Director of College & Career Counseling

About Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, a college preparatory, Catholic school for students of all faiths, nurtures and challenges young people to recognize and realize their full potential as they learn to love others, grow in their faiths, and serve the common good. Founded in 2012 and based in a beautiful campus in the Tioga neighborhood of Philadelphia, the school serves over 550 students in grades 9-12 from across the city of Philadelphia as well as Camden.
Each student participates in the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP), an integral part of the Cristo Rey model in which every student works one day a week throughout their four years at the school. The one day per week their students are at work, teachers have extended planning and collaboration opportunities.
Who We Are:
● Values-Driven: We educate the whole student: academically, spiritually, and socio-emotionally.
● Growth Opportunities: We prioritize our faculty and staff’s learning and growth.
● Invested Students and Engaged Families: Our students’ families seek out our schools.
● National Community: Our faculty and staff are a proud part of a national movement.
Position Summary
The Director of College and Career Counseling has oversight of all aspects of the college and career counseling program at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School. Reporting to the Principal, the Director of College and career Counseling will supervise the school-based college and alumni support staff to build and sustain highly effective college initiatives including: early college awareness and skill building for students and their families; enrichment and summer opportunities access; college entrance exam management; college advising and financial aid application processes; matriculation and transition to college; and alumni support.

What You’ll Do
Duties include, but are not limited to:

● Develop and execute parent and student programming in college access and success for the school
● Supervise a team of two college counselors, 1 alumni advisor, and 1 career counselor
● Manage departmental budget and assist in grant writing and fundraising for college access initiatives
● In tandem with the alumni support counselors, support and help facilitate the sharing and results of alumni persistence and success in college with the school-based team to improve the 9-12 program
● Attend and participate in leadership meetings to ensure college and alumni perspective on school-wide decisions
● Coordinate with advisory and grade level team to ensure collaboration and support of college initiatives in the school
● Ensure operations and academic teams are informed, aligned and supporting the data needs of the college team, i.e., transcripts and Naviance, data imports from student information systems
● Advise students and families as they move through the college search, application, and selection process
● Counsel individual students and create and teach college counseling class lessons (senior class approx. 125-150 students)
● Write compelling school letters of recommendation, and advising faculty in their writing of recommendation letters
● Plan and execute on-campus admission and financial aid programs and workshops for parents, students and college admissions representatives
● Support student progress throughout all aspects of the application process beginning in 11th grade
● Counsel seniors and their families as they make decisions about college matriculation
● Build and sustain mutually beneficial relationships with colleges through campus visits, meetings with representatives, attending conferences, etc.
● Communicate college counseling related information to all school constituents (students, families, faculty, Boards, etc.)
● Represent the School at appropriate professional events, e.g., Cristo Rey Network events, NACAC, NCAN, NPEA
● Manage and track progress to reaching both monthly and end of year goals
● Prepare regular reports to send to Administration on departmental metrics and progress to goals
● Support School activities and initiatives
Other duties as assigned
Who You Are
Qualifications:
Candidates must have earned at least a B.A. Master’s degree in Counseling, Higher Education, or related field preferred. Five years or more of experience as a College Counselor or Admissions Officer is preferred. Supervisory experience is preferred. The successful candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills. In addition, they will have:
Passion for higher education accessibility and completion of college for first generation and underserved students.

● Creative, strategic, and meticulous thinker in assessing and improving current college counseling program and developing new elements to enrich the quality of the program
● Understanding and awareness of barriers that underrepresented, low-income, and/or first-generation populations face on their pursuit to a college degree
● Track-record of developing early college awareness programs
● Wide knowledge of East Coast and national colleges including degree programs, opportunity programs, diversity programs, admissions criteria, defining “fit” for first-generation low income students, as well as familiarity with admissions personnel
● The ability to listen, empathize, support, guide, and counsel families wisely, appropriately, and tactfully
● The ability to maintain confidentiality
● Enthusiasm for the school’s mission
● The ability to work collegially with all constituencies
● Effective mentoring and supervision skills
● Strong organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines
● Responsiveness to requests for information and guidance
● The ability to engage students positively, and interact productively with colleagues and parents
● Familiarity with relevant software (e.g., Salesforce, Naviance, Slate)
● Teaching and/or coaching skills are preferred
● Experience with high school or college aged youth preferred

The ideal candidate will be team-oriented with an interest in working with high school students, their families, college representatives, faculty and administrators.

How to Apply
Please send your resume to jointheteam@crphs.org and include the position title in the email subject line.