Senior School University and Career Guidance Counsellor

Senior School University and Career Guidance Counsellor

School Overview

St. John’s School (SJS) is a leading independent, all-gender IB World School in Vancouver, Canada, offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP) across Kindergarten to Grade 12. SJS is committed to providing an enriching and rigorous education that nurtures learning competencies, student agency, wellbeing, and a lifelong love of learning.

Position Purpose & Overview

The Senior School University and Career Guidance Counsellor is an integral member of the faculty who collaborates with an established counselling team and works closely with the Senior School School to support students in Grades 6-12. In this role, the counsellor provides personalized guidance and delivers programming that help students plan for their futures. Responsibilities include advising students on post-secondary and career options, organizing university networking opportunities such as fairs, coordinating graduated-related events, and teaching Career Education classes. The counsellor plays a key role in helping students understand graduation requirements, explore post-secondary pathways, and prepare for transition beyond SJS.

Key Responsibilities

University Planning

Organize and host university visits to St. John’s School.

Organize students to visit university fairs (e.g., VAIS, CUE).

Organize and host events such as university fairs, Gr 10 Career Day, Gr 10 Take your Child to Work Day, and the Gr 11 Interview Day event.

Organize parent and student information nights covering topics such as: university planning, career planning, co-op programs, and summer programs.

Meet individually with students and/or parents to assist in the university planning process.

Assist students with course selections at the DP level and prerequisite courses for university.

Provide scholarship/awards information to parents and students.

Monitor graduation requirements for all students in Grades 10-12.

Assist in the organization of the graduation and awards ceremonies.

Communication and Record-Keeping

Communicate information with the Marketing and Advancement departments regarding information and activities related to career and university planning.

Maintain the University Advising page on the school website.

Maintain records of university applications, acceptances, and final destinations.

Maintain records of scholarship awards.

Maintain a noticeboard of university and post-secondary planning activities/opportunities.

Maintain a library of information for students and parents on post-secondary opportunities.

University Applications

Assist students with resume writing and interview techniques.

Guide students with supplemental documentation/essays for applications.

Write references to support university and scholarship applications.

Guide teachers and administration in reference with writing requirements.

Process high school transcripts (initial/midyear/final) for university applications.

Maintain records of predicted grades as provided by the DP Coordinator.

Be available in the early summer (following the release of DP results) to advise students and families.

Teaching and Curriculum

Plan, deliver, and assess Senior School Career Education courses aligned with the BC Curriculum.

Employ varied instructional and assessment strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Monitor Daily Physical Activity (DPA) for Grade 11-12 students in accordance with Ministry requirements.

Student Relationships and Wellbeing

Build strong, respectful, and trusting relationships with students.

Work collaboratively with school-based teams to support academic, social, and personal student needs.

Support students’ physical, social, and emotional wellbeing through a holistic, student-centered approach.

Promote inclusion, safety, teamwork, and belonging across learning environments.

Collaborate with counselling colleagues, advisors, teachers, families, post-secondary institutions, and community agencies.

Operational Support

Plan and manage the budget for university advising.

Attend conferences and workshops for professional development.

Foster links between college and university admissions in N.Am , UK and Europe.

Maintain student records on Maia Learning to document post-secondary choices.

Evaluate the University Advising program on an annual basis and make recommendations for improvements or changes to the Senior School Principal.

Model respectful and timely communication with students, colleagues, and parents, in line with the school’s Mutual Respect policy.

Endorse the school’s mission, vision, and values.

Attend professional development programmes, participate in “on campus” courses, and attend professional meetings which relate to curricular, administrative or organizational matters as required; scheduled by the Head of Department, Curriculum Coordinators and Senior Management Team.

Assess, record, and report on the growth of student success in alignment with the MYP/DP subject objectives, criteria, guidelines, and the school’s assessment policy and practices.

Engage or offer co-curricular activity(ies) for Senior School students.

Demonstrate reliability in and understanding of implementation of risk and student management strategies.

Required Qualifications & Key Competencies

Education & Experience

A valid BC Certification of Teaching.

Need to be legally entitled to work in Canada.

Knowledge and understanding of the International Baccalaureate programmes.

Experience and adept understanding of administering and teaching MYP and DP University and Career Guidance, and/or BC curriculum and Career Guidance courses in a Senior School setting is an asset.

Knowledge of the MYP curriculum framework is considered an asset.

Knowledge of MYP Service as Action is considered an asset.

Knowledge of the DP course content and curriculum framework is considered an asset.

Knowledge of the DP Core components (CAS, TOK, Extended Essay) is considered an asset.

A Basic First Aid certificate is considered an asset.

Key Skills & Competencies

Building strong, positive relationships with the SJS community (students, parents, guardians, staff).

A motivated, adaptable, and enthusiastic team player.

Commitment to inclusion and fostering a supportive learning environment.

Dynamic ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Demonstrate and pursue excellence in practice and professional growth.

Strong organizational, administrative, and interpersonal skills.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Positive attitude, growth mindset, and strong emotional intelligence (EQ).

Proficient in providing support for diverse learning needs.

Proven experience leading or contributing to co-curricular and/or outdoor education programs is an asset.

This role will require working hours outside of school office hours: often evening events; occasionally going offsite to document student programs; and occasional morning and weekend commitments.

This job profile outlines the key responsibilities for the roles and is not meant to be exhaustive. This will include performing the administrative and related tasks or any other responsibilities required to reasonably meet the needs of SJS, including, but not limited to the general duties outlined in the position profile.

It should be understood that the activities, responsibilities and obligations of this position may be modified from time to time, through discussion between the direct supervisor and the employee, in order to effectively meet the requirements of the school. On rare occasions where there are urgent needs at the school, an employee may be assigned to temporarily backfill role(s) critical to the school’s operations and business continuity.

Conditions of Employment

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