Director of College & Career Counseling (26-27)

KIPP Texas Public Schools • Austin, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a free, public charter school network with more than 45 Pre-K - 12 schools across Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. With over 30 years in Texas, we work together with our families and communities to prepare students for college, career, and beyond! Our schools provide a high-quality, well-rounded education built on academic success and personal growth, where all students learn and thrive in a productive, safe, and joyful way! As one of the earliest charter networks in Texas—founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018—we hire dynamic, collaborative, and dedicated individuals with an unyielding belief that every child will succeed. Join a Team and Family with an unwavering commitment to creating classrooms, offices, and communities rooted in academic success and joy. If you are passionate about joining a mission-driven community that wants every child to "run to school," the KIPP Texas Team and Family is for you! KIPP Public Schools is a national network of public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 278 schools with nearly 16,500 educators and 190,000 students and alumni. This is a general posting for current and potential future opportunities. Your application will be reviewed and considered for any opportunity that matches your skills and experience. The Director of College & Career Counseling is responsible for developing and managing a college and career counseling program and team that will ensure that every student deepens their knowledge about themselves and their top careers of highest aspiration, and builds and executes a strong plan that will allow them to make the best postsecondary choice. The Director of College & Career Counseling is responsible for building relationships with the school leadership team, national organizations and college/ universities that will lead to resources for students. It is the ultimate goal of the college & career counseling department, through guidance and education, to ensure that all graduates have the ability to maintain success in their academic, professional and personal lives. Finally, the Director of College Counseling is charged with keeping the college & career counseling program woven into all aspects of KIPP high school campus to ensure that the program does not work in isolation from the school’s mission. This role is an ideal opportunity for a highly motivated, collaborative, results-driven and service minded leader with a passion for supporting students in building and succeeding in their postsecondary plan for their career of highest aspiration. We are looking for a leader who can see the bigger picture, coach and develop our counselors and manage the day to day operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution
• Experience in leading high-performance and diverse teams
• Resilience, strong work ethic and outcomes oriented—demonstrated ability to balance competing priorities under stress and follow through, despite sometimes tight and back to back deadlines
• Previous experience in using data to drive decision making strongly
• Comfort with working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Strong interpersonal skills; Ability to work with a wide-range of people including teachers, parents, students, alumni, corporate partners, vendors and admissions personnel
• Ability to project plan, organize, and prioritize, with a collaborative spirit
• Fast learner with the ability to inquire and be open to feedback
• Proven written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred.
• Experience working with high school students and their families in the college counseling field, strongly preferred
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required
• Professional development course on college and career readiness and success, is essential

Responsibilities

• Manage, Develop and Lead the College & Career Department at a KIPP HS
• Coach and support the College & Career Instructors through curriculum assessment, classroom observation, as well as goal setting and progress monitoring
• Support and facilitate college and career personal development for teachers and staff
• Track student college and career data, monitor progress, and execute on strategic upgrades
• Lead college and career programming and exposure
• Develop effective processes to support College & Career Instructors in regards to students finalizing and executing on strong post-secondary plans, including but not limited to, postsecondary and financial aid applications, and registering for standardized tests in a classroom setting
• Develop an inclusive, solution-focused and growth-mindset team culture
• Collaborate with the KIPP Forward team and other stakeholders to track and report data for support Postsecondary Access
• Maintain consistent “Progress of Students” communication with key stakeholders including: KIPP Foundation, KIPP Forward team, School and regional leadership, along with students and families
• Establish relationships and collaborate with external stakeholders (postsecondary institutions, career partners, scholarship organizations, etc.) to support students’ success
• Progress monitor all KIPP Forward postsecondary prep, application and matriculation goals
• Manage and maintain consistent communication flow to key stakeholders, teammates and families (including recurring meetings with SPED team, Registrar/Dean of Academic Progress, Testing Coordinator etc.) to support students progress towards HS graduation and transition to their postsecondary plan

Benefits

• KIPP Texas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP Texas ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Any individual needing assistance in making an application for any opening should contact the Talent Team. Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job duties. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director