• Status: Exempt (Salary), Full-time
• Reports To: Head of Admission and College Counseling
• Pay Scale: $95,000 to $100,000, based on relevant experience.
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To Apply:  Please submit your cover letter, resume, and a list of all previous school or educational institution employers, including city and state, in accordance with CA SB 848 to Dr. Desiree Aldeis (desiree_aldeis@cate.org).

Job Summary

Cate School seeks an experienced college counselor to serve as a one-year sabbatical replacement for the Senior Associate Director of College Counseling. This interim role encompasses all aspects of the college counseling and academic advising process while a permanent staff member is on sabbatical. The successful candidate will work closely with students, families, faculty, and administration to maintain continuity in college counseling programs and school leadership. Reports directly to the Head of Admissions and College Counseling.

Primary Duties:

The responsibilities of this position will include, but not be limited to the following:

• Provide individualized college counseling to approximately 35–40 juniors and seniors: guide educational goal-setting, college list development, reflection on strengths, standardized testing plans, and summer opportunities.
• Communicate proactively and partner with students, families, Cate faculty, and the Head of Admissions and College Counseling.
• Write, revise, and proofread School Letters of Recommendation and Teacher Letters of Recommendation; serve as a mentor and resource to faculty letter writers.
• Advise assigned students for the academic year, coordinating parent communication and supporting all aspects of their Cate experience.
• Help design the college counseling curriculum for juniors and seniors and lead college counseling classes.
• Assist with planning, organizing, and co-leading college trips to the East Coast for grade 11 and California institutions for grade 12.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with college admission representatives through school programming.
• Organize college counseling events such as Senior Application Day, Case Studies, and Family Weekend.
• Assist in hosting the annual Case Studies program for families and students.
• Support students in applying for summer programs.

Appointment Details:

• This is a full-time, one-year position intended to cover core duties during the sabbatical of the Senior Associate Director of College Counseling.
• Strong collaborative and communication skills required; prior college counseling, university admissions, and academic advising experience preferred.
• Onboarding for this role is scheduled to begin in March 2026.
• Housing may be included along with a competitive benefits package.
• This position comes with full benefits that include robust Health/Dental/Life insurance, Retirement and PTO plans.

All Cate Employees live up to the following Essential Expectations:

1. Overtly support and act according to the school’s mission and values.
2. Foster a safe, predictable, and supportive environment for employees and students.
3. Interact with colleagues in a respectful and collegial manner that fosters a healthy culture for living, learning, and working together.
4. Demonstrate commitment and courage in service of building our school culture where diversity is affirmed and supported.
5. Demonstrate appropriate planning and preparation to meet the complex and evolving needs of your role.
6. Uphold professional standards of predictable presence, reliable responses, and relational trust.
7. Appropriately steward strategic and special projects associated with role or team.
8. Honor the confidentiality of School, student, and family information.
9. Comply with policies and procedures as articulated in the School’s Employee Handbook.
10. Authentically engage in self-reflection in service to professional growth and adapting to the evolving needs of the school.

At Cate, we often talk about the deep sense of community that attends the “spirit of this place.” While the “spirit” manifests in many ways, it is rooted in the full recognition of the dignity of each person. We encourage all members of the Cate community to share their background, interests, identities, and beliefs so that we can collectively work to broaden our perspectives, deepen our capacity for empathy, and strengthen our resilience. In doing so, we can continue the daily work of creating and building community

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Cate School is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition including genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender, gender identity, genetic information or any other category protected under federal or local law.

About Cate School

For over a century, Cate School has been blending together the tradition of the East Coast with the innovation of the West Coast in the service of a dynamic, diverse, and close-knit community. A four-year college preparatory school with a low student-to-faculty ratio, small class sizes, and inviting residential spaces, Cate’s inquiry-based program is designed to challenge, inspire, and support boarding and day students whose interests, abilities, characters, and aspirations make them individually and collectively exceptional. Join a professional community that is celebrated for its transformational pedagogy that fosters curiosity. Here, our faculty thrives within a dynamic culture driven by an unwavering dedication to the greatest growth possible, a spirit of innovation and progress, and a core of care and support for each member of this community.

Connections working at Cate School