School Counselor - Middle School
Begins August 2025

Job Summary: The Pembroke Hill School seeks a full-time school counselor to serve students' social and emotional needs in grades 6th through 8th. The successful candidate will be bright, compassionate, energetic, approachable, and passionate about working with middle school students in an academically accelerated environment.

The School Counselor is responsible for individual counseling and referral of students, as appropriate, and the coordination of support with teachers, administrators, parents and outside professionals. The school counselor will collaborate on the development of social emotional learning in the middle school and plan and implement parent education opportunities as necessary. The counselor reports directly to the Middle School Division Head and Director of Counseling and Community Well-being.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Certified School Counselor, or experience as a school based mental health provider -MSW, LPC, LCPC preferred.
• Min 1-2 yrs counseling youth with school counseling experience at the middle or upper school level, strongly preferred.
• Solid writing skills as well as communication and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to multi-task effectively.
• Proven ability to listen and connect with children while showing empathy and concern

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with administrators, teachers, parents and outside professionals to holistically support the needs of individual students through intentional prevention and intervention strategies
• Further develop and teach Wellness and counseling lessons to grades six through eight
• Coordinate with families, school administrators, the school nurse, and the Middle and Upper School Learning Specialists to develop plans of support for students in need; coordinating meetings, and necessary external referrals
• Team with administration and counseling department to develop student and parent programming on relevant social/emotional health issues
• Inform administration of various student's needs or issues
• Participate in school related conferences, training, and committee work
• Provide short-term counseling as needed
• Collaborate with the Dean of Student Activities to plan advisory and support the advisory program
• Develop relationships with community partners to support counseling curriculum, parent education, and counseling referrals for students
• Serve as a resource and consultant on adolescent student mental health in grades six through eight
• Communicate with students’ outside clinicians to support students’ needs while at school
• Maintain appropriate and detailed records
• Attend faculty meetings, professional learning days, middle school leadership meetings and counseling department meetings
• Actively support transitions from lower to middle school and middle to upper school
• Uphold the ethical standards of the school counseling profession
• Seek professional growth opportunities

In times of crisis, the Counselor coordinates with the school and community to bring together resources. As the foundation of his/her/their work, the Counselor adheres to professional and ethical standards within the field. The ideal candidate will be experienced at providing psychological support in a diverse and inclusive school community. Some evening and weekend hours will be necessary.

Schedule: Teaching positions are based on the school year (August through May). During the school year, there are three school vacations – one week at Thanksgiving, two weeks in December, and two weeks in March – plus holidays, personal and sick days.

Compensation: Compensation will be based on a competitive norm influenced by area and peer schools, using years of experience and the highest completed degree. Transcripts and verification of employment will be required. Benefits include health, dental, retirement match (up to 8%), professional development opportunities, PHS tuition remission, free lunch, and more!

About Pembroke Hill School:
Pembroke Hill School is an independent school in Kansas City, Missouri. Pembroke Hill seeks to fulfill our mission by recognizing that diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion are integral elements of school and community life. Our mission-inspired goal is together, cultivating the best in each, for the benefit of all. Cultivating each to be a global thinker and valuable member of the PHS community poised to acquire the academic and life skills that make a significant difference for all.

We have newer and updated facilities, excellent classroom resources, small class sizes, and a competitive and comprehensive compensation and benefits package. If you would like to join a highly qualified team who enjoys teaching talented and dedicated students please complete the online application to be considered.

Physical Demands for Faculty positions:
The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods. For elementary and lower school, sit on the floor for extended periods of time.
• Ability to enter data into a computer, to see and read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids
• Ability to hear and understand speech at normal classroom levels, outdoors, and on the telephone
• Ability to speak in audible tones so that others may understand clearly in normal classrooms, outdoors, and on the telephone
• Physical ability to lift, carry and/or hold up to 25 pounds to shoulder height and 50 pounds to waist height
• Ability to occasionally balance, reach, bend, squat, stoop, or kneel
• Ability to climb stairs, walk, and occasionally run, if required