Welcome Desk Program Counselor

Job Title: Welcome Desk Program Counselor (WPC), Pre-College 2025 

Organization: BrandEd 

Department: The School of The New York Times 

Reports to: Residential Hall Assistant Director, Residential Hall Director 

About The School of The New York Times and Summer Academy  

Highly innovative, The School of The New York Times (The School), a collaboration between The New York Times and Cambridge Information Group, provides a comprehensive set of educational offerings for pre-college aged students. Drawing on unequaled expertise and unrivaled access, The School provides seminal formative experiences, giving students expanded vision and focus, while serving as the foundation for success in their future studies and in life itself.   

Held in New York City, Summer Academy (SA) provides students with an immersive environment during 2-week terms over the course of the summer, in which they learn, investigate, and explore while having fun and discovering friends, mentors and instructors who share their passions and interests.  

About BrandEd 

Knowledge is our passion. We thrive at the intersection of business and education and have built a global reputation for developing world-class learning programs to nurture the industry leaders of tomorrow.  

Our mission is to empower lives through education. We seek to understand the passions of a new generation of students to help transform those passions into meaningful and fulfilling career trajectories. We do this by delivering relevant, experiential courses taught by industry experts from the world’s best brands. 

BrandEd has been operating for two decades beginning with the acquisition of the London campus of Sotheby’s Institute of Art in 2003. Over the years we have built a portfolio of world-class academic programs with iconic brands including Sotheby’s Institute of Art, The School of the New York Times (est. 2016), City Football Leadership Institute (est. 2022) and Conde Nast College of Fashion & Design (acquired in 2023). BrandEd is owned by Cambridge Information Group (CIG), a family-owned investment firm since 1971 focused on long-term and meaningful ventures in education, technology, and information services. 

Position Description  

The WPC will play a crucial role in the academic, residential, and social aspects of the precollege program by serving as the point person for all things student and parent related by providing support, direction, and a seamless line of communication regarding what’s happening in real time.  

Essential Responsibilities & Duties 

WPCs are responsible for a variety of clerical and administrative duties including but not limited to: 

• Greeting and welcoming students
• Answering phone and email inquiries
• Perform daily attendance checks
• Email parent & guardians regarding unaccounted day students who are missing from class
  • If missing student is residential, student must be located
    • Check dorm room, check classroom, contact roommate, call mobile phone
    • After 30 – 45, parent/guardian must be informed
• Run Missing Student Report for Missing Student Protocol
• Pastoral Creation in Orah on student profiles
• Approve/Deny/Monitor Student Check Ins/Check Outs
• Other duties may be assigned. 

Knowledge & Abilities  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty effectively. The requirements listed here are representative of the knowledge, skill and ability required. Under the ADA, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

• Have an outgoing disposition and an enthusiasm for working with high school students 
• Establishes a nurturing, inclusive community and encourages positive self-expression.
• General knowledge of the principles of organization and administration
• Must exercise initiative, professionalism, sound judgement and discretion
• Comfortable enforcing policies and procedures and assuming leadership roles; Must be able to work autonomously while thriving in a team environment
• Ability to adapt to changing demands, deadlines, and responsibilities 
• Possess a keen interest in New York City culture and is comfortable exploring it with students

Education, Work Experience and/or Licensure  

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 1 year work experience (summer camp, boarding school, college campus, etc.,)
• Previous customer service-related experience a plus 
• Previous experience with youth, whether at summer camps or other residential programs on the administrative supportive level. 
• Three references are required. 

WPC must complete a series of online trainings and in-person trainings prior to start of program. Dates of commitment are as follows: 

• Virtual All Staff Training – Mid April/May
• Residential Staff Training: June 4th – June 6th
• Term 1: June 8th – June 20th
• Term 2: June 22nd – July 4th
• Term 3: July 6th – July 18th
• Term 4: July 20th – August 1st

*WDPCs will be required to work on Juneteenth (June 19) and fourth of July (July 4) 

**There will be multiple shifts between the hours of 7am-11pm. WDPCs must be able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends 

This position offers the following: 

• An opportunity to work with a passionate team of diverse people
• An opportunity to chaperone events and trips to local attractions and events;
• Salary of $18 per hour

Language Skills  

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent command of the English language.
• Ability to speak another language a plus.

Physical Demands  

The physical demands listed here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of his/her job. Under the ADA, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, travel up and down stairs, crouch, stoop, and reach. 

Other Requirements   

All staff will be working closely with minors and will need to pass a criminal background check and successfully complete all training. All positions will require use of one’s personal cell phone. 

Work Environment 

The work environment characteristics listed here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Under the ADA, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a basic office/academic environment. 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an individual assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified. The School of The New York Times reserves the right to modify this job description in its sole discretion. 

BrandEd is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  

Salary : $18