Counsellor

British Columbia Public School Employers' Association | Make a Future - Careers in BC Education; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 110,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended benefits

RRSP matching

Job summary

Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology (VISST) seeks a school counsellor for a short-term, part-time role (~3 days/week) to support student well-being. The counsellor will conduct 1:1 sessions, liaise with families and staff, and handle some administrative tasks.

Start Jan 2027; end around March 2028, with flexible dates. Ideal candidates have counselling/psychology training, registration as a clinical counsellor, and experience in school settings.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary training in counselling or psychology is required.
• Ability to connect with students, curious, respectful, and positive role model for students.
• Ability to work with others as part of an education team and openness to feedback.

Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 counselling sessions with students.
• Liaise with parents and school staff to support the whole-student approach.
• Perform general administrative duties as part of the role.

Skills

Ability to connect with students

Ability to work with others

Education

Post-secondary training in counselling/psychology

Registered clinical counsellor

Training in school counselling

Job description

About Our Schoo l

Launched in 2022, the Vancouver Independent School for Science and Technology (VISST) is a not-for-profit independent school and Vancouver’s first dedicated STEM high school. Students at VISST experience an accelerated and enriched STEM curriculum, real-world applications, project-based learning, and the opportunity to participate in governance of the school. Our unique philanthropy-backed sliding-scale tuition model allows for great socioeconomic diversity within the school. Our school hours are 10am-4pm Monday-Friday. In the 2026-27 school year, there will be between 80 and 90 students in the school. The best way to learn more about VISST is by visiting our website at visst.ca.

About the Position

The school counsellor will be responsible for the well‑being of VISST students. Responsibilities include 1:1 counselling sessions with students, liaising with parents as needed, and liaising with school staff to incorporate our understanding of the whole student in our teaching practice. This position also includes some general administrative work. An ideal candidate possesses warmth, clear communication, initiative, and clinical expertise.

For the 2026-27 cycle, this is a short term part time position. We are seeking a counsellor for approximately 3 days per week, with room for discussion on the exact number of days and how they are distributed over the average week. The length of the term is the duration of the maternity leave of the current School Counsellor, estimated to be 14 months.

Timeline

We are hiring with an expected start date of Jan 6, 2027 , and an anticipated end date of March 5, 2028 . Flexibility on the start and end date is a plus, but VISST is also willing to be flexible if needed.

Expected Qualifications

We will evaluate candidates in the following areas:

1. Post‑secondary training in counselling or psychology is required. Experience as a school counsellor is preferred. Standing as a registered clinical counsellor is preferred. Specific training in school counselling is a plus.

2. Ability to connect with students. An ideal team member forms connections with students, is curious about students, can be vulnerable with students, earns the respect of students, and serves as a positive role model in students’ lives. We seek those who are not only interested in their own role at the school, but also in students and their success.

3. Ability to work with others. We are more than a collection of individual teachers and staff: we are an education team. It is critical that all our members contribute positively to our work environment. We seek those who possess warmth, generosity, humility and openness to feedback.

Beyond the above, we also love working with those who possess a bit of a rebellious spirit and perhaps some dissatisfaction with the status quo in education. VISST is a chance to do something different, and we hope that you are likewise excited about making the most of the freedom and opportunity this exciting situation provides.

Compensation

Our salaries are roughly in line with the Vancouver School Board compensation for school counsellors. Depending on experience level and academic qualifications, the annual salary ranges from $60,000 to $110,000 for full time, and compensation includes extended benefits and RRSP matching (extended extended benefit: getting to be part of the VISST community )