Ranney School seeks a compassionate and dedicated Upper School Counselor to support the behavioral, emotional, and social needs of our students in Grades 9 – 12 for the 2026 – 2027 school year. The Counselor serves as a vital resource for students, families, and faculty, providing individualized student support and overseeing proactive health and wellness programming. This ten-month position is separate from the Upper School’s dedicated College Counseling Department.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

• Serve as the division’s primary advocate for student behavioral, mental, and social-emotional health, consulting for students, colleagues, and caregivers on strategies to promote well-being. 
• Maintain a visible, positive, and welcoming presence in the community, striving to connect with each of the Upper School’s 350+ students.  
• As a key member of the Upper School Student Support Team, collaborate with the deans, learning specialist, division head, and others to develop holistic intervention plans and conduct behavioral threat assessment. 
• Provide short-term individual counseling as needed, coordinating with external mental health professionals and referring families to community resources for long-term therapeutic needs.
• Direct and, as necessary, deliver the division’s proactive programming on health, wellness, and social-emotional learning. Presently, this includes Health units on substance abuse prevention and healthy relationships delivered by guest teachers from the Wellspring Center for Prevention; lessons on mental health first aid, sexual health, nutrition, and law enforcement from from Ranney’s own faculty and staff experts, including the counselor; and the Wayfinder future-ready skills curriculum, delivered mostly by faculty advisors in grade-level advisory groups. 
• Lead and manage the Peer Mentors and Panther Partners programs, ensuring effective onboarding for all Grade 9 students and new transfer students by selecting and training returning mentor students in Grades 11 and 12.
• Ensure the school’s compliance with mandated reporting laws, policies, and procedures, and provide regular training and reminders to faculty on these best practices.

About Ranney School:

Ranney School is an Age 3 to Grade 12 independent school in Tinton Falls, NJ. We serve a diverse body of approximately 750 students from across Monmouth & Ocean Counties on the northern New Jersey shore. A secular, college-preparatory day school, Ranney is guided by a strong Board of Trustees, an experienced Head of School, Dr. John Griffith, and most notably, by a powerful mission: “To know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.” 

An equal opportunity employer, we foster a community that supports a spectrum of cultures, beliefs, and talents to promote the intellectual growth and moral development of all members of our community. We are committed to creating an environment that is affirming and inclusive. We are inspired by an awareness and appreciation for diversity, human dignity and interpersonal acceptance. 

The ideal candidate will:

• Hold an advanced degree in an accredited field (such as school counseling, social work, psychology, or marriage and family therapy), maintain a current professional license or certification (e.g., a NJ School Counselor Certificate, LPC, LCSW, or LMFT), and have experience in school-based counseling.
• Be warm, approachable, and passionate about fostering relationships with adolescents, empathizing with them, and guiding their growth.
• Demonstrate deep, clinical understanding of adolescents’ social, emotional, and intellectual development. 
• Be skilled at translating that expertise into effective student interventions: both responsive support and proactive programming. 
• Possess the emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and communication skills to navigate difficulties collaboratively with students, colleagues, and caregivers
• Know how to record and store sensitive information and understand the importance—and nuances—of maintaining privacy and confidentiality

To Apply:

Please submit an application dossier (cover letter, resume, and 3-5 professional references) compiled into a single PDF file to us-counselor-hiring@ranneyschool.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

About Ranney School

Ranney School is an Age 3-Grade 12 independent, college preparatory school based in Tinton Falls, NJ. Our school serves a diverse body of approximately 770 students from across Monmouth & Ocean Counties on the northern New Jersey shore. A secular, college-preparatory day school, Ranney is guided by a strong Board of Trustees, an experienced Head of School, Dr. John Griffith, and most notably, by a powerful mission and vision. Our mission is “To know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society.” We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to distinguish and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens. We continue to foster an inclusive community that supports a spectrum of cultures, beliefs and talents to promote the intellectual growth and moral development of all members of our community. We are inspired by an awareness and appreciation for diversity, human dignity and interpersonal acceptance.

Connections working at Ranney School