Associate Director Of College Counseling

Oakwood School is currently accepting applications for the position of Associate Director of College Counseling with an anticipated July 1, 2024 start date.
Position Summary:
Under the supervision of two Co-Directors of College Counseling, the Associate Director of College Counseling will work in concert with the department to provide comprehensive College Counseling to grades 9-12. The Associate Director must possess a nuanced understanding of highly selective admissions processes that will equip them to provide individualized and specific College Counseling services for students with a range of interests and talents, including exceptional artistic and athletic abilities. The candidate must have excellent counseling, listening, organizational, and communication skills. They should be accustomed to working in a fast-paced environment that includes high volume responsibility and atypical or unpredictable hours and tasks. An easy-going personality and great sense of humor are essential traits, as are an unwavering work ethic and a love of working with teenagers.
Oakwood is proud to serve a diverse community of students: ethnically, racially, socioeconomically, and culturally. Our students are also diverse in their learning styles, as well as in the backgrounds and composition of their families. The candidate should possess an abundance of sensitivity, compassion, and discretion in working with our students and their families. And, while we expect that the candidate will be able to partner with all of the school's constituencies, building trusted relationships with students and their families is key.
Duties and Responsibilities (include but are not limited to):
• Manage the College Counseling process for approximately 30 sophomores, juniors, and seniors per class, including academic scheduling.
• Meet with seniors as needed to create and finalize college lists, review essays, proofread/edit applications, etc.
• Author highly personalized letters of recommendation for high school seniors.
• Commit to engage in campus-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion work by joining affinity groups, participating in annual diversity events, and earnestly dialoguing with students and colleagues on these issues.
• Participate in all office-sponsored programming and show enthusiasm for enhancing or reimagining programming.
• Utilize College Counseling technology (ie: Scoir, College Kickstart) to both guide students through the college selection process and manage enrollment data.
• Counsel students and parents through the social and emotional pressures associated with the college search, application, and admissions process.
• Handle highly sensitive material with discretion.
• Engage in professional development opportunities, such as visiting colleges and universities throughout the academic year and representing Oakwood at national and regional college admission counseling conferences.
• Meet with college representatives (both on campus and through professional development opportunities) in order to establish and/or develop collegial relationships.
• Advise a group of approximately 15 high school students and lead them through a weekly social-emotional curriculum.
Key Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree required/Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in College Counseling and/or college admissions.
• Outstanding written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated leadership and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Willingness and agility in implementing new procedures and strategies in the ever-evolving college admissions landscape.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Spanish speaking ability is preferred.
• Experience in the athletic recruitment admissions process a plus.
This is a full-time 12 month position
Expected compensation: $95,000 - $110,000 plus full benefits
Oakwood School is a K-12 coeducational day school in North Hollywood, California that opened its doors in 1951. The school has remained faithful to its original mission ever since: to create a diverse educational environment where young people are partners with the adults who teach them and learn from them; where the best means of preparing students for the future is to immerse them in the present; where a healthy learning environment requires joy and humor as well as rigorous intensity; and where students' intellectual and aesthetic depth - along with their capacity for empathy and moral courage - emerge out of authentic engagement with their teachers, one another, and the world around them.
Oakwood School is an equal opportunity employer committed to cultural diversity in our workforce. With purpose, Oakwood celebrates and affirms diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, faith, family structure, socioeconomic background, age, and ability.