Director of College Counseling

Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu, HI, has engaged DovetailED to lead a search for a Director of College Counseling beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Interested candidates should review the Opportunity Statement and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at zack@dovetailedsourcing.com, and Alison Moore, Senior Recruiter, at alison@dovetailedsourcing.com.

Mid-Pacific Institute Director of College Counseling Opportunity Statement Link: https://bit.ly/4ib0QWs.

Salary Range: $110,000 – $128,500 Annually. Placement in range is commensurate with qualifications.

JOB SUMMARY

Mid-Pacific is seeking an experienced, dynamic, and visionary Director of College Counseling to guide our students and their families through the college search and application processes.

The ideal candidate will possess the following: significant experience with the college search and application processes; a desire to assist students in developing lifelong pathways that connect college, careers, and service to community; a collaborative and empathetic approach to relationships; a sincere commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; an unassailable work ethic; superior written, communication and organizational skills; proficiency with MaiaLearning and Blackbaud; and a joyful disposition and sense of humor.

In addition, the Director of College Counseling will have the opportunity to reimagine the ways in which Mid-Pacific supports students with career exploration and community engagement as well as an opportunity to design adjunct programs that assist students in becoming self-advocates and lifelong learners. The Director of College Counseling is a critically important leader within the school, providing guidance to other academic leaders on trends in college admissions and the potential impact of curricular changes.

EXPECTATIONS:

• Develop a lifelong appreciation for healthy and informed decision-making in their students.
• Exhibit a commitment to culturally inclusive practices.
• Build collaborative partnerships with students, parents, and colleagues.
• Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning through ongoing professional development.
• Participate in the “life” of the school (i.e., club advising, coaching in athletics, etc.).
• Mentor and support team members to both meet expectations and to grow professionally

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Direct all aspects of the college counseling program at Mid-Pacific.
• Work closely and collaboratively with Deans and faculty at each grade level to provide age-appropriate college counseling.
• Counsel junior and senior students and their families through the college search, application, and selection process.
• Hold bi-annual meetings with 9th and 10th-grade students and parents to offer guidance, quell fears and help students understand the 4-year arc of the college process.
• Collect, organize, and analyze information about students through records, tests, interviews, and professional sources, to appraise their interests, aptitudes, abilities, and personality characteristics for college educational planning.
• Coach and assist students in preparing all forms and providing all documents necessary for applications to colleges.
• Write letters of recommendation on behalf of students to colleges.
• Assist students with identifying sources for scholarships, grants, tuition waivers, student loans and other sources of financial aid and assists students and parents with application for financial aid.
• Organize and present at evening programs specific to each grade level, financial aid, and other admissions topics.
• Compile and study educational, career and economic information to aid students in making and carrying out college and career objectives.
• Lead classes, workshops and seminars in key areas of college matriculation and financial aid counseling.
• Work collaboratively with counseling staff to schedule and coordinate all college representatives’ campus visit group meetings.
• Work collaboratively with counseling staff to schedule and coordinate all student group visits to out-of-state college campuses.
• Maintain strong relationships with colleges and universities, including the development of colleges and universities that align with the Mid-Pacific Learner Profile.
• Work with the Senior Team to advance our strategic plan and to expand the department’s offerings with regard to career exploration and community engagement.
• Work in collaboration with the Director of the Global Exchange Academy at Mid-Pacific to support adjunct hybrid and asynchronous college counseling services.
• Engage with professional membership organizations (HACAC, NACAC, The College Board).
• Maintain an awareness and understanding of trends in college admissions by participating in professional development experiences, including traveling to college campuses.
• Work in collaboration with faculty, staff and school administration to provide annual statistical reports.
• Maintain (with the help of our Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications) a college counseling page on the Mid-Pacific website.
• Present a comprehensive end of year summary to the Senior Team and Board of Trustees to keep these groups abreast of current trends, successes and challenges ahead.

SCHOOL SAFETY

• Participate in the development of a safe and healthy workplace.
• Comply with the instructions given for their own safety and health and that of others, in adhering to safe work procedures.
• Take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health and that of others.
• Report any injury, hazard or illness immediately, to their Supervisor and Human Resources.
• Not place others at risk by any act or omission, not willfully or recklessly interfere with safety equipment.
• Act as a role model by demonstrating safe work behaviors.
• Identify, assess if necessary, and control hazards within the area of responsibility.
• Ensure that equipment/supplies are properly maintained.
• Maintain relevant knowledge of safety laws.
• Mandatory reporting of sexual abuse to law enforcement or child protective services, and Human Resources. Sexual abuse includes child molestation, any actual or alleged illegal or otherwise wrongful sexual conduct with a minor, and serial sexual misconduct, any actual or alleged illegal or otherwise wrongful sexual conduct with more than one victim; and committed by or alleged to have been committed by any perpetrator who is not a student of an included entity.
• Develop safe work procedures and ensure adherence to procedures.
• Ensure compliance of safety policies and procedures.
• Communicate safety issues with employees.
• Ensure that employees are provided information, instruction, training and supervision that they need to work safely.
• Ensure that employees are aware of and abide by all relevant safety procedures.
• Encourage early reporting of incidents and forward information to Manager and Human Resources immediately.

CULTURAL COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrating Professional Body of Knowledge: A professional demonstrates an understanding of practice area knowledge and appreciates learning more about this practice area and beyond.
• Professional as a Learner: A professional engages in career-long professional learning and ongoing critical reflection to identify opportunities for improving leadership, mentoring, and collaboration. The inherent nature of a professional staff member is a keen, lifelong passion for learning, and a deep curiosity and wonder about people, events, and places.
• Fostering Effective Relationships: A professional builds positive working relationships with colleagues, other departments, and the community.
• Establishing an Inclusive Environment: A professional creates a safe, caring environment that is inclusive of and engaging for others.
• Professional as a Leader: A professional seeks leadership opportunities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervises Associate Directors of College Counseling

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in counseling or guidance.
• Minimum five years of recent college counseling or college admissions experience.
• Requires previous experience in supervising and evaluating employees.
• Understanding of adolescent development and its interrelationship with the college matriculation process.
• Sensitivity to and ability to work with diverse cultures appropriately, including local, national and international students.
• Excellent interpersonal, writing, public speaking and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and set priorities appropriately during a consistently high demand and deadline-oriented school year.
• Ability to maintain composure, tact, sensitivity and flexibility during peak stress periods and crisis intervention situations.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm, eagerness to continue to learn, strong sense of professional ethics and commitment to the profession of college counseling.
• Flexibility to meet job requirements beyond the school day, unexpected demands, and the ability to travel as needed.
• Knowledge of and ability to assist in the administration of standardized tests used in education.
• Understanding and support of the mission, goals and objectives of an independent college preparatory middle/high school.
• An understanding of and commitment to confidentiality of student information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Our campus consists of multiple buildings on 44 hilly acres that requires frequent walking including uphill and stairs. The individual is required to talk and hear, often required to sit and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel and to manipulate keys on a keyboard. The employee may be required to stand, walk, lift and carry approximately 10-15 pounds, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, bend, kneel, crouch or crawl. Requires close vision.

MENTAL DEMANDS

On a daily basis must frequently problem-solve, make decisions, interpret data, organize, speak, write, plan, and clearly communicate.

EQUIPMENT USE

Telephone, computer, iPad - frequently;

Copier, printers and other hardware – occasionally

WORKING CONDITIONS

Indoor - frequently;

Outdoor, Loud Noise, Cold and Hot Temperatures – occasionally

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Mid-Pacific Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, marital status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Salary : $110,000 - $128,500