Associate Director of Guidance Programs

About Democracy Prep Public Schools

Democracy Prep Public Schools is a college prep institution and it is our mission to ensure all Democracy Prep Public Schools is a college prep institution and it is our mission to educate all scholars to be successful in the college of their choice and a life of active citizenship. We also acknowledge and celebrate multiple post-secondary pathways. We prioritize civic engagement, global citizenship/student travel, arts, and athletics, in addition to excellent academics.

About the Opportunity

The Assistant Director of Guidance Counseling oversees our Postsecondary Readiness /Student Success Counselor team, providing direction, support and professional development. This role is central to our mission, coordinating student support across multiple campuses to ensure every scholar thrives.

Who You Are:

• An educator with an unwavering commitment to the Democracy Prep mission of college success and authentic civic engagement for our scholars.
• A dedicated high school counselor with experience in college counseling for low-income, first-generation students.
• A committed professional who possesses extensive knowledge of the college admissions and financial aid processes with a track record of high-quality college advising.
• A clear communicator and skilled writer with the ability to provide strong feedback on student work and craft exceptional student recommendations and other written communications.
• An enthusiastic networker with established, long-term associations with a variety of key admissions personnel at various higher ed organizations across the country, especially in New York, and the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and connect students to unique programs on college campuses.
• An organized professional who can build data-driven recommendations around the college process, and alumni support, with the goal of college persistence for all scholars.

What You Will Do

Program Oversight and Support

• Supervise and mentor Postsecondary Readiness Counselors and Scholar Success Counselors
• Oversee the 4-year advising program (grades 9–12) combining whole group instruction with individual advising
• Develop and implement college/career readiness initiatives across all schools
• Build partnerships with college admissions officers, employers, and community organizations
• Coordinate cross-functional collaboration between counselors, families, faculty, college advisors, and student support teams

Operations & Strategy

• Streamline administrative processes including credit audits, transcript reviews, and graduation tracking
• Build capacity across our counseling team through professional development
• Create standardized tools and documentation for consistent student support
• Partner with leadership on strategic decisions about student services

Data Collection, Reporting and Analysis

• Monitor and ensure the timely completion of college applications, financial aid packages, and post-secondary planning
• Track and report on key metrics related to college access and success
• Monitor student progress and graduation outcomes
• Track long-term impact on college access, civic participation, and life outcomes

Counseling & Intervention

• Supervise crisis intervention protocols across the counseling team
• Review and triage complex cases involving abuse, neglect, or significant academic challenges
• Develop systems for tracking student well-being and academic outcomes
• Ensure all counselors are equipped to handle behavioral health concerns

College Counseling and Post-Secondary Planning Strategy and Operations

• Supervise a team of counselors supporting seniors through the full admissions cycle, ensuring each student receives comprehensive guidance
• Establish streamlined procedures for college list development, personal statement coaching, financial aid advising, and matriculation decisions
• Create and maintain effective parent/guardian partnership and engagement strategies including workshop calendars, meeting protocols, and communication channels
• Track utilization of critical resources like fee waivers, fly-in visits, partner programs, scholarships and (H)EOP
• Track metrics on how effectively we help students leverage these supports
• Establish clear timelines and accountability structures for all partnership-related tasks
• Monitor campus outcomes to ensure we're meeting our college access and completion goals
• Maintain strategic partnerships across higher education institutions Quality Assurance & Improvement
• Regularly review counseling procedures to ensure they align with our mission and student needs
• Provide ongoing training on admissions practices and student success strategies

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work, counseling, or related field
• Relevant licensure (LPC, LPC-S, LMSW, LCSW) preferred
• 5+ years of experience in school counseling or equivalent role
• Proven leadership of educational counseling teams
• Strong understanding of college admissions processes
• Excellent organizational and people-management skills
• Exceptional strategic thinking and operational expertise

Compensation

Salary range is $115,000 - $130,000 commensurate with your experience. Democracy Prep employees are provided with a benefits package that includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, 403B matching, parental leave, a smartphone, and a laptop.

---

Democracy Prep is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Our mission is to educate responsible citizen-scholars who will change the world. We strongly believe that by building a DREAM team that represents numerous perspectives, backgrounds, and expertises, we can achieve this goal together. This is a value we highly support and strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.