Lead Guidance Counsellor

Te Awamutu College; Waikato; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Te Awamutu College is seeking a Lead Guidance Counsellor to deliver professional counselling in line with NZAC standards and to partner with the Senior Leadership team, other school Counsellor(s), the Student Welfare team and Form Class teachers to enhance pastoral systems.

The role focuses on enabling every student to reach their potential, maintaining confidential records, designing and evaluating guidance-related programmes, contributing to wellbeing policies, and coordinating with external

Qualifications

• NZAC membership or eligibility is required.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative abilities are essential.
• Excellent time management with ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of students and staff referrals.
• Provide specialist counselling guidance to the school community.
• Maintain confidential clinical records.
• Contribute to guidance-related programme delivery and evaluation.
• Support policy development for student wellbeing.
• Maintain attendance and appointment records in KAMAR.
• Prepare referral documents for external agencies.
• Provide comments and statistics on counselling activities to the Principal.
• Attend regular meetings with the Student Welfare Team and nursing staff.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Time management

Work under pressure

Professionalism

Education

NZAC membership or eligibility

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

The Lead Guidance Counsellor delivers professional counselling to the school community in alignment with NZAC ethical standards. The role partners with the Senior Leadership team, other school Counsellor(s), Student Welfare team and Form Class teachers to enhance pastoral systems. The Lead Guidance Counsellor works with staff to create conditions where every student can reach their full potential, maintains strong links within and outside the school to ensure individuals access appropriate information and specialist help, actively contributes to a school climate free of intolerance, harassment and bullying, and acts as a proactive agent for positive change within the Te Awamutu College community.

Key responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of self-referrals and internal/external referrals (students, staff and whānau)
• Provide specialist advice to the school's Critical Incident Management Team when required
• Maintain secure, accurate and strictly confidential clinical records
• Assist in the design, delivery and evaluation of guidance-related programmes
• Contribute to the ongoing development of school policies regarding guidance and student wellbeing
• Maintain accurate KAMAR records for attendance and appointments
• Complete formal referral documentation for external agencies
• Provide comments and statistical analysis of guidance counselling activities report to Principal
• Attend regular meetings with other school counsellor(s), nurses and the Student Welfare Team

About you

• Current membership (or eligibility for) the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC)
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Commitment to working collegially
• Excellent time management – the ability to deliver under pressure
• Ability to organise own workload with minimal oversight
• Ability to work with stakeholders with professionalism

About us

Te Awamutu College is a school community committed to creating conditions where every student can reach their full potential and maintaining a climate free of intolerance, harassment and bullying.

Start date of this position is 28 January 2027.