Alexandria, Virginia
Washington, D.C.
Posted: 24-Apr-26
Location: Washington, D.C.
Type: Full Time
Salary: 75,000-95,000
Categories:
Preferred Education:
Additional Information:
Assistant Director of College Counseling
Position Type: This is a year-round, full-time, salaried (overtime exempt) position with full benefits. All employment at Field is employment at-will.
Subject Matter & Projected Pay Range (per the D.C. Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023): College counseling, college placement, advising, and administrative. $75,000 - 95,000.00
Position Description: The Field School's program is ambitious and bold, and our teaching faculty and program faculty alike embody the mission of the school by guiding students to discover their authentic selves and distinctive paths to become empathetic, creative thinkers who act boldly to shape our shared future. Faculty are expected to pursue this through a combination of authentic day-to-day interactions with students, in the design and implementation of curriculum, and in their professional interactions with colleagues. Field is a place where our classrooms are better because they mirror the outside world, embracing a diversity of identity, thought, and experience. We believe in the interconnectedness of people and ideas; we strive to be a learning community at every level of the school. At Field, all adults at school – teachers, the administrative team, and operations employees – are faculty and share a responsibility to participate fully in the school’s community and to shepherd the school’s values.
The Field School is deeply committed to creating and sustaining a learning environment that values equity, diversity, and inclusion as outlined above. This commitment requires sustained effort and a willingness to grow as a community of professionals.
Specifically, we are seeking an Assistant Director of College Counseling who works under the direction of the Director of College Counseling to provide grade-level-appropriate guidance and support to Upper School students. The Director and Assistant Director divide the caseload equally, each taking primary responsibility for 30-35 students per graduating class, and meet individually with students and their families during 11th and 12th grades. Each college counselor writes a comprehensive and compelling letter of recommendation for each student in their caseload, reads and edits written materials for students’ applications, assists with the Common Application, and ensures that students meet deadlines.
As a team of two, the college counselors teach college workshop classes as a component of the advisory program and present a variety of grade-level and subject-specific evening programs for current and prospective Upper School families. The assistant director will have the opportunity to take the primary role in programming that is aligned with their areas of interest and expertise. We host around 150 college representatives at Field throughout the months of September, October and November to meet with students and learn about our school, and we foster those critical relationships. We also attend the annual NACAC conference and travel to visit college campuses across the country and internationally. Locally, we participate in the Washington Area Independent Schools group meetings, assist in facilitating the WAIS College Fair, and attend breakfasts, lunches, and events sponsored by individual colleges. We also work closely with the senior and junior advisory teams, the Upper School Director, and the Associate Head of School to counsel students on academics, course selections, and related issues as they arise. Throughout the year, as we get to know our students and families well, we are able to counsel them appropriately and empower students to take on this college process as their own.
Specific Duties:
? Meet with students and families throughout the college process
? Provide information and guidance about the college process, college selections, finding the right “fit” schools, financial aid issues, and deadlines
? Write comprehensive letters of recommendation for each student in the assigned caseload
? Read and edit student essays and supplements for college applications
? Co-teach college workshops as a component of the Upper School advisory program
? Participate in grade-level and subject-specific programs for families, some of which occur in the evenings
? Oversee the transmission of supporting materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.) for the assigned caseload, meeting all applicable deadlines
? Foster and maintain relationships with college representatives; advocate appropriately and effectively on behalf of students
? Participate in fly-ins and college tours to learn about colleges and meet with college representatives; attend professional conferences (NACAC)
? Help facilitate the Washington Area Independent School Fair and attend WAIS meetings
? Coordinate AP exam registration and administration for the small number of students who choose to take them.
Qualifications and Competencies:
? Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree or commensurate experience preferred
? Years of service requirement: at least three years progressively responsible experience as a college admission officer and/or school-based college counselor
? Strong work ethic
? Excellent organizational skills
? Flexibility with time and travel
? Willingness to coordinate efforts with others
? Ability to establish, develop, and maintain strong relationships with students and their families
? Networking skills are important in cultivating and maintaining valuable relationships with college admissions representatives
? Additionally, a historical and institutional knowledge of the Field School is helpful in understanding our students, and as we relay the culture and curriculum of Field to college representatives
? Sensitivity to adolescent concerns and societal pressures
? Sense of humor and a willingness to be flexible and pivot when needed
Work Environment: Program faculty at Field work in-person at school, except in the event of remote learning, when faculty may be asked to perform their work at home. In both settings, faculty are required to maintain a professional environment. While on campus, classes and meetings may be operating either in person or in a distributed setting. All faculty are expected to be present and accessible for the entire school day, regardless of the setting. Field closes for two weeks each summer, offers generous vacation time that can be taken when school obligations permit, observes several holidays in addition to Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks, and abbreviates the work day during much of the summer.
Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, faculty are regularly required to talk and hear. This position is active; it requires prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking (including climbing and descending stairs), and occasional moving/rearranging furniture/equipment to meet the community’s needs.
Travel: Periodic regional and national travel is expected in this position, typically for college campus visits or conference attendance. International campus visits are possible, but occur rarely.
About The Field School: Located in Washington, DC, The Field School (grades 6-12) takes great pride in providing students with an ideal blend of structured academic excellence and individual expression in a relaxed, joyful atmosphere. Through dialogue among students and teachers, we encourage students to seek knowledge and join in community. Field connects the various realms of knowledge to help students understand their world and lead full lives.
Contact: Candidates are invited to send their resume and cover letter to HR@fieldschool.org and to visit www.fieldschool.org for additional information about our school community. Official Field School Employment Applications are available upon request.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
The School requires full immunization (initial vaccination and all recommended booster shots) against COVID-19 subject to applicable medical exemptions under state and federal law. If an exemption is requested, the School will determine whether reasonable accommodations are available in accordance with applicable law.
The Field School is committed to building a diverse and equitable faculty. The school does not discriminate based on a person's race, color, sex, gender, identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, homelessness, or any other ground prohibited by Federal or District of Columbia law.
D.C. Pay Transparency Law:
On Jan. 12, 2024, the District of Columbia’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, signed the Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023 (the Act) into law. The Act requires Washington, D.C. employers to disclose salary or hourly pay ranges and benefits information for open positions starting June 30, 2024.
Requirements of the Washington, D.C. Pay Transparency Law:
The Act applies to employers of any size and requires that public job listings and positions advertised include the minimum and maximum projected salary or hourly pay for the job that the employer believes in good faith at the time of posting. Internal announcements concerning promotion and transfer opportunities must also include the salary range or hourly pay. Furthermore, information about the existence of healthcare benefits associated with the position must be disclosed to the applicant prior to the first interview.
Employers are prohibited from screening or discriminating against applicants based on their salary history or inquiring about wage history from the candidate or their former employer. In addition, employers may not retaliate against employees who discuss their compensation, which is defined as “all forms of monetary and nonmonetary benefits an employer provides or promises to provide an employee in exchange for the employee’s services to the employer.”
Posting Requirement:
Employers are required to display a notice in the workplace that informs employees of their rights under the Act.
Disclosure of Healthcare Benefits Availability to all Full-Time Employees:
The Field School offers a comprehensive set of employment-based benefits to full-time employees of the School.
Eligibility begins on day one (1) of full-time employment which is defined by the School’s benefit plan as those employees who work at least 30 hours per week on an average weekly basis, consistently throughout the year.
Healthcare Benefits including a choice of Medical Insurance Plans, Dental Insurance Plans, and a Vision Plan, are included in the current benefits plan offerings.
The School reserves the right to amend or cancel the current benefit plan offerings, at any time, with or without prior notice.
New full-time employees to the School will have thirty (30) calendar days from the start of their employment to enroll in or decline all benefits, including these Healthcare Benefit offerings. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment, regardless of when the enrollment takes place, provided it is complete within the first 30-day enrollment eligibility window.
