and auto-scaling initiatives across hosted environments • Implement and modernize incident management tooling and enforce security best practices and system hardening standards

• Help answer end-user questions by supporting phone calls, chats, and web inquires • Serve as a go-to resource for clients and end-users needing technical assistance via phone, chat, or email • Aim to resolve issues on the first interaction, while clearly and professionally guiding clients through their options • Take ownership of assigned client accounts by managing and resolving issues from start to finish • Accurately document interactions and solutions in the ticketing system • Use the knowledge base to research and find the best solutions for client need • Escalate complex or unclear issues—and any outdated knowledge base content—to a supervisor • Represent the company positively by building strong, professional relationships with clients • Continuously learn and grow by participating in training programs to support a variety of clients • Deliver fast, accurate, and friendly solutions that create a great client experience • Install, maintain, and troubleshoot computers, printers, phones, and other equipment • Diagnose and resolve hardware and software issues • Complete software installations and updates • Build strong, collaborative relationships across teams and departments