Non-Academic Positions

Job Overview
King’s Academy is seeking to hire an Associate Director of University Counseling. Working through the University Counseling Office (UCO), the Associate Director of University Counseling helps students maximize their options for university and works to ensure that every student matriculates into a ‘good fit’ university. The Associate Director will be responsible for the following:

Essential Duties

Work with Students

• Advise and support caseloads of approximately 35-45 seniors throughout the application process, including preparation of college application materials.
• Advise Upper School students on choosing the appropriate courses for their college plans. 
• Meet with Upper School students, individually and in groups, to discuss the college application process and choices, and assist them with course registration. 
• Instruct students on the elements of a diverse, successful search to put together a balanced college list.
• Advise students individually and in groups on application deadlines according to the Dates and Deadlines document that is updated annually, to encourage students to manage their time by following internal deadlines, rather than final deadlines.
• Write a comprehensive official school recommendation for each senior within the caseload.
• Complete all school reports and mid-year forms requested by colleges, including student evaluations, and make sure all required documents are submitted by respective deadlines.
• Advocate for students throughout the process.
• Encourage and support students while also managing expectations.
• Offer guidance on application materials, including essays.
• Provide resources about scholarships and financial aid.
• Share information on universities/colleges, college guides, scholarships and financial aid with students and UCO team.
• Present informational sessions to caseload students.
• Assist in developing and implementing the University Counseling Office’s spring and fall Boot Camp agenda and materials.
• Organize and present informational sessions for Upper School students and families.

Work with Families

• Have a discussion with parents early in the process to set guidelines, boundaries for applications (budget, distance, citizenship issues, family proximity, etc.)
• Keep parents/guardians updated with children’s progress in the application process.
• Develop and run workshops and orientations for students and parents on college advising to educate students and parents about colleges, the college admissions process and testing, and to keep families informed about new developments in admission trends.
• Organize and present informational sessions for Upper School students and families.
• Develop guidelines for parents and answer questions about the admissions process.

Work with Colleges and Universities

• Send official school documents and confidential recommendations to universities.
• Assist in hosting various institutions’ representatives during their visit to King’s, virtually or on campus. Meet with all college admissions representatives who visit campus and facilitate meetings between them and students.
• Maintain a list of appropriate universities and institutions with whom King’s hopes to develop/continue relationships. 
• Build relationships with appropriate universities and institutions, which may aid in university counseling efforts.

Develop and Maintain Professional Knowledge

• Remain up to date in understanding admissions requirements in the US, UK, Middle East, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia and advise students on processes.
• Develop an understanding of scholarships and financial aid, assist students to apply for appropriate funding opportunities.
• Maintain an updated list of scholarship opportunities for international students.
• Develop and maintain an understanding of testing requirements for various fields and countries.
• Make sure team is up-to-date on all the above.

Additional Responsibilities 

• Attend appropriate college fairs, workshops and college-related sessions.
• Follow up with department coordinators to maintain and update records on seniors with the registrar's office.
• Read all teacher recommendations submitted to make sure they are effective in supporting student applications.
• Keep track of admissions decisions, statistics and financial aid awards.
• Attend appropriate conferences for professional development and to represent King’s, making sure to have all necessary King’s Academy promotional materials and know off-hand important information that would help represent the school.
• Attend to any other additional duties that may be assigned by the Director/Dean of University Counseling, the Assistant Head of School, or the Head of School.

Work Contacts
The Associate Director of University Counseling communicates regularly with students, their families, faculty members, and colleges and universities.

Reporting Line
The Associate Director of University Counseling reports to the Dean of University Counseling.

Minimum Requirements

A successful candidate will have:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
• At least five years of experience in an international school environment is preferred.
• Excellent command in both spoken and written English.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, both verbal and written, attention to details, and strong leadership skills.
• Ability to work with diverse populations.
• An enthusiastic team player who works well with others.

Qualified and interested candidates should apply online (specifying the name of the vacancy mentioned above) by April 15, 2022. Applications should include an up-to-date resume and cover letter, along with copies of relevant certifications and two to three reference letters, as well as a reference list including name, position, working relationship with reference and their contact details (email and phone number).

King’s Academy is seeking to immediately hire a school counselor. The successful candidate, who will report to the director of counseling, will have the following primary duties and responsibilities:

General

• Help implement and oversee school-based mental health and wellness services and programs that aid in maintaining a positive school climate that is conducive to learning
• Work closely with the dean of students, the director of counseling and the class deans to oversee, monitor and address the overall emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of students

Counseling and teaching

• Meet daily with the director of counseling, regularly with the dean of students and class deans, and intermittently with the director of the Learning Center, university counselors and academic deans, to collaborate and consult around student issues
• Work directly with students to provide short-term counseling
• Refer to outside counselors as needed and communicate with these clinicians as appropriate
• Communicate directly with parents when necessary regarding their child’s mental health and well-being

Support

• Provide assistance, consultation and training to administrators and faculty regarding resources pertaining to mental and emotional health services and wellness
• Play an active role in the crisis management team by providing leadership, direct services and coordination with outside services when warranted
• In consultation with others, implement school-wide prevention and wellness programs for students, faculty and parents

Other

• Attend all school meetings, faculty meetings and department meetings 
• Attend certain programmatic school events such as Parents Weekend, Orientation Week, etc. whether these are held during the week or on weekends
• Sharing main meals with students no more than four times a week
• In addition to any other duty assigned by director of counseling and dean of students

Qualifications

• Desire and ability to work with students at the specified age level with diverse backgrounds and levels of ability toward accomplishing their educational and personal goals
• Ability to organize tasks and manage time to meet many and varied deadlines and communicate effectively with students, parents, school administrators and other staff, including the ability to discuss topics that may be sensitive
• Working familiarity with student assessment tools, especially in evaluating and interpreting standardized test results

Prerequisites

• Master’s degree in psychology and counseling or a related field
• A minimum of three years counseling experience in a school setting
• Fluency in both Arabic and English is required
• Experience in working with both Middle School and Upper School students

Qualified and interested candidates should submit their applications online. Applications should include an up-to-date resume, along with copies of relevant certifications and two to three reference letters, as well as a reference list including name, position, working relationship with reference as well as their contact details (email and phone number).

Only candidates meeting the above prerequisites will be contacted for interviews.