College and Career Counselor

Supervisor

The College and Career Counselor guides high school students through post-secondary planning, college applications, and career exploration. Key duties include individualized student advising, organizing financial aid workshops, and building community partnerships. The core focus of this position is to ensure every student develops and executes a viable post-secondary plan – whether attending a four-year university, community college, trade school, entering the military, or joining the workforce. This position is full-time, exempt, and follows the school-year calendar with the Administration and Campus Principals.

Essential Functions

• College Planning and Application: Guide students through college selection, entrance testing (SAT/ACT/AP), essay writing, and applications. Submit required transcripts, profiles, and counselor recommendations.
• Career Exploration: Administer career and aptitude assessments, coordinate job shadows or internships, and host guest speakers from local trades and industries.
• Financial Aid and Scholarships: Conduct information sessions for families on FAFSA, financial aid packages, and local/national scholarship opportunities.
• Family and Community Outreach: Host evening workshops for parents, manage college representative visits, and build dual-enrollment partnerships with local higher education institutions.
• Data Tracking: Monitor student progress toward graduation and college-readiness benchmarks, maintaining precise annual data on graduate placement.

Required Technical Skills

Skilled in using relevant software and managing overall computer setup.

Academic Guidance Counselor

• Individual academic planning
• Four-year graduation plans
• Course selection guidance
• Credit recovery monitoring
• Academic intervention planning
• Support for students at risk of academic failure

Parent and Family Engagement Coordinator (Student Recruitment and Retention)

• Student recruitment efforts
• New student enrollment support
• Attendance improvement initiatives
• Student retention strategies
• Re-engagement of withdrawn students
• Home visits
• Family engagement plans designed to improve persistence and graduation rates

Dropout Prevention and Homebound Service Provider

• Identifying at-risk students
• Attendance monitoring
• Dropout prevention interventions
• Re-engagement of students who have stopped attending
• Home visits
• Coordination of homebound instructional services
• Case management for chronically absent students
• Collaboration with social services
• Alternative graduation pathways
• Credit recovery programs

Professionalism

• To be punctual and be available during official working hours.
• To comply with AAMA policies, standards, rules, regulations, and procedures.
• To take precautions to protect equipment, materials, and facilities.
• To participate responsibly in the school's improvement initiatives.
• To demonstrate timeliness and attendance for assigned responsibilities.
• To work collaboratively with other professionals and staff.
• To provide and accept evaluative feedback professionally.
• Maintain a high level of ethical behavior and confidentiality of information about school personnel.
• Strong attention to detail, with a focus on quality and accuracy.
• Good organizational skills and ability to follow established processes.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Effective communication skills and a positive, cooperative attitude.
• Active Listening.
• Reading Comprehension.
• Time Management.
• Social Perceptiveness.
• Ability to record accurate information.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to work effectively with students.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and verbal).

Required Experience and Key Skills

Education: Preferred Master's degree in School Counseling, Guidance, or a related field.

Experience: Two to five years of high school counseling or college-advising experience, ideally within a college preparatory or charter school setting.

Skills: Strong knowledge of college admissions trends, bilingual capabilities preferred, and excellent public speaking and organizational skills.

Key Skills: Strong leadership, communication (oral and written), interpersonal, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills are essential for success in this demanding role.

Employees may be asked to complete additional tasks or projects that fall within a reasonable scope of their position, as directed by their manager, even if those tasks are not explicitly listed in their job description. AAMA can assign extra work when needed, provided it is relevant to the role and the employee is capable of doing it.

This job description accurately reflects the position's duties, responsibilities, and requirements. It is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the duties, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. Management and administration reserve the right to modify, add to, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.

*I understand these essential duties describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required. I understand this position is exempt and not entitled to overtime compensation.