UT High School Lead Counselor

University of Texas at Austin

1d•$80,000•Hybrid

About The Position

You will make a difference! You’ll be working for a university that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will make a difference in the lives of students and colleagues. If you’re the type of person that wants to know your work has meaning and impact, you’ll love working in the UT High School. UT Austin provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to: Salaries that are highly competitive with the local ISD Eligibility for annual merit-based permanent salary increases Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%) Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options Paid sick time, and holidays Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b) Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities Tuition assistance Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card For more details, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits The University of Texas at Austin’s High School (UTHS) Special Purpose District provides programs and services to help high school students, teachers and families across Texas and the world. UTHS strives to help and assist students as they move along their educational pathways. As a proud member of the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin, UTHS works to fill “gaps” in the Texas educational landscape and thrives in the service to others. This position requires fingerprinting and successful completion of a background check. Start date is July 29, 2026. Purpose Serve as the Lead Counselor for UT High School Diploma Programs, providing leadership and coordination for a comprehensive, developmental school counseling program. The Lead Counselor collaborates with administrators, counselors, faculty, students, families, and community partners to ensure strong academic planning, on-time graduation, postsecondary readiness, and social-emotional support. The role includes direct counseling responsibilities and leadership, mentoring, system development, and accountability for the campus counseling team.

Requirements

Master’s degree in guidance counseling and valid Texas counseling certificate or current enrollment in a counseling certification or degree program.
Three years of teaching experience at the secondary level.

Nice To Haves

Active Texas Certification for mid-management, principal, or superintendent.
Experience working as a counselor in a Texas public high school.
Experience working as a lead counselor in a Texas public high school.
Bilingual Spanish

Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Operations Serve as primary liaison between campus leadership and the counseling team
Facilitate regular counseling team meetings with agendas, action items, and follow-up
Develop and implement standardized procedures, timelines, and shared tools
Monitor counselor capacity, productivity, and program effectiveness; provide coaching and support
Lead development and implementation of the Comprehensive Counseling Plan
Coordinate counselor participation in MTSS, ARD, and 504 processes
Oversee counseling initiatives, including awards, assemblies, reporting, and program communication
Academic Planning & Graduation Support Lead campus-wide graduation planning, ensuring all students maintain current Personal Graduation Plans.
Coordinate ongoing credit checks and monitor progress toward graduation
Identify and support students at risk of not graduating; implement targeted interventions
Ensure accurate advising aligned to Texas graduation requirements and CCMR pathways
Support graduation preparation, reporting, and ceremony coordination
Communication, Parent & Family Engagement Establish and maintain clear communication expectations, timelines, and protocols
Ensure consistent, accurate, and accessible counseling communication and resources
Support delivery of student and family outreach (meetings, webinars, and events)
Collaborate with families to support academic planning, graduation readiness, and postsecondary transitions
Maintain communication calendars and shared resources
Student Records, CCMR, & Support Services Maintain accurate, confidential student records in compliance with state and university requirements
Monitor transcripts, testing, class rank, and graduation eligibility
Lead CCMR efforts, including postsecondary planning, applications, and testing timelines
Provide individual and group counseling for academic, career, and personal development
Coordinate support services for special populations and connect families to campus and community resources

Benefits

Salaries that are highly competitive with the local ISD
Eligibility for annual merit-based permanent salary increases
Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
Paid sick time, and holidays
Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan
Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
Tuition assistance
Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card