The Dean of College Counseling provides strategic leadership and vision for all aspects of the College Counseling program. The Dean oversees the long-term direction, cohesion, and integrity of the department; leads the development and implementation of counseling practices aligned with SAS values; and ensures strong external relationships with colleges, universities, professional organizations, and partner institutions.
The Dean supervises department personnel, cultivates a culture of trust and collaboration, and ensures alignment with Singapore American School's mission and high school strategic priorities. The Dean provides both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring consistent execution of systems, workflows, curriculum, communications, and programming. This role works closely with the College Counseling Program Manager, who provides operational and logistical support for systems, data, events, and communications, to deliver a cohesive student-centered college counseling program.
The Dean maintains a reduced student caseload, determined annually in collaboration with the High School Principal, to remain grounded in direct counseling practice while fulfilling leadership responsibilities.
Position Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Department Oversight
- Provide strategic direction for the College Counseling program, ensuring alignment with SAS's mission and high school strategic priorities.
- Lead and supervise the college counselors and college counseling support staff.
- Recruit, hire, onboard, coach, and evaluate members of the College Counseling team.
- Lead the department to ensure a culture of trust, feedback, cohesion, and Culture of We with collective ownership for students and families.
- Lead the College Counseling PLC, establishing shared expectations, calibration of practice, and departmental norms.
- Determine counselor caseload distribution to ensure equity, balance, and responsiveness to student needs.
- Oversee long-term departmental planning, including program evaluation and multiyear strategic development.
- Plan, develop, and oversee the College Counseling department budget in collaboration with the Program Manager and High School leadership.
- Lead the development, implementation, and periodic review of a multi-year strategic plan for the College Counseling program, informed by data, student outcomes, and school priorities.
External Relationships & Representation
- Represent SAS with colleges, universities, and professional organizations regionally and globally.
- Build and sustain relationships with college admission representatives and peer schools to enhance access and opportunity for SAS students.
- Host and organize college visits, college fairs, and professional networking events in collaboration with the College Counseling Program Manager.
- Stay current with global trends in higher education and admissions, and communicate implications to students, families, and faculty.
- Support faculty understanding of the college admissions landscape through targeted professional learning, guidance on recommendation writing, and collaboration on student preparation.
Program Development & Curriculum Leadership
- Provide leadership in developing, aligning, and implementing the four-year college readiness program.
- Ensure counseling curriculum, programming, and resources reflect best practices in college access, equity, and student well-being.
- Ensure alignment between College Counseling programming and high school priorities (e.g., assessment, belonging, student pathways).
- Lead the implementation of grade-level lessons, workshops, and parent programming across Grades 912.
- Ensure consistency and quality of curriculum delivery across counselors and grade levels.
- Provide leadership and oversight for college-related assessments and testing processes, ensuring alignment with college counseling goals, student well-being, and school-wide assessment practices.
Personnel Leadership & Culture Building
- Cultivate a collaborative departmental culture focused on student care, professional learning, feedback, and continuous improvement.
- Establish and maintain structures for team calibration, shared problem-solving, and professional dialogue.
- Provide coaching and support for counselors in their counseling, communication, and family partnership practices.
- Lead key departmental communications and internal alignment, in coordination with the Program Manager.
Student & Family Advising
- Provide individualized college counseling for students on a reduced caseload.
- Meet with juniors, seniors, and parents to support their college planning and application processes.
- Provide guidance to Grades 910 students and families regarding curriculum, course selection, and long-term planning.
- Uphold the school's commitment to equity, access, and student-centered practice in all counseling interactions.
Data, Systems & Operational Management
- Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of college admission and matriculation data to inform program evaluation and improvement.
- Use data to assess program effectiveness and guide strategic and operational decision-making.
- Oversee the management and effective use of college counseling systems in collaboration with the College Counseling Program Manager.
- Ensure data integrity, compliance, confidentiality, and ethical use of student information.
- Coordinate annual cycles, workflows, deadlines, and documentation to ensure smooth departmental operations.
Position Requirements & Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree strongly preferred.
- Minimum 710 years of relevant experience in college counseling or university admissions, including experience in a leadership role.
- Deep understanding of U.S. and global college admission landscapes.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in counseling practice.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
- Proven ability to coach, supervise, and develop professional staff.
- Experience building partnerships with universities and external organizations.
Working requirements
- Occasional evenings and weekends for parent events, college representative visits, and conferences.
- Ability to travel to represent SAS at conferences, university engagements, and regional/global networking events.
