Title: Program Advisor

Position Type: Professional Tech Full time

College: Pikes Peak State College

Location: Colorado Springs

Salary Range: $50,891 annual gross

Who We Are:

Pikes Peak State College is the largest and most diverse college in the Pikes Peak region, serving students with a wide range of goals, experiences, and responsibilities. Our students include recent high school graduates, working adults, military-affiliated students, parents, first-generation students, career changers, transfer students, and lifelong learners.

Our mission is to provide high-quality educational opportunities to all, with a focus on student success and community needs. We fulfill that mission by creating affordable, flexible, and accessible pathways that help students transfer to four-year institutions, enter the workforce, advance their careers, and build better futures close to home.

As the needs of our students, employers, and communities continue to evolve, so do we. PPSC embraces innovation that is human-centered, ethical, and focused on student learning. Through strong workforce partnerships and the thoughtful integration of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, we prepare students not only for today's opportunities, but for what's next.

We're looking for people who are passionate about access, collaboration, innovation, and student success. Whether you work in the classroom or behind the scenes, your contributions help create opportunities that change lives. At PPSC, our vision is simple: Students Succeed at PPSC.

Job Summary:

This is a NON-CLASSIFIED employment opportunity and is exempt from the State Classified Personnel System. Visit the State of Colorado for Classified employment opportunities.   

The Program Advisor plays a crucial role in guiding students through educational, career, and transfer decisions, focusing on both Career & Technical Education (CTE) and transfer degrees and certificates. This position supports college-wide student success initiatives and fosters an inclusive environment by providing tailored academic advising and career planning. Advisors will manage a diverse caseload, extensively utilize technology, collaborate with various departments, and contribute to Pikes Peak State College’s Strategic Plan with an emphasis on equity and access for all students. We have two openings for this position.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Experience providing student advising, academic counseling, or other student support services in a secondary, post-secondary, workforce, or adult education setting.

Professional level experience is defined by the Colorado Division of Human Resources: A position that involves the exercise of discretion, analytical skill, judgment, personal accountability, and responsibility for creating, developing, integrating, applying, or sharing an organized body of knowledge. Colorado revised statute (C.R.S. 24-50-135(1) allows colleges to exempt positions from the State Personnel Classified System that are determined to be professional level work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bilingual and bi-literate proficiency in English and Spanish, including working vocabulary of higher education terminology in both languages.
• Master's degree in a related field.
• Two years of advising experience in higher education.
• Experience working directly with diverse student populations.
• Understanding of Pikes Peak State College’s mission.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Academic Advising services
• Provide comprehensive, personalized academic advising in person and via synchronous and asynchronous technologies.
• Acquire an in-depth understanding of program requirements and curriculum progression for the assigned advising team and a broad-based knowledge of all other programs.
• Analyze and evaluate the needs of students, accurately assess each situation, determine appropriate information and referrals, exercise discretion to resolve issues, and tailor messaging to fit each unique situation.
• Manage assigned student caseload, including long-term planning and appropriate referrals.
• Stay current on changing curricula, department, program, and college rules and policies. • Map comprehensive academic and career plans for individual students, based upon understanding of program requirements, student’s life situation, and career and personal goals.
• Employ a student-focused advising approach with an understanding of how career goals and opportunities impact academic decisions.
• Review academic records, academic history, degree progress, and student goals to offer appropriate course recommendations.
• Collaborate effectively with supervisor, staff, faculty, and community members to support assigned student populations and programs.
• Ensure the effectiveness of the advising process by maintaining electronic advising notes and using information systems to advise students appropriately.
• Document student interactions and update student records in accordance with department and institution policies in support of accountability and program assessment.

• Assist with developing advising communication, including printed and digital information, and coordinate updates to ensure relevant information is always up to date.

Career planning and career related services
• Provide short-term individual and career advising to assist students with career, educational, and employment decision-making.
• Ensure students are declared in an academic pathway that aligns with their career and transfer goals.
• Connect students to career resources and support services that align with their interests and goals.

Marketing, outreach, and accountability projects:
• Collect, analyze, and use data to track student progress and generate insights about student success and barriers.
• Positively participate in professional development, serve on department or college committees and projects.
• Assist in the training of new team members when assigned.
• Assist with on and off campus special events, follow-up, and other service initiatives.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to provide equity-based, culturally competent, efficient, and fair services.

Competencies/KSAs:

• PPSC Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Plan: Support the mission, vision, values, and strategic plan of Pikes Peak State College. Applies the values of learning, mutual respect, and diversity.

• Accountability: Demonstrate adaptability, convey a positive and professional image of the College, put forth extra effort when the need arises, not abuse leave practices, demonstrate punctuality, maintain confidentiality, make good use of work time, pay attention to detail, demonstrate accuracy and follow-through, complete tasks on time, take initiative, show self-direction, and take responsibility for work product.

• Communication: Effectively apply communication skills both orally and in writing. Actively listens and engages in thoughtful and constructive dialogue. Respond effectively and courteously; produce written documents using proper grammar, format, and sentence structure, produce written documents which display an attractive appearance, produce written documents which clearly convey the subject and major points, and keep others informed.

• Problem Analysis and Decision Making: Take initiative to identify problems and develop creative, solution-oriented recommendations. Obtain facts to understand the problem. Make decisions that reflect sound judgment and assessment of facts and related issues. Produce clear recommendations with an understanding of department and college decision-making authority.

• Customer Service: Ability to provide high-level customer service to individuals and groups in-person and virtually by applying excellent communication and organizational skills. Effectively determine the needs of internal and external customers, offer alternatives to internal and external customers if unable to handle request, offer prompt service, maintain smooth working relations with others, demonstrate tact and diplomacy in negotiations or confrontations with others, maintain accessibility to others.

• Higher Education Knowledge: Familiarity with student services in higher education, and knowledge of student development and learning theories.
• Teamwork and Independence: Ability to professionally and tactfully interact, communicate, establish rapport, and work collaboratively with a wide variety of constituents, including students, faculty, staff, and community members and organizations. Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments with minimal direction.

• Technology Proficiency: Demonstrated experience with student information systems and customer relationship management systems. Daily proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including designing, creating, and maintaining forms, reference materials, databases, and training resources.

• Project Management: Aptitude for effectively prioritizing and managing multiple projects, ensuring deadlines are met without compromising quality. Ability to identify desired outcomes, create checkpoints and time frames to realistically achieve outcomes, develop alternatives and contingency plans when necessary, evaluate and refine the plan.

• Location and Hours Flexibility: Willing to work occasional evenings and Saturdays, and work at all PPSC campuses and other locations to accommodate programming needs.
• Ability to navigate differences effectively and respectfully in the workplace.
• Adhere to college policies and procedures.

Selection Process:

For full consideration, all application materials must be received by 4:00 p.m. on  September 4, 2026.

Pikes Peak State College reserves the right to close the job posting once a sufficient applicant pool has been obtained.  

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

Visa support is not available for this position.

Application Instructions: 

Application must be submitted online.  Incomplete applications may not receive full consideration.  A complete application will include:

Cover letter - Address the minimum and preferred qualifications in the order listed on the job announcement.
Resume - Reflect experience, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities.  
Unofficial Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts for all degrees conferred.  Official transcripts are required if hired for the position.  
Professional References - Provide names and contact information for three recent professional references who can address your expertise and background for this position.

Additional Information/Benefits:

Work Life Balance

Pikes Peak State College offers a generous amount of annual leave and sick leave. Depending on your employment category and full or part-time status, Pikes Peak State College offers 15 hours a month of annual leave and 10 hours a month of sick leave accrual. There are paid holidays and alternate paid holidays which allow the college to be closed Christmas Day through New Year's Day. Eligibility is defined by your employment FTE status.

Tuition Reimbursement

Education and your success is a priority at Pikes Peak State College. We encourage you to develop job skills and abilities which will benefit you as well as our college. Eligible employees, their eligible dependents, and spouse/domestic partners may enroll in credit courses at any of the Colorado Community College System. Eligibility is defined by your employment FTE status.

Health, Dental & Vision

Pikes Peak State College offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to provide you and eligible dependents, spouse/domestic partner, with a broad range of employer paid and employee paid benefit options. In addition to medical coverage, the college offers dental and vision insurance plans to choose from. Eligibility is defined by your employment FTE status.

Retirement

Pikes Peak State College participates in Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA)  contribution rates. State employees are required to a mandatory contribution of a percentage of their salary to the plan, and the college contributes a percentage as well. While you are enrolled in PERA, you do not pay Social Security. In addition, there are supplemental retirement plans available through three other vendors.

Flexible Spending Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) offer you an easy way to pay for eligible medical and childcare expenses with money that's set aside with a pre-tax benefit. Eligibility is defined by your employment FTE status.

Disability Coverage

Pikes Peak State College offers disability insurance to help you meet needs should you become unable to work due to an illness or injury.

Life Insurance

Pikes Peak State College offers life insurance paid for by the college to eligible employees. Supplemental life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance policies are available for those interested in additional coverage. Eligibility is defined by your employment FTE status.