Director of College and Career Counseling

Job Description

REPORTS TO: Principal
POSITION: Full-Time Employee, 11-month
PAY STRUCTURE: $50,000 - $65,000, commensurate with experience/qualifications

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director of College and Career Counseling serves as the strategic leader of Holy Cross Preparatory Academy's comprehensive student formation, college readiness, career readiness, and counseling program. The Director is responsible for designing, implementing, and evaluating a proactive, mission-centered counseling model that supports the academic, social-emotional, spiritual, vocational, and post-secondary development of all students.

The Director will transform the Counseling Office with the implementation of a comprehensive developmental model focused on student belonging, retention, wellness, leadership development, faith formation, and post-secondary preparedness.

The Director serves as a key student success leader within the school community and collaborates closely with administration, Campus Ministry, faculty, families, alumni, and community partners to ensure that students are known, supported, challenged, and prepared for life beyond graduation.

This position reflects Holy Cross Preparatory Academy's commitment to educating the whole person through Catholic identity formation, academic excellence, servant leadership, and intentional student support systems.

PRIMARY LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES:
Counseling Program Leadership:
-Provides strategic leadership and oversight for all college, career, counseling, and student formation programming for grades 9 - 12.
-Develops and implements a comprehensive four-year counseling and student success program aligned with the mission of Holy Cross Preparatory Academy.
-Establishes annual departmental goals, measurable outcomes, and student success benchmarks.
-Oversees counseling office operations, systems, communications, and workflow management.
-Supervises counseling personnel, support staff, and counseling-related programming.
-Collaborates with school leadership regarding retention, student engagement, school climate, and wellness initiatives.
-Maintains a professional, welcoming, student-centered, and mission-aligned Counseling Office environment.
-Manages the Counseling Office budget and departmental resources.
-Maintains current knowledge of best practices in Catholic education, college counseling, adolescent development, mental health support, and student success programming.

College Counseling & Post-Secondary Readiness:
-Oversees all aspects of the college advising and application process for students and families.
-Develops a comprehensive four-year college readiness program beginning in ninth grade.
-Guides students and families through college selection, application procedures, essay development, scholarship opportunities, financial aid, NCAA eligibility, and enrollment decision-making.
-Coordinates and expands programs including Instant Decision Day, Financial Aid Night, College Fair programming and participation, College Admissions Workshops, Senior College Planning Meetings, and Parent Information Sessions.
-Writes individualized counselor recommendations and school reports for colleges, scholarships, and specialized programs.
-Builds and maintains strong relationships with colleges, universities, admissions representatives, and scholarship organizations.
-Works directly with the Principal to implement Guaranteed Admissions Programs with local colleges/universities for graduating seniors.
-Tracks and analyzes post-secondary outcomes including college acceptances, scholarship totals, enrollment trends, persistence indicators, and matriculation data.
-Utilizes data to evaluate program effectiveness and improve student outcomes.

Career Readiness and Vocational Formation:
-Designs and implements a comprehensive career readiness and vocational exploration program for all grade levels.
-Coordinates career pathway programming including internships, job shadowing, externships, alumni networking, mock interviews, resume workshops, and career immersion experiences.
-Develops structured senior-year career readiness programming and transition support.
-Expands opportunities for students pursuing workforce pathways, military service, trade programs, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and non-traditional post-secondary options.
-Establishes partnerships with local businesses, alumni, higher education institutions, and community organizations.
-Facilitates vocational discernment opportunities that help students identify their gifts, interests, strengths, and future aspirations.
-Coordinates alumni mentorship initiatives.

Student Formation:
-Collaborates with administration, Campus Ministry, and student leadership to strengthen school climate and community engagement.
-Assists the administration and Dean of Students in the development and implementation of a House System or similar initiative.
-Develops proactive programs that foster leadership, mentorship, unity, faith, resilience, and relationship-building across grade levels.
-Supports freshman transition and orientation programming to strengthen early student connection and retention.
-Coordinates peer mentorship and student leadership opportunities.
-Collaborates with faculty and administrators to identify and address barriers impacting student engagement and retention.
-Supports initiatives that promote positive student culture and cross-community dialogue.

Social-Emotional Support and Student Wellness:
-Provides counseling and support services for students experiencing academic, personal, emotional, or behavioral challenges.
-Coordinates a proactive student wellness and resilience program.
-Collaborates with parents, faculty, administration, and external providers regarding student support needs.
-Oversees referral and intervention systems for students requiring additional support.
-Serves as a member of crisis response, threat assessment, and student support teams.
-Develops tiered intervention systems designed to improve student retention and early support identification.
-Maintains appropriate professional boundaries and adheres to ethical counseling standards.

Faith Formation and Catholic Identity:
-Collaborates intentionally with Campus Ministry to integrate Catholic identity and student formation into counseling programming.
-Supports initiatives related to vocation discernment, servant leadership, faith development, retreats, Christian service, and moral decision-making.
-Assists students in understanding post-secondary planning as part of their broader vocational and spiritual journey.
-Promotes a counseling philosophy rooted in the dignity of the human person in God's image, compassion, service, and community.

Student Support Services and Intervention Systems:
-Collaborates with Education Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ) personnel and student support providers to ensure appropriate accommodations and student support services.
-Oversees documentation protocols, intervention tracking systems, and counseling communication procedures.
-Ensures accurate and confidential student records in accordance with FERPA, ethical counseling standards, and school policies.
-Coordinates faculty referral systems and intervention response protocols.
-Utilizes student data to identify trends related to retention, attendance, academic performance, wellness concerns, and school engagement.
-Collaborates with enrollment leadership regarding retention analysis and student support trends.

Family and Community Engagement:
-Develops strong collaborative relationships with parents and guardians.
-Provides educational programming for families regarding college admissions, financial aid, adolescent development, mental health, career readiness, and digital wellness.
-Serves as the liaison between the Counseling Office and colleges, universities, outside agencies, alumni, employers, and community organizations.
-Represents Holy Cross Preparatory Academy at professional conferences, admissions programs, and community events.

COLLABORATES WITH:
The Director of College and Career Counseling will collaborate with the Dean of Students, Campus Minister, Vice President of Enrollment Mgmt., Director of Enrollment Mgmt. and Marketing, Faculty, Student Support Personnel, Parents/Guardians, Alumni, Colleges & Universities, and Community Partners.

The Director will also perform other duties as assigned by the Principal or school administration.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Required:
-Degree in School Counseling, Counseling, Educational Leadership, Higher Education, or related fields.
-Valid New Jersey School Counselor certification or eligibility.
-Successful experience in high school counseling, college counseling, student services, or educational leadership.
-Demonstrated knowledge of college admissions, post-secondary advising, and adolescent development.
-Strong organizational, leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills.
-Commitment to Catholic education and holistic student formation.
-Ability to maintain confidentiality and ethical professional standards.

Preferred:
-Experience in Catholic or independent school education.
-Supervisory or department leadership experience.
-Experience implementing student retention and mentorship initiatives.
-Familiarity with counseling and student information systems including FACTS, Naviance, Scoir, or related platforms.
-Training in crisis response, student wellness, and/or restorative practices.
-Experience building career readiness or internship programs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
-Ability to work in a dynamic school environment with frequent interaction among students, faculty, families, and community partners.
-Ability to attend evening and occasional weekend events.
-Ability to travel periodically for professional development, college visits, and partnership development.

POSITION VISION:
The Director of College & Career Counseling is not simply a college counselor, but a strategic student formation leader who helps ensure that every student at Holy Cross Preparatory Academy is known personally, supported intentionally, challenged academically, formed spiritually, prepared professionally, and equipped to lead lives of purpose, faith, service, and success beyond graduation.

About the Employer

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy inspires young men and women to become resilient leaders and lifelong learners through wisdom and holiness.