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About Saint Mary’s Hall
Founded in 1879 by the Episcopal Church, Saint Mary’s Hall is now an independent co-ed day school serving students and families of all faiths. Since its founding, Saint Mary’s Hall has called four campuses home. Though the faces and structures change over time, the heart of Saint Mary’s Hall endures from generation to generation. Situated on a picturesque, tree-covered 60-acre bluff above Salado Creek in Northeast San Antonio since 1968, the campus, located at 9401 Starcrest Dr., serves all students in a beautiful state-of-the-art facility. Saint Mary’s Hall is a special place built on strong community bonds, rich traditions, and a culture of belonging for all students. Graduates leave Saint Mary’s Hall confidently armed with the skills, knowledge, study habits, and self-awareness needed to thrive in college and find fulfillment in life.
Saint Mary’s Hall seeks an Assistant Director of College Counseling effective July 1, 2023. The ideal candidate will build relationships with, and support students and parents Forms 9 through 12. The Assistant Director will work collaboratively with the College Counseling team and all school constituencies and be an active and visible member of the school community. The Assistant Director will be an industry leader with knowledge of current educational trends at both the secondary and the collegiate levels, and provide insightful and appropriate counseling to SMH students and families.
Responsibilities
- Meet frequently with assigned students, both one-on-one and in small groups, to give advice on academic and extracurricular choices and raise questions that encourage self-reflection and self-exploration;
- Write the official school recommendation for each assigned counselee;
- Develop and instruct a college counseling curriculum for all forms, particularly Forms 11 and 12;
- Meet with college admissions representatives on the SMH campus;
- Assist in the coordination and administration of the AP and PSAT testing;
- Actively participate in regional, state, and national professional organizations;
- Travel to conferences and college campuses to gain insight and develop relationships;
- Serve as an alternate liaison to The College Board and other standardized testing agencies as appropriate;
- Assist with all College Counseling programming as well as course counseling;
- In collaboration with the Director of Wellness and Head of Upper School, develop wellness strategies to assist students in having a successful four-year Upper School experience;
- Work closely with parents, providing a key point of contact between home and school, and serve as a designated point person for all college admission-related questions;
- Serve as academic adviser to a small number of students; provide individualized academic advising, and assist students in crafting or implementing a tentative four-year Academic Plan that will serve as the framework for that student’s academic schedule;
- Work with the other counselors to develop new and execute existing programming;
- Help facilitate and instruct a college seminar in both fall and spring;
- With other key school leaders, guide students through critical academic and social transitions that occur during Upper School;
- Other applicable duties may be assigned by the Assistant Head of School/Dean of College Counseling
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (required), Master’s degree in an applicable field (preferred);
- Two or more years of experience in counseling, college counseling, and/or college admission (preferred);
- Independent school experience as a teacher, coach, or advisor (preferred);
- Proficiency with technology, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (required);
- Familiarity with SCOIR (preferred);
- Exceptional written and verbal communications skills (required);
- Student centered, collaborative, and transparent leader who is accessible to students, parents, colleagues, and other key stakeholders and is adept at building relationships;
- Ability and desire to engage with parents and a diverse, high-achieving student body;
- Knowledge of colleges, their academic programs, admission policies, and procedures (preferred);
- Willingness to attend local, state, and national workshops and conferences (required);
- Work with sensitive and confidential information with integrity;
- Ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team to achieve departmental goals;
- Well-developed interpersonal skills to deal effectively with a wide range of constituents;
- A genuine care for people and desire to serve through a high level of customer service;
- An entrepreneurial, bright, hard-working, and enthusiastic personality with a serious commitment to excellence;
- A highly motivated, results-oriented, enthusiastic leadership style characterized by the desire to innovate, tenacity, follow-through, the courage of conviction, and setting an example for others;
- An ability to think systematically and be detail-minded while remaining focused on the big picture and mission of the School.
